When people are at an age where they are still working, their job is often a large part of their self-worth. Their self-image is frequently based on what job they have, their position, and their pay.
What’s the first thing you think when somebody asks, “So what do you do”? It’s probably to tell them about what you do for a living.
It’s not pleasant to consider what would happen if something took your living away. But if you like your job, then you should take note of this career-breaker.
The troubling connection between career success and neglected hearing loss is precisely that career killer.
Unemployment Rate is Higher With Untreated Hearing Loss
Someone with untreated hearing trouble is over 200% more likely to be underemployed or unemployed. If someone isn’t working full time or has marketable skills that their not using and their not earning as much as they should be, that’s defined as underemployed.
In almost any career, people with neglected hearing loss face many challenges. Doctors need to be capable of hearing their patients. If they’re going to efficiently work together, construction workers have to be able to communicate. And without the ability to hear, even a librarian would find it difficult to help library patrons.
Many people work their whole lives in one line of work. They know it really well. For them, if they can’t hear well, it would be difficult to change to a different career and make a decent living.
The Potential Hearing Loss Wage Gap
On top of unemployment, those with hearing impairment all tend to suffer a significant wage gap, making about 75 cents for every dollar a person with normal hearing earns. Numerous independent studies support this wage gap and demonstrate that that gap averages out at about $12,000 lost wages per year.
The severity of hearing loss is strongly linked with how much they lose. Even people with moderate hearing loss are potentially losing money, according to a study of 80,000 people.
What Challenges do People With Hearing Loss Confront on The Job?
A person with neglected hearing loss is 5 times more likely to take a sick day due to job stress.
Being incapable of hearing causes added stress that other workers don’t experience on a moment-to-moment basis. Imagine having to focus on hearing and understanding in team meetings while others simply take hearing for granted. And missing out on a crucial piece of information is always a worry.
That’s even worse.
While at work or at home, it’s three times more likely that someone with neglected hearing loss will have a fall. Your ability to work is impacted.
In addition to on the job challenges, individuals with untreated hearing loss are at increased danger of:
- Dementia
- Social Isolation
- Depression
- Paranoia
- Anxiety
Reduced productivity is the consequence of all this. People with hearing loss experience so many challenges, both at work and in their personal lives, regrettably being passed over for a promotion is also a very real possibility.
Luckily, this sad career outlook has a silver lining.
An Effective Career Solution
The unemployment and wage gap can be mitigated by getting hearing aids according to some studies.
The wage gap can be decreased by 90 – 100% for somebody with minor hearing loss who wears hearing aids, as revealed by a study conducted by Better Hearing Institute.
Someone with moderate hearing loss can remove about 77% of the gap. That gets them almost up to the earning of a person in the same field with normal hearing.
Even though hearing loss can be corrected it isn’t uncommon for people to ignore it during their working years. They may feel embarrassed about losing their hearing. It makes them feel old.
They may think that hearing aids are simply too costly for them. They most likely don’t recognize that if hearing loss is left untreated, it advances more quickly in addition to causing the other health problems discussed above.
These studies are even more compelling when these common objections are taken into account. Leaving your hearing untreated is probably more costly than you know. It’s time to get a hearing test if you’re trying to determine if you should use hearing aids at work. Call us and we can help you decide whether hearing aids would help.
References
https://journals.lww.com/thehearingjournal/fulltext/2013/02001/Hearing_Loss_Linked_to_Unemployment,_Lower_Income.2.aspx
