Dealing with Hearing Damage at Work
July 15, 2019Hearing loss affects around 48 million people in America, out of which 60% of the cases take place as a result of working in noisy environments. Even though working in places that have too much noise can be a challenge for even, it can be especially difficult for those with hearing loss.
Working in noisy environments requires extra attention and exerts a huge amount of mental pressure for those with hearing loss. Even simple conversations with coworkers can become difficult. Work productivity may take a nose dive since hearing impaired workers have trouble hearing what is required of them and are mentally drained from constantly trying to make sense of tiny bits and pieces of auditory information due to their hearing loss.
Not only does working in noisy environments have a negative effect on mood and productivity, it even has a negative effect on a hearing impaired worker’s earning capacity.
People who suffer from hearing loss often take years to actually admit they have trouble hearing, and even longer to seek treatment for it. This can result in problems at home and at work, and even results in losses of an average amount of $20,000 in annual income. No such loss of income was noted in hearing impaired employees that used hearing aids. If for no other reason, then seeking treatment for hearing loss is in your best interests simply so that you can earn to the best of your true potential.
There are laws that require workplaces to make provisions for those with hearing loss. Potential employers are not allowed to deny employment to someone simply because they are hearing impaired. Your workplace can be reasonably accommodated to suit your hearing needs, so make full use of your rights.
Using hearing aids can have the additional benefit of being able to use assistive technology at the workplace. This can be in the form of captioned phones or phones that have video enabled to allow the hearing impaired employee to lip read. Even hearing loops may be available in places of work that can broadcast announcements and other important information directly into the hearing aids. This way hearing impaired employees can remain updated about what is going on in the workplace.
Hearing loss can be a challenge, but what is more challenging is to live a life without hearing aids. As long as you take steps to address your hearing needs by opting for hearing aids, you can make the most out of your day at work and reach your true earning potential.