In focus: Where do locums stand in the ‘gig economy’?

Locum working has become a more popular choice in optics, allowing self-employed professionals to be the masters of their own destiny.

Indeed, a latest workforce survey by the College of Optometrists found that 17.5% of respondent optometrists and 9.1% of respondent dispensing opticians worked primarily as locums, up 7.5% in the space of five years. Meanwhile, 35% of AOP members identified themselves as locums this year.

‘The main advantages of being self-employed are the freedom and flexibility to work around family and social life, opportunity to choose who to work for and where to work, variety of work, usually higher return per hour worked, and possible tax advantages,’ said optometrist Colm McAlinden, creator of the Locum Register.