Optometry Australia (OA) says a move to have optometrists explicitly recognised under the Health Professionals and Support Services Award merits consideration as part of a wider review of workforce issues.
The Health Services Union (HSU) says it is mounting a formal challenge at the Fair Work Commission in June to have optometrists’ status changed, in a move that could fundamentally reshape working conditions across Australia’s optometry sector.
In a media release, the HSU said the campaign, launched under the banner Focus on Optometry, marked a significant escalation in a growing movement among employed optometrists who claim that years of corporate consolidation have eroded their professional autonomy, pushed them toward retail-style sales targets, and left their workplace entitlements lagging far behind those of comparable health professionals.
OA CEO Mark Nevin said the organisation was aware of the discussion going on and would talk with members about any future developments.
He said that, historically, OA had not supported inclusion in the Award, largely due to concerns that doing so could have the unintended consequence of depressing salaries and limiting optometrists’ earning potential.
That stance remained, but “the workforce landscape has changed significantly in recent years”, he said.
“As a result, we believe the issue warrants fresh consideration as part of a broader conversation about workforce strategy, remuneration, career sustainability and the future of the profession.
“We will work closely with members to inform any review of our current stance, guided by current evidence, relevant facts and consideration of impacts on patients and access to care.”
Nevin saw any discussion about inclusion in the Award as part of a wider conversation about workforce issues in Australia’s optometry.
That included building a broader workforce strategy spanning areas such as “scope of practice expansion, credentialling programs for advanced practice recognition, stronger collaborative care pathways, improved support for rural and remote optometry and initiatives to increase demand for optometry services”.
He said OA supported recognition of optometrists’ status as health professionals.
“They are registered health practitioners under Australia’s National Registration and Accreditation Scheme and play a vital role in delivering primary healthcare and eyecare services to communities across the country,” he said.
But inclusion in the HPSS Award was essentially “an industrial relations question”.
“The issue being presented to the Fair Work Commission is not about whether optometrists are health professionals,” said Nevin.
“Rather, it concerns whether optometrists should be included within the Health Professionals and Support Services (HPSS) Award framework. At present, other health professionals such as medical practitioners and dentists are also not covered by the HPSS Award.”
Inclusion in the Award brought advantages, but also challenges, he said.
“Advantages may include greater clarity around minimum employment conditions and industrial arrangements, as well as alignment with those health professions covered by the Award.”
But OA had long been concerned that inclusion could place downward pressure on salaries or create unintended consequences for remuneration outcomes.
“Whether those concerns remain valid in today’s environment is one of the questions that deserves careful examination,” he said.
“Given the changes that have occurred across the workforce in recent years, we believe it is important to consider the issue objectively and with significant input from members and stakeholders before reaching any conclusions.”
He said OA had held no talks with the HSU and had not yet offered its support.
The union said it was seeking the backing of OA via a public petition.
But it noted that it had been “careful to draw a distinction between the two organisations”.
“OA supports your profession. HSU protects and improves your rights at work,” the union said in its campaign information.
It said the campaign, if successful, would unlock minimum pay floors, weekend and public holiday rates, guaranteed breaks, fair rostering provisions, and structured career pathways.
“The Award sets the minimum standards for most health professionals, but optometrists are not named on the list,” the union said.
“Our case will demonstrate that optometrists provide health care like any other health professionals covered by the Award.”
A media release said the campaign had its roots in a grassroots network called Phoropter Free Fridays (PFF), formed in late 2024 by a group of optometrists and independent practice owners frustrated by the direction of the profession.
The group has been advocating for fair conditions, better pay, and a return to patient-centred care, and has since aligned with the HSU to pursue formal industrial change.
NSW-based optometrist Shereen Kassir, one of several practitioners who have publicly shared their experiences as part of the campaign, said the pressures were affecting both practitioners and patients.
“Optometrists are facing burnout, reduced consultation times, and increasing KPI pressures – sometimes at the expense of patient care,” she said.
“I joined the union because meaningful change will only happen through collective solidarity.”
Fellow NSW optometrist Rory Dowdall said the culture in some workplaces was “deeply troubling”.
Nina Kolhatkar, also based in NSW, pointed to the broader structural issue.
“The corporatisation of optometry threatens our clinical autonomy. Facing stagnant pay and insecurity, it feels daunting to ask for better.”
The HSU said the Fair Work Commission process was expected to take a year or more following lodgement.
It said the case was a foundational step and one that had to go before any broader gains on caseloads, professional development access, rostering flexibility, or pay increases.
“Without an Award underpinning their entitlements, optometrists lack the industrial base needed to negotiate meaningfully with employers,” it said.
