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 type 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 what you do for a living.
People don’t want to have to think about what they’d do if their job was hampered. But if you like your job, then you should take note of this career-buster.
The troubling link between job success and neglected hearing loss is precisely that livelihood killer.
Untreated Hearing Loss Raises Unemployment Rates
A person is over 200% more likely to be underemployed or unemployed if they have untreated hearing loss. If somebody isn’t working full time or has marketable capabilities that their not using and their not making as much money as they should be, that’s defined as underemployed.
In nearly any occupation, individuals with untreated hearing loss experience lots of 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. Even a librarian would find it hard to help library patrons without her hearing.
Lots of individuals remain in the same line of work their whole lives. They know it really well. If they can no longer perform that job well due to untreated hearing loss, it’s difficult to make a living doing something different.
The Potential Hearing Impairment Wage Gap
Along with unemployment, those with hearing loss all have the tendency to suffer a significant wage gap, making around 75 cents for every dollar a person with normal hearing makes. Many independent studies support this wage gap and demonstrate that that gap averages out at around $12,000 lost wages every year.
How much they lose directly correlates with the severity of the hearing impairment. Even individuals with moderate hearing loss are potentially losing money, according to a study of 80,000 people.
What Challenges do Individuals With Hearing Loss Deal With on The Job?
Someone with untreated hearing loss is 5 times more likely to take a sick day due to job stress.
From moment to moment, somebody with hearing loss experiences stresses that co-workers never recognize. Envision being in a meeting and struggling to hear while everybody else is taking their hearing for granted. And missing out on an essential piece of information is always a concern.
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. Both impact your ability to do the work.
Someone with untreated hearing loss is at an increased danger, in addition to job challenges, of the following:
- Depression
- Paranoia
- Anxiety
- Social Isolation
- Dementia
Decreased productivity is the consequence of all this. People who have hearing loss experience so many challenges, both at work and in their personal lives, unfortunately being passed over for a promotion is also a very real possibility.
Luckily, there’s a really bright silver lining to this dismal career outlook.
An Effective Career Solution
The unemployment and wage gap can be mitigated by using hearing aids according to some studies.
According to a Better Hearing Institute study, someone with slight hearing loss who wears hearing aids can get rid of the wage gap by as much as 90-100%.
Somebody with moderate hearing loss can get rid of about 77% of the gap. That’s about the earning level of someone with normal hearing.
Even though hearing loss can be managed it’s not uncommon for people to neglect it during their working years. They feel that losing their hearing is embarrassing. It makes them feel old.
They may assume that hearing aids are simply too expensive for them. They probably don’t comprehend that if hearing loss is left untreated, it worsens more quickly in addition to triggering the other health problems discussed above.
These studies are even more compelling when these common objections are taken into consideration. Leaving your hearing untreated is probably more expensive than you recognize. It’s time to have 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.
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References
https://journals.lww.com/thehearingjournal/fulltext/2013/02001/Hearing_Loss_Linked_to_Unemployment,_Lower_Income.2.aspx