07 February 2025
Writing is a horrible occupation. My father – when he worked at all – was a journalist and some of my earliest memories are of emerging from my childhood bed to greeted by the sight of my dad, dishevelled and unshaven, sitting at his typewriter surrounded by cigarette butts and coffee cups, with the living room covered in screwed up, discarded drafts. You are reading this in the (sunnier) days of early spring. I am writing it in the dark, freezing hours of the first week in January.
Equally, at a time when my contemporaries are beginning to wind down and contemplate their retirement, I find myself increasingly committed to the world of work. Yes, on dank mornings like this, the temptation to pull the covers back over my head and stay in bed is difficult to resist, but on the whole, I adore what I do.
Ring our legal team or talk to our clinical advisors, and you will get not just legal or technical advice, but emotional understanding. Rules matter, but feelings matter too
At the AOP, spending time with my co-workers and the wider group of membership, I am part of a community – a family even. Yes – there are the formalities of the office, and the boundaries of our relationships are defined by the legalities of employment and membership duties and rights. But within those boundaries, we try act towards each other not as mere professional colleagues, but as members of a shared community. When people are having a difficult time, whether because of personal circumstances or external causes, we try to offer help and support. Ring our legal team or talk to our clinical advisors, and you will get not just legal or technical advice, but emotional understanding. Rules matter, but feelings matter too.
This, I think, is one of the key reasons why the AOP, both as an organisation and a membership body, has been able to retain the loyalty and respect of so many of our people. Over the past three years I have been here, employee turnover has been amazingly low, even at a time when other organisations have seen huge churn.
On dank, cold days like today (and even in the slightly less dank, cold days of early February), you need to feel that someone is on your side. That someone is us
Staying part of the family
Membership loyalty is incredible too: every year, over 97% of members renew and the number who leave are more than made up for by the number who join. Among these are a small but significant number who leave temporarily (usually after graduation from university), but quickly realised how alone and vulnerable they are outside the AOP family.
Above all, and as this edition of OT discusses, we understand how stressful it can be working in our sector and how important it is to have someone on your side. People tend to think that the AOP is just about insurance (and OT). Yes of course, those things are important parts of the offer. But in truth, far more members need our help with the General Optical Council, with disputes with their employer, with advice about clinical issues, help with their professional development, and with access to CPD points than ever face an insurance claim. More than that too, the AOP is there battling on your behalf with the Government and officials to emphasise the importance of what optometrists (and dispensing opticians – we mustn’t forget the dispensing opticians we have in our membership) can contribute to the nation’s health and wellbeing. On dank, cold days like today (and even in the slightly less dank, but equally cold days of early February), you need to feel that someone is on your side. That someone is us.
About the author
Comments (0)
You must be logged in to join the discussion. Log in