Human resources & workplace relations

Position statements

• Workplace Conditions for Clinical Optometrists. Learn more
• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in Optometry. Learn more

Optometry Australia membership includes access to tailored legal advice and professional support on all matters related to human resources, employment, and workplace law. Whether you’re an employee, employer, locum or working in non-clinical roles, academia, industry, outreach, hospital or ophthalmology settings, we’re here to help you navigate workplace challenges with confidence, understand your rights and responsibilities, and take appropriate action. 

IMPORTANT! We uphold strict confidentiality procedures. If both an employee and employer seek assistance on the same issue, each will be provided with independent legal support, from separate specialist law firms, and with complete confidentiality.

How we support you

Optometry Australia provides tailored HR guidance for all members through our Optometry Advisor Help Desk. 

For more complex issues, we offer legal advice through our HR specialist partners. Each OA member can access up to 30 minutes of FREE HR legal advice per workplace matter, per year, on employment and workplace-related issues. This advice from our HR partners, usually charged at $650 per hour, is included, complimentary, as part of your OA membership. There is no limit on the number of unique HR matters for which a member can seek advice each year.  

OA members can access up to 30 minutes of FREE HR legal advice per workplace matter, per year, on employment and workplace-related issues.

This advice may include suggested draft wording to use in employment-related letters, emails or contract clauses. 

Industry Legal Group (ILG) is a specialist legal consultancy service, with years of extensive experience advising optometrists around Australia. 

If ILG, or our other HR legal partners, are engaged formally on a complex matter beyond initial advice, a fee-estimate is provided at a substantially discounted member-only rate. 

Optometry Australia free HR helpline
📞 Tel: 1800 672 662
📩 Email: OAhelpdesk@optometry.org.au
Industry Legal Group (ILG) OA Member Assist
📞 Tel: 1300 101 391
📩 Email: oa@industrylegalgroup.com.au

Or submit an enquiry form.

Employee members

Download FAQ: Workplace rights and HR for employee optometrists

Whether you’re a permanent employee, casual, locum or working non-clinically in the academia or industry, a final year student or approaching retirement, we provide advice, including independent legal advice on:

• Employment contracts
• Workplace disputes
• Parental leave entitlements
• Bullying or discrimination
• Performance and disciplinary processes
• Termination and redundancy
• General workplace rights and responsibilities

An optometrist advisor can act as your HR support person in meetings at $0 cost. This service is not time-limited.

Employer members

For members who are practice owners, we help practice owners and managers with practical, optometry-specific HR specialist support:

• Template employment contracts for optometrists and ancillary staff at member-discount rates  
• Conflict mediation and resolution strategies 
• Guidance on recruitment, performance management, disciplinary actions, termination, redundancy and unfair dismissal 
• Policy development, tailored to your workplace 

Locum members

Additional HR support for locums includes:

• Understanding if you’re a casual employee or independent contractor, based on Fair Work’s Closing Loopholes laws
• Key differences between contractors and employees
• Changes to casual employment laws

Free Contractor Locum Agreement Template
As part of your membership, individual locums who operate as *independent contractors can access an optometrist-specific Locum Agreement Template—designed to set expectations, ideal for when the employer engaging you does not provide one. While not intended for businesses hiring contractors, it saves members hundreds of dollars in legal costs.

Contact us for your free copy.

*This template is not intended for businesses themselves to use. It is intended for independent contractors.

Public Liability Insurance

Locums may require public liability insurance because the business engaging them requires their locums to hold individual insurance before commencing work as a contractor. As part of OA membership, locums who are contractors have public liability insurance covered at no-cost.

Learn more.