When people are at an age where they are still working, their job is often a huge part of their self-worth. Their self-image is often based on what job they have, their position, and their pay.
What’s the first thing you think when someone asks, “So what do you do”? It’s probably to tell them about your occupation.
It’s not enjoyable to think about what you would do if something took your career away. But there’s a career-breaker out there that should make anyone who loves their work perk up and listen.
The troubling connection between job success and untreated 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 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 money as they should be, that’s defined as underemployed.
In nearly any occupation, people with neglected hearing loss face lots of challenges. A doctor needs to hear her patients. A construction worker has to hear his co-workers in order to work together on a job. Even a librarian would find it hard to help library patrons without her hearing.
Many people work their whole lives in one line of work. They become extremely good at what they do. If they can no longer do that job well because of neglected hearing loss, it’s difficult to make a living doing something else.
The Potential Hearing Impairment Wage Gap
In addition to unemployment, those with hearing loss all have the tendency to experience a substantial wage gap, making around 75 cents for every dollar a person with normal hearing earns. Numerous independent studies back this wage gap and demonstrate that that gap averages out at about $12,000 lost wages every year.
How much they lose closely correlates with the severity of the hearing impairment. 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 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, someone with hearing loss experiences stresses that co-workers never see. Imagine needing to focus on hearing and comprehending in team meetings while others simply take hearing for granted. Now imagine the stress of missing something significant.
That’s even more stressful.
While at work or at home, it’s three times more likely that someone with untreated hearing loss will have a fall. Your ability to work is impacted.
Somebody with untreated hearing loss is at an increased risk, in addition to job challenges, of the following:
- Social Isolation
- Depression
- Paranoia
- Dementia
- Anxiety
Decreased productivity is the consequence of all this. And given the difficulties that a person suffering from hearing loss confronts at work and in life, they may also not be considered for an upcoming promotion.
Thankfully, there’s a very bright silver lining to this dismal career outlook.
An Effective Career Strategy
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 somebody with mild hearing loss who uses hearing aids, as revealed by a study done by Better Hearing Institute.
About 77% of that gap can be eliminated for a person with moderate hearing loss. That gets them nearly up to the income of a person in the same job with normal hearing.
In spite of this positive news, many people leave their hearing loss untreated during those working years. They think that losing their hearing is embarrassing. It makes them feel old.
Hearing aids might seem too expensive. Most likely, they’re not aware that hearing loss gets worse faster if neglected, not to mention the previously discussed health concerns.
These studies are even more compelling when these common objections are taken into consideration. Leaving your hearing untreated is likely more expensive than you know. It’s time to get a hearing test if you’re trying to decide if you should use hearing aids at work. Contact 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