The ability to hear well is essential for being successful in your career. When we look around, due to increasing noise pollution, we often find that people are losing their hearing earlier in their lives. This was not the case decades ago when people had better hearing health and they also stuck to their workforce neither for long working hours nor for more years.   

We need an efficient hearing ability to deliver perfectly at our workplace. Even if our job does not require any communication with the public, we need to hear well to have a good rapport with our colleagues and friends. This ability is essential to maintain a good employer-employee relationship.

On the job

Poor hearing gives poor outcomes in the workplace. Even if the hearing loss is minimal, the worker may not be able to follow the instructions of an employer well. This might lead to mistakes that might prove to be costly for the company. In such a case, the person might face penalization or feel shameful about his mistake. Missed deadlines and unhappy customers might become the order of the day for the handicapped person.

But hearing loss is not just about miscommunication. Let us consider a situation where the employee is involved with heavy machinery or the manufacturing of vehicles or any power tool at his workplace. If there is trouble with the machinery or in case of danger an audible alert is mostly the first indicator. If the employee fails to detect the warning sounds, it will result in a huge loss to the person and the company. Personal loss (amputation of limbs, losing vision, etc) may be irreversible. In certain cases, co-workers too will be susceptible to danger. 

Social aspect

Another important issue for those suffering from hearing loss is socializing. The hearing impaired will find it difficult to participate in conversations with their colleagues during lunch or break time. When they are left out of the fun, they begin to feel ostracized and depressed. This in turn will lead to an emotional fallout and impact their performance at work.

Financial impact

As their job performance cannot match their peers, they (depending on the severity of the hearing loss) often climb the career ladder slowly with delayed promotions, delayed pay increments, and recognition. If they happen to miss the right cues at work, then the company might incur heavy losses or face a legal risk. This financial burden might be passed on to the worker by the organization or if the potential loss extends beyond a point, the employer might decide to give you the pink slip or dismiss you.

Accommodating the hearing impaired

Despite their handicap, people suffering from hearing loss can still be employed and the experiences and challenges they have faced due to their disability can add great value to your organization. Small accommodations can be made to make their work productive. Some of the measures can include:

  • Making them work in a quiet place in the office
  • Not giving them jobs in which good hearing is essential
  • Choosing to have face-to-face meetings over phone calls
  • Soundproof insulation should be put up on walls and roofs in offices located on a busy road
  • In workplaces with high sound decibels, the employee must be provided with earplugs
  • Place barriers between the source of noise and employees (walls or curtains)
  • Put firm guidelines around how much time an employee spends at a noise source

You can also prevent further hearing loss or preserve the hearing of all employers by preventing certain risks in an office environment. The ringing of phones or printer noise should be kept low inside halls as it would affect hearing.

Employees should be guided on how listening to loud music or having headphones on for long hours will increase their risk of hearing loss early in life. Companies can include hearing health in their wellness plan or conduct regular hearing screenings.

Employees role

Hearing loss is an impairment that should not affect your capabilities and performance. For effective relationships begin to communicate openly

  • Never hesitate anyone to ask for help like asking them to speak a little loudly or asking them to talk to you face to face so that you can lip read with ease;
  • Never feel ashamed to wear hearing aids at work
  • Never fail to take the little extra help beyond what your hearing aids can give you
  • Bluetooth technology will be of great help to those who have to spend a lot of time on the phone

Even though there are various ways in which employers and employees cope with this condition, the above-mentioned methods can be of immense help to establish harmony in the workplace and improve production and productivity.