Optometry

Do you feel like you’re being forced to prioritise retail KPIs over your own wellbeing? Or your patients?

Join optometrists around the nation reclaiming their value and raising standards across the sector.

FOCUS ON OPTOMETRY

Patient care first

Corporate ownership has reshaped optometry into a business model that puts sales targets ahead of patient care.

Optometrists across Australia are being systemically undervalued as salespeople, not the highly trained health professionals they are.

Optometrists deserve respect, autonomy, and the ability to put patients first. When business outcomes are prioritised over clinical judgment, the profession is compromised, and so is patient health.

Our campaign

Optometrist members are calling to be professionally recognised and respected.

The HSU is asking the Fair Work Commission to have optometrists explicitly listed in the Health Professionals and Support Services Award.

This will allow us to win workplace entitlements that are standard for health professionals already unionised, such as:

Guaranteed minimum pay, weekend and public holiday rates, breaks, and fair rosters.

Professional autonomy and recognition – your expertise needs to be recognised and rewarded.

Secure and decent pay increases – your pay rises should allow you to maintain your living standards as costs keep climbing.

Career pathways that reward professional skill and experience.

FOCUS ON OPTOMETRY

Sign our petition

Sign our petition to Optometry Australia asking for their support to have Optometry added to the HPSS Award.

Together we can achieve fair conditions and better pay.

Name(Required)

First Last

Email(Required)

Postcode(Required)

I am(Required)

Optometrists’ stories

Shereen Kassir

Optometrist, NSW

Optometrists are facing burnout, reduced consultation times, and increasing KPI pressures – sometimes at the expense of patient care. I joined the union because meaningful change will only happen through collective solidarity, where optometrists are supported to deliver the quality care our patients deserve.

Nina Kolhatkar

Optometrist, NSW

The corporatisation of optometry threatens our clinical autonomy. Facing stagnant pay and insecurity, it feels daunting to ask for better. By joining our union, we gain a collective voice to drive change and improve our profession.

Rory Dowdall

Optometrist, NSW

Hearing colleagues describe denied toilet breaks, pressure around taking leave, bullying, and unsafe patient loads showed something had to change. These problems won’t be fixed overnight – but they won’t change at all unless enough of us stand together to protect our profession and patients.

FOCUS ON OPTOMETRY

Join HSU

Now is the time to get on board and Focus on Optometry.

By joining the HSU, you are joining the campaign that will stand up for conditions that reflect your skills and qualifications.

When optometrists stand together and speak with one voice, we can win recognition, earn respect, and create lasting change.

Name(Required)

First Last

Email(Required)

Mobile number(Required)

Date of birth

How do you describe your gender?

Street address(Required)

Suburb(Required)

State

Postcode(Required)

Primary employer(Required)

Primary employer location/workplace address(Required)

Job title(Required)

Employment Type(Required)

Average number of hours worked per week(Required)

Annual salary(Required)

Do you identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander?

Yes

FAQs

In late 2024, a grassroots group of optometrists and independent owners formed Phoropter Free Fridays to advocate for fair conditions, better pay, professional autonomy and patient-centered care. Through the HSU, these optometrists have started serious momentum towards better recognition and lasting change.

The HSU is a community of health workers which ensures every member has access to workplace advice and support, individual representation, professional indemnity insurance (in line with AHPRA registration requirements), legal advice, advocacy for structural reform, and discounts on goods and services.

The Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 (Award) sets the minimum standards for most health professionals. It has a list of indicative health professionals. Optometrists are not named on the list.

Our case will demonstrate that optometrists provide health care like any other health professionals covered by the Award.

Our case is the first step towards improving working conditions for Optometrists and making their workplaces better. We can’t achieve better caseloads, improved access to professional development, easier rosters, and higher pay increases if there isn’t an Award underpinning your entitlements as a base to work from.

We can only achieve this with optometrists coming together as HSU members. Together change is possible.

The HSU plans to lodge the HPSS Award variation application in June 2026. From there, the Fair Work Commission process usually takes place over a year or more.

We will keep members up to date with the proceedings, please look out for email updates and invitations to online events at key moment throughout the case.

We need members to be part of our campaign to support our case and be active in demonstrating community support for change. This case won’t succeed if we don’t have optometrists joining the HSU.

Optometry Australia is the professional peak body for optometrists. It supports your professional development and clinical practice, but it’s not a union and doesn’t bargain with employers.

The HSU protects your workplace rights, pushes for better conditions, and provides collective bargaining power. In short:
• OA supports your profession.
• HSU protects and improves your rights at work.

Some optometrists hold both memberships because they complement each other.

The HSU will seek the support from OA for our case at the Fair Work Commission and we will work with them where and when possible. But don’t be complacent, this campaign is the result of the efforts of HSU members.

Yes, HSU offer student membership. Please indicate this type of membership when using the join form on this page. Memberships vary slightly based on which state or territory you’re in – most states either offer student memberships for free or a maximum of $20 a year.

The HSU doesn’t provide CPD. Instead, there are plenty of free or low-cost CPD options available, and PFF has curated a directory to make these easy to find.

FOCUS ON OPTOMETRY