Joint statement on workplace behaviour

The General Optical Council (GOC) has published a joint statement alongside organisations from across the optical sector committing to a zero-tolerance approach to bullying, harassment, abuse, and discrimination across all working environments.

The signatories, including professional and membership bodies, agreed the statement in response to a meeting convened by the GOC to address its recently commissioned registrant survey, which showed that registrants reported experience of significant levels of bullying, harassment, abuse, and discrimination at work.

Key findings from the survey include:

• 41 per cent of respondents reported having experienced harassment, bullying, or abuse at work from patients and service users, their relatives, or other members of the public in the last 12 months
• 18 per cent reported experiencing harassment, bullying, or abuse from managers, and 16 per cent had experienced this treatment from other colleagues
• 24 per cent of respondents said they had experienced discrimination from patients and service users, their relatives, or members of the public
• The most common form of discrimination was racial (44 per cent), followed by sex and age-based discrimination (both 32 per cent)

The statement reads as follows:

“Organisations from across the optical sector, including employers and professional and membership bodies, attended a meeting on 3 October to discuss the GOC’s survey findings on bullying, harassment, abuse, and discrimination at work.

“Findings from the GOC’s registrant survey show a worrying level of GOC registrants reporting negative and damaging behaviours in the workplace, from patients, colleagues and managers, with many feeling unable to report their experiences. The survey data shows that registrants with one or more protected characteristics were more likely to report experiencing bullying, harassment, abuse, and discrimination at work.

“In response to these findings, we will all work together to promote a safe and positive working environment for all members of the optical team. Discriminatory and unacceptable behaviours can have damaging effects on the mental health and wellbeing of individuals and teams, which in turn can impact on patient care.

“As a sector we are committed to a zero-tolerance approach to bullying, harassment, abuse, and discrimination across all working environments. We all commit to promoting and embedding a positive working environment that is based on respect, civility, compassion, and inclusion. We will be working together to support all team members with the support and tools they need to help achieve this.”

This statement is supported by:

Association of British Dispensing Opticians
Association of Optometrists
Association for Independent Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians
College of Optometrists
FODO: The Association for Eye Care Providers
General Optical Council
Local Optical Committee Support Unit
Optical Consumer Complaints Service
Optometry Wales
Optometry Northern Ireland
Optometry Scotland
Optometry Schools Council

Read the GOC Registrant Workforce and Perceptions Survey 2023 here.