When people are at an age where they are still working, their job is frequently a big part of their self-worth. They base their self-image on what kind of job they do, what position they hold, and how much they make.

When somebody asks “so what do you do?”, what’s the first thing that comes to mind. It’s probably to tell them about what you do for a living.

People don’t like to have to think about what they’d do if their livelihood was hampered. But if you like your job, then you should be aware of this career-breaker.

That career killer is the troublesome link between untreated 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 neglected hearing loss. If somebody isn’t working full time or has marketable capabilities that their not making use of and their not earning as much as they should be, that’s defined as underemployed.

Those with neglected hearing loss face many obstacles in almost any line of work. A doctor needs to hear her patients. If they’re going to safely work together, construction workers need to be able to communicate. And without the ability to hear, even a librarian would find it hard to help library patrons.

Many people work their whole lives in one occupation. They become extremely good at what they do. If they can no longer execute that job well because of untreated hearing loss, it’s difficult to make a living doing something else.

The Wage Gap Caused by Hearing Impairment

On top of unemployment, those with hearing loss all have the tendency to experience a substantial wage gap, making about 75 cents for every dollar someone with normal hearing earns. This wage gap is supported by many independent studies that show that an individual loses as much as $12,000 in wages each year.

The degree of hearing loss is directly correlated with how much they lose. According to a study conducted on 80,000 participants, even people with mild hearing loss are potentially losing money.

What Struggles do Those With Hearing Loss Confront on The Job?

Somebody with neglected hearing loss is 5 times more likely to take a sick day caused by job stress.

From moment to moment, someone with hearing loss copes with stresses that co-workers never see. Imagine being in a meeting and straining to hear while everyone else is taking their hearing for granted. Now imagine the stress of missing something important.

That’s even worse.

While on or off the job, 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 issues, people with untreated hearing loss are at increased risk of:

• Depression
• Dementia
• Anxiety
• Social Isolation
• Paranoia

Reduced productivity is the consequence of all this. People with hearing loss face so many difficulties, both at work and in their personal lives, unfortunately being passed over for a promotion is also a very real possibility.

Luckily, this sad career prospect has an upside.

An Effective Career Solution

Studies also show that having your hearing loss treated can eliminate the unemployment and the wage gap.

The wage gap can be erased by 90 – 100% for someone with minor hearing loss who wears hearing aids, as reported by a study carried out by Better Hearing Institute.

Somebody with moderate hearing loss can remove about 77% of the gap. That gets them almost up to the income of an individual in the same field with normal hearing.

Even though hearing loss can be managed it’s not uncommon for people to disregard 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 just too costly for them. They most likely don’t realize that if hearing loss is neglected, it worsens more quickly in addition to triggering the other health concerns discussed above.

These studies are even more significant when these common objections are taken into consideration. Leaving your hearing untreated is probably more expensive than you recognize. It’s time to get a hearing test if you’re trying to decide if you should wear hearing aids at work. Give us a call and we can help you determine whether hearing aids would help.

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References

https://journals.lww.com/thehearingjournal/fulltext/2013/02001/Hearing_Loss_Linked_to_Unemployment,_Lower_Income.2.aspx