When people are at an age where they are still working, their job is often a huge part of their self-worth. They base their self-image on what type of job they have, what position they have, and how much they earn.
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when somebody asks, “So what do you do”? It’s most likely to tell them about your occupation.
It’s not pleasant to consider what would happen if something took your career away. But there’s a career-buster out there that should make anybody who loves putting in a good day’s work perk up and listen.
That livelihood killer is the disturbing link between untreated hearing loss and career success.
Unemployment Rate is Higher With Untreated Hearing Loss
Someone with neglected hearing trouble is over 200% more likely to be underemployed or unemployed. If a person isn’t working full time or has marketable capabilities that their not using and their not making as much as they should be, that’s defined as underemployed.
In practically any occupation, individuals with untreated hearing loss face many difficulties. A doctor needs to hear her patients. If they’re going to efficiently work together, construction workers need to be able to communicate. Even a librarian would find it hard to help library patrons without her hearing.
Many individuals work their entire lives in one occupation. They become extremely good at what they do. For them, if they can’t hear well, it would be difficult to switch to a different career and make a decent living.
The Wage Gap Caused by Hearing Loss
On top of unemployment, those with hearing impairment all tend to experience a significant wage gap, making around 75 cents for every dollar someone with normal hearing makes. This wage gap is backed by many independent studies that reveal that a person loses as much as $12,000 in income each year.
How much they lose directly correlates with the extent of the hearing loss. According to a study conducted on 80,000 participants, even people with slight hearing loss are potentially losing money.
What Struggles do Individuals With Hearing Loss Face on The Job?
Somebody with neglected hearing loss is 5 times more likely to take a sick day caused by job stress.
Being unable to hear causes additional stress that other workers don’t experience on a moment-to-moment basis. Picture needing to concentrate on hearing and comprehending in team meetings while others just take hearing for granted. Now think about the anxiety of missing something important.
That’s even worse.
While at work or at home, it’s three times more likely that somebody with untreated hearing loss will have a fall. Your ability to work is impacted.
In addition to on the job concerns, people with neglected hearing loss are at increased danger of:
- Paranoia
- Depression
- Dementia
- Social Isolation
- Anxiety
Decreased productivity is the result of all this. People who have hearing loss face so many difficulties, both at work and in their personal lives, regrettably being passed over for a promotion is also a very real possibility.
Fortunately, there’s a really bright silver lining to this dismal career outlook.
A Career Approach That Works
Studies also reveal that getting hearing loss treated can eliminate the unemployment and the wage gap.
The wage gap can be erased by 90 – 100% for someone with mild hearing loss who uses hearing aids, as reported 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 an individual in the same field with normal hearing.
Even though hearing loss can be corrected it’s not uncommon for people to ignore it during their working years. They may feel embarrassed about losing their hearing. It makes them feel old.
Hearing aids may seem too expensive. Most likely, they don’t know that hearing loss gets worse faster if neglected, not to mention the previously discussed health challenges.
These studies are even more compelling when these common objections are taken into account. Leaving your hearing unaddressed is probably more expensive than you realize. If you’ve been on the fence about using hearing aids at work, it’s time to have a hearing test. Contact us and we can help you decide whether hearing aids would help.
Call Today to Set Up an Appointment
References
https://journals.lww.com/thehearingjournal/fulltext/2013/02001/Hearing_Loss_Linked_to_Unemployment,_Lower_Income.2.aspx