Employers and Employees Not In Tune About Noise Levels at Work
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According to the survey, when employees are asked how many hours a day they believe their workplace is noisy (loud enough you would have to raise your voice to be heard), more than half (55 percent) say it is noisy for more than one hour a day, and more than one-third (36 percent) say it is noisy for more than three hours a day. In contrast, nearly 80 percent of employers say their place of employment is hardly ever noisy. (See Table 1.)
"This suggests that employers may be underestimating the noise levels faced by employees, which could have serious consequences, given that noise exposure is the most common and preventable contributor to hearing loss," said
According to Volkmer, when asked about the impact of noise at work on their hearing, nearly half of employees feel that it could be damaging their hearing and more than half say it is a relief to get a break from the noise of their workplace.
Employees who described their workplace as noisy were also more likely to report diagnosed and suspected hearing loss, supporting the assumption that noise on the job plays a role in hearing damage. (See Table 2.)
Barriers to Treatment
Despite expressing concern over noise levels at work, less than one in four employees have had their hearing checked in the past two years, according to EPIC's survey.
"Some employees, especially older ones, still view hearing loss negatively and resist treatment, such as wearing hearing aids, as a sign of aging," said Volkmer. "Other consistent barriers to treatment include concern over employer perception and the surprisingly high costs of hearing aids."
According to Volkmer, 44 percent of employees surveyed say they would be concerned if their employer knew or suspected they had hearing loss.
Many employers are open to taking steps to provide financial support for employees seeking hearing loss treatment, which can double as an "endorsement" of seeking treatment for hearing loss, encouraging this behavior among employees. In fact, "to demonstrate my support of employees seeking treatment for hearing loss" was the top response when employers were asked why they would offer hearing insurance to employees. (See Table 3.)
Still, twice as many employees want hearing insurance as are offered it, demonstrating a win-win opportunity for employers to expand their benefits offerings while addressing an unmet employee health need.
Table 1: How many hours a day do you believe your workplace is noisy (loud enough you would have to raise your voice to be heard)?
Response |
Employee |
Employers |
Hardly ever |
46% |
79% |
1 to 2 hours |
19% |
11.2% |
3 to 4 hours |
15% |
6% |
5 to 6 hours |
9% |
2% |
7 to 8 hours |
7% |
0% |
More than 8 hours |
5% |
0% |
Table 2: Would you describe your workday as noisy? ('Yes' responses reflected below.)
Category |
Response |
Employees with a diagnosed hearing problem |
67% |
Employees with a suspected hearing problem |
58% |
Employees overall |
40% |
Table 3: (Asked of employers) For which of the following reasons would you offer hearing insurance to your employees? (Select all that apply.)
Option |
Response |
To demonstrate my support of employees seeking treatment for hearing loss |
28% |
To help my employees get discounts on hearing aids |
27% |
To make sure my employees get their hearing checked regularly |
23% |
To differentiate my benefit offering |
13% |
Not sure; I don't know very much about hearing insurance |
40% |
2013 Listen Hear!
ABOUT EPIC HEARING HEALTHCARE
Founded in 1997,
[i] Online employee survey conducted by
Online employer survey conducted by Source Media on behalf of
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SOURCE
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