When people are at an age where they are still working, their job is frequently a huge part of their self-worth. They base their self-image on what kind of job they do, what position they have, and how much they make.
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when someone asks, “So what do you do”? It probably has something to do with your job.
It’s not enjoyable to consider what you would do if something took your living away. But there’s a career-buster out there that should make anybody who loves their work pay attention.
The troubling link between career success and untreated hearing loss is precisely that career killer.
Unemployment Rate is Higher With Untreated Hearing Loss
A person is over 200% more likely to be underemployed or unemployed if they have neglected hearing loss. 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 make use of all of their marketable expertise.
Those with untreated hearing loss face lots of challenges in almost any line of work. A doctor needs to hear her patients. A construction worker needs to hear his co-workers in order to work with each other on a job. And without the ability to hear, even a librarian would find it hard to help library patrons.
Many individuals 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 switch to a different job and make a respectable living.
The Potential Hearing Impairment Wage Gap
Somebody with hearing loss earns only around 75 cents to every dollar that somebody with normal hearing earns. This wage gap is supported by numerous independent studies that show that an individual loses as much as $12,000 in wages every year.
How much they lose directly correlates with the extent of the hearing impairment. Even individuals with moderate hearing loss are potentially losing money, based on a study of 80,000 people.
What Challenges do People Who Suffer From Hearing Loss Confront on The Job?
Job stress causes somebody with hearing loss to take sick days 5 times more frequently than somebody with normal hearing.
Being incapable of hearing causes added stress that other workers don’t endure on a moment-to-moment basis. Envision having to concentrate on hearing and understanding in team meetings while others simply take hearing for granted. Now imagine the anxiety of missing something important.
That’s even more stressful.
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. Both impact your ability to do the work.
In addition to on the job issues, people with neglected hearing loss are at increased danger of:
- Depression
- Paranoia
- Dementia
- Anxiety
- Social Isolation
Decreased productivity is the consequence of all this. And given the challenges that a person with hearing loss experiences at work and in life, they may also not be considered for an available promotion.
Thankfully, there’s a very bright upside 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 decreased by 90 – 100% for someone with minor hearing loss who uses 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’s about the earning level of somebody with normal hearing.
Even though hearing loss can be managed it’s not uncommon for people to ignore it during their working years. They think that losing their hearing is embarrassing. It makes them feel old.
Hearing aids may seem too expensive. They most likely don’t recognize that if hearing loss is neglected, it worsens more quickly in addition to triggering the other health problems discussed above.
Considering these common objections, these studies hold additional significance. Leaving your hearing untreated is likely more costly than you realize. 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 figure out whether hearing aids would help.
References
https://journals.lww.com/thehearingjournal/fulltext/2013/02001/Hearing_Loss_Linked_to_Unemployment,_Lower_Income.2.aspx