Forty-one percent of General Optical Council registrants have been subjected to bullying, harassment, abuse and discrimination at work from patients, their families, or other members of the public, according to new research from the regulator.
The GOC’s 2023 Registrant Workforce and Perceptions survey found 18% had experienced bullying, harassment or abuse from managers in the past 12 months, with another 16% experiencing the same treatment from colleagues. Just 29% of respondents reported the bullying to their employer.
Nearly a quarter (24%) 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%), followed by sex and age-based discrimination (both 32%).
