April 30, 2024
FTC Bans Non-compete clauses; What it Means for Optometry
On April 23, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) approved a ban on non-compete clauses that would prohibit employers from issuing non-compete agreements with workers, including paraoptometric staff, doctors of optometry and contracted staff. The rule would also invalidate existing non-compete agreements for many individuals. An AOA frequently asked questions (FAQ) document offers doctors further information about how this affects optometry, including:

What does the FTC ruling do?
  • Employers cannot enter into new non-competes with workers on or after the effective date.
  • Employers cannot enforce existing non-competes with workers other than senior executives.
  • Employers must provide notice to current and former workers that their non-compete clauses are no longer in effect. FTC provided model language that should be used (included in the AOA resource).

What will the ruling go into effect?
  • The final rule takes effect 120 days from publication in the Federal Register.
  • Unless legal action is taken (and is expected), the effective date will likely be August 2024.

Access the AOA’s FAQ document for more information about the FTC’s non-compete ban.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Licensing Board Consolidation Bill
Legislation introduced by Senator Chris Elliott that would consolidate the administrative functions of many of the occupational licensing boards in the State of Alabama was brought up on the Senate floor last week and carried over before any action was taken. This bill could be brought up again, but time is running out. The legislature will begin its 27th legislative day tomorrow. (They are only allowed to meet for 30 legislative days during a regular session) While it is unlikely that this bill will pass this session, we must not take that for granted.

The Alabama Board of Optometry is included in this bill with 37 other licensing boards.  We are asking that you contact your Senator and ask them to support Senator Carnley's amendment to remove the Board of Optometry from the legislation.
 
You can find contact information at the links below:
 
Don't know who your legislator is? Find out HERE
Ready to Revolutionize the Future of Myopia Care?
The AOA and CooperVision announced The Myopia Collective, a partnership to rally optometry in elevating the standard of care for children with myopia. The entire profession is invited to support these efforts to ensure children with myopia receive interventions that both correct their vision and slow the progression of their myopia.
  • Become a Member of The Myopia Collective. Count yourself as one of the thousands that have introduced myopia control efforts in their practices. Or you can use this forum to announce your commitment today. Any individual who believes in the purpose of the Collective is welcome, , regardless of where you are on this important journey. Every Member of the Collective will receive access to relevant educational opportunities and resources, and a pathway to help shape what's to come.
  • Become a Change Agent for The Myopia Collective. These are doctors of optometry from every U.S. state and D.C. who will lead the profession in delivering myopia control efforts to patients and advocate for long-term community and policy change. When you become a Change Agent, you will be part of a movement to shift our nation's approach to childhood myopia.
Selected Change Agents will have access to tools, resources and training to advance your myopia care efforts in your community and amplify advances through the profession and advocacy efforts.

The Myopia Collective seeks at least one champion from each state and D.C. to lead this effort with individuals announced at Optometry's Meeting®, June 19-22, in Nashville.
Applications due by May 17, 2024. Apply here.

AOA Member Benefit: Review The Health of Your Practice's Retirement Plan Offerings
If your practice offers a retirement plan to its employees, you likely already know how valuable this benefit is to recruitment, employee retention, and tax management. However, if you haven’t revisited your practice’s plan offerings recently, you may discover your plan is operating inefficiently or even be noncompliant without your knowledge. That’s why AOAExcel partners with Equitable to provide AOA members with complimentary one-on-one consultations to review the health of your practice’s retirement plan offerings.
The specialists at Equitable will work with you to ensure your plans are compliant and evaluate whether your plan fees are too high, check whether your employees are receiving adequate education on investment and plan contribution options, identify potential causes for low participation, and other issues that could hamper your practice’s retirement options. Learn more and schedule your complimentary consultation today.
If your practice doesn’t offer a plan, setting one up is easy with Equitable— you can let the experts handle the overhead work so you can focus on what you enjoy most. Learn more about the resources that AOAExcel and Equitable offer to help you find the retirement plan that fits your practice’s specific needs.
PO Box 240907 • Montgomery, AL 36124-0907
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