Unfortunately, hearing loss (at any level) can have a significant impact on your work life in addition to other aspects of your life. According to estimates, about 22 million workers in the US are often exposed to hazardous noise levels at their place of employment.
Even though it might not seem like working in an environment with constant ringing phones, crowded office chatter, echoing ceilings, and heavy machinery exposes you to dangerous levels of sound daily. Because you’re exposed to noise in your work life, you’re likely at an increased risk of developing hearing problems if you haven’t already.
It’s normal to feel defeated, depressed, angry and frustrated when you experience hearing issues, but there are ways to live with hearing loss and maintain a career. At Coastal Hearing Care, we can help you navigate your home life and work-life with hearing problems to be present at home and effective at work.
After all, we’re on your side and want you to be able to navigate the potential problems you can face in your professional life. So, continue reading to learn how hearing loss affects your work life to know if you need to take action.
What Are the Ways Hearing Loss Affects Your Work-Life?
Below we have briefly discussed how hearing loss can affect your work life. If your work life is being impacted negatively by your hearing loss, you might want to speak with us at Coastal Hearing Care so that we can help you find the best solution.
Miscommunication
One of the most significant ways hearing loss can affect your work-life is by causing constant miscommunications. When you’re experiencing hearing loss, your brain is required to work harder than ever before. This is because it must try to discern the difference between background noises and normal conversations.
When you’re trying to discern what is important or not, it can be easy to misunderstand something that a co-worker or boss has told you. This can lead to you completing the wrong task or not completing a task at all.
You might also miss deadlines and fall short on expectations which could cause you to lose out on profit or create conflict that could lead to losing your job. That’s why it’s crucial to take the necessary steps that allow you to remove any communication barriers caused by your loss of hearing.
Job Performance And Mistakes
Let’s face it; if you can’t hear what others are telling you, you won’t be able to adequately or appropriately complete your work tasks. This will eventually (sooner rather than later) affect your job performance and how efficient you are.
Trying to communicate and be kept up to date on what needs to be done can be incredibly challenging if you have to deal with hearing loss. The more mistakes you make at work because of your hearing loss, the more your job performance is affected, which could lead to you losing your job, becoming demoted, or being forced into early retirement.
Can Hearing Loss Affect Your Salary?
The sad reality is that hearing loss can affect your salary. According to a study completed by the Better Hearing Institute, those who have hearing loss have significantly lower salaries than their hearing than their peers. It’s believed that those with no hearing loss make about $14,000 more annually than those with hearing loss.
Additionally, those with significant hearing loss can make about $31,000 less than those with no hearing loss. Fortunately, with hearing aids, many people have managed to maintain salaries on the same level as their hearing counterparts.
Speak With A Professional At Coastal Hearing Care Today To Discuss Solutions For Your Hearing Loss
It’s evident that hearing loss can severely impact a person’s work life. If you have experienced hearing loss, you deserve the opportunity to continue working without fear of being demoted, losing your job, or earning less.
Luckily, with hearing aids and other hearing solutions, you can navigate your hearing loss and function normally at work while enjoying your chosen career. To learn more about what hearing options you have available, you can speak with us at Coastal Hearing Care by calling 941-229-2122 or filling out the form below!