When people are at an age where they are still working, their job is frequently a big part of their self-worth. Their self-image is frequently based on what job they have, their position, and their pay.
When someone asks “so what do you do?”, what’s the first thing you think. It most likely has something to do with your job.
People don’t like to have to think about what they’d do if their livelihood was hampered. But if you value your job, then you should take note of this career-breaker.
The troubling link between job success and neglected hearing loss is precisely that career killer.
Unemployment Rate is Higher With Untreated Hearing Loss
A person with untreated hearing problems is over 200% more likely to be underemployed or unemployed. Underemployment is commonly defined as the condition of employees not earning up to their potential, either because they are not working full time or because the work doesn’t utilize all of their marketable capabilities.
Those who have untreated hearing loss face lots of challenges in almost any line of work. A doctor needs to hear her patients. A construction worker has to hear his co-workers in order to work together on a job. And without the ability to hear, even a librarian would find it hard to help library patrons.
Lots of people remain in the same line of work their entire lives. They become very good at what they do. For them, if they can’t hear well, it would be hard to switch to a different job and make a respectable living.
The Potential Hearing Impairment Wage Gap
Somebody with hearing loss earns only about 75 cents to every dollar that someone with normal hearing earns. This wage gap is backed by many independent studies that show that an individual loses up to $12,000 in income each year.
The severity of hearing loss is closely associated with how much they lose. According to a study conducted on 80,000 individuals, even people with slight hearing loss are potentially losing money.
What Are Some on The Job Challenges That People With Hearing Loss Experience?
Job stress causes a person with hearing loss to take sick days 5 times more frequently than someone with functional hearing.
Being unable to hear causes additional stress that other workers don’t experience on a moment-to-moment basis. Envision being in a meeting and struggling to hear while everybody else is taking their hearing for granted. And missing a crucial piece of information is always a concern.
That’s even worse.
Those with neglected hearing loss are also 3 times as likely to have a serious fall or other accident while on or off the job. Your ability to work is impacted.
On top of on the job challenges, individuals with untreated hearing loss are at increased danger of:
- Depression
- Social Isolation
- Paranoia
- Dementia
- Anxiety
All of this adds up to decreased productivity. And given the obstacles that someone with hearing loss deals with at work and in life, they may also not be considered for an available promotion.
Fortunately, this sad career prospect has a silver lining.
An Effective Career Solution
Studies also show that getting hearing loss treated can get rid of the unemployment and the wage gap.
The wage gap can be decreased by 90 – 100% for a person with minor hearing loss who uses hearing aids, as revealed by a study done by Better Hearing Institute.
A person with moderate hearing loss can remove about 77% of the gap. That’s about the earning level of someone with normal hearing.
Even though hearing loss can be corrected it’s not uncommon for people to neglect it during their working years. They think that losing their hearing is embarrassing. They don’t want to seem “older” because of their hearing loss.
Hearing aids might seem too expensive. Most likely, they don’t know that hearing loss gets worse faster if left untreated, not to mention the previously mentioned health challenges.
Considering these common objections, these studies hold additional significance. Not treating your hearing loss may be costing you more than you recognize. If you’ve been on the fence about wearing hearing aids at work, it’s time to have a hearing assessment. Contact us and we can help you determine whether hearing aids would help.
References
https://journals.lww.com/thehearingjournal/fulltext/2013/02001/Hearing_Loss_Linked_to_Unemployment,_Lower_Income.2.aspx
