During the standard working years, many individuals build a lot of their perceived self-worth up around their job. Their self-image is often based on what job they have, their position, and their pay.
What’s the first thing you think when someone asks, “So what do you do”? It’s probably to tell them about your occupation.
It’s not pleasant to consider what you would do if something took your living away. But there’s a career-breaker out there that should make anyone who loves their work perk up and listen.
That career killer is the disturbing link between neglected hearing loss and job success.
Untreated Hearing Loss Raises Unemployment Rates
A person is over 200% more likely to be underemployed or unemployed if they have untreated hearing impairment. Underemployment is generally defined as the condition of employees not earning up to their potential, either because they aren’t working full time or because the work doesn’t make use of all of their marketable expertise.
Those who have neglected hearing loss face lots of obstacles in almost any occupation. Doctors need to be able to hear their patients. If they’re going to efficiently work together, construction workers need to be able to communicate. Even a librarian would find it difficult to help library patrons without her hearing.
Lots of individuals remain in the same line of work their entire lives. They become very good at what they do. If they can no longer perform that job well due to untreated hearing loss, it’s tough to make a living doing something different.
The Potential Hearing Loss Wage Gap
Somebody with hearing loss earns only about 75 cents to every dollar that somebody with normal hearing earns. Many independent studies back this wage gap and show that that gap averages out at about $12,000 lost wages per year.
How much they lose directly correlates with the severity of the hearing loss. Even individuals with moderate hearing loss are potentially losing money, based on a study of 80,000 people.
What Are Some on The Job Struggles That Individuals With Hearing Loss Face?
Job stress causes someone with hearing loss to take sick days 5 times more often than somebody with functional hearing.
Being unable to hear causes added stress that other workers don’t experience on a moment-to-moment basis. Envision having to focus on hearing and comprehending in team meetings while others just take hearing for granted. Now imagine the stress of missing something significant.
That’s even more stressful.
Those with untreated hearing loss are also 3 times as likely to have a significant fall or other accident while on or off the job. Your ability to work is impacted.
In addition to on the job concerns, individuals with neglected hearing loss are at increased danger of:
- Paranoia
- Dementia
- Depression
- Social Isolation
- Anxiety
Reduced productivity is the result of all this. And given the challenges that a person suffering from hearing loss experiences at work and in life, they may also not be considered for an upcoming promotion.
Fortunately, there’s a very bright silver lining to this dismal career outlook.
An Effective Career Solution
Studies also reveal that having your hearing loss treated can eliminate the unemployment and the wage gap.
The wage gap can be erased by 90 – 100% for somebody with minor hearing loss who wears hearing aids, as revealed by a study carried out by Better Hearing Institute.
About 77% of that gap can be removed for a person with moderate hearing loss. That gets them nearly up to the earning of a person in the same job with normal hearing.
Even though hearing loss can be corrected it’s not uncommon for people to ignore it during their working years. They might feel embarrassed about losing their hearing. They don’t want to seem “older” because of their hearing loss.
They may think that hearing aids are just too expensive for them. Most likely, they don’t know that hearing loss gets worse faster if neglected, not to mention the previously discussed health challenges.
Considering these common objections, these studies hold additional significance. Not dealing with your hearing loss might be costing you more than you know. It’s time to have a hearing exam if you’re trying to determine if you should use hearing aids at work. Get in touch with us so we can help you make that decision.
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References
https://journals.lww.com/thehearingjournal/fulltext/2013/02001/Hearing_Loss_Linked_to_Unemployment,_Lower_Income.2.aspx