During the standard working years, many individuals build a lot of their perceived self-worth up around their job. They base their self-image on what kind of job they have, what position they hold, and how much they make.
When someone asks “so what do you do?”, what’s the first thing that comes to mind. It’s most likely 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 job was hampered. But if you like your job, then you should be aware of this career-breaker.
The troubling link between job success and untreated hearing loss is precisely that livelihood killer.
Unemployment Rate is Higher With Untreated Hearing Loss
A person is over 200% more likely to be unemployed or underemployed if they have neglected hearing loss. If somebody isn’t working full time or has marketable skills that their not using and their not making as much money as they should be, that’s defined as underemployed.
Those with untreated hearing loss face many obstacles in almost any line of work. Doctors need to be able to hear their patients. If they’re going to safely 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.
Lots of individuals stay in the same line of work their whole lives. They know it very well. For them, if they can’t hear well, it would be hard to change to a different job and make a decent living.
The Potential Hearing Impairment Wage Gap
On top of unemployment, those with hearing impairment all have the tendency to experience a significant wage gap, making around 75 cents for every dollar a person with normal hearing earns. This wage gap is backed by many independent studies that reveal that an individual loses as much as $12,000 in wages every year.
The degree of hearing loss is closely correlated with how much they lose. According to a study conducted on 80,000 individuals, even people with moderate hearing loss are potentially losing money.
What Challenges do People With Hearing Loss Confront on The Job?
Someone with untreated hearing loss is 5 times more likely to take a sick day as a result of job stress.
From moment to moment, someone with hearing loss experiences stresses that co-workers never recognize. Envision being in a meeting and straining to hear while everybody else is taking their hearing for granted. And missing out on an essential piece of information is always a worry.
That’s even worse.
While on or off the job, it’s three times more likely that somebody with neglected hearing loss will have a fall. Your ability to work is impacted.
On top of on the job issues, individuals with untreated hearing loss are at increased danger of:
- Paranoia
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Dementia
- Social Isolation
All of this adds up to reduced productivity. And given the difficulties 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 silver lining to this dismal career outlook.
An Effective Career Solution
The unemployment and wage gap can be eliminated by using hearing aids according to some studies.
The wage gap can be erased by 90 – 100% for somebody with minor hearing loss who wears hearing aids, as reported by a study done by Better Hearing Institute.
About 77% of that gap can be eliminated for someone with moderate hearing loss. That’s about the earning level of someone with normal hearing.
Even though hearing loss can be corrected it isn’t uncommon for people to neglect it during their working years. They may feel self-conscious about losing their hearing. It makes them feel old.
Hearing aids may seem too costly. They probably don’t comprehend that if hearing loss is neglected, it advances more quickly in addition to triggering the other health problems discussed above.
Considering these common objections, these studies hold added significance. Leaving your hearing untreated is likely more expensive than you know. It’s time to get a hearing test if you’re trying to determine if you should wear hearing aids at work. Call us 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