The price of being unheard at work

To better understand the experiences of those with hearing loss, Connect Hearing asked more than 1,160 Australians what it feels like to be heard and when it matters most for them to be connected to family, friends and colleagues. 

The ‘Connect And Be Heard Report’¹ found that up to 40 per cent of working Australians feel ‘unheard’ in their place of employment on a weekly basis. It impacts both their working relationships and career progression.

The research revealed that one in five have held back their opinions at work out of fear of being ‘unheard’ or ignored. Almost one in ten (nine per cent) believe that not being heard in the workplace has resulted in them missing out on a promotion, this rises to 15 per cent for those who speak English as a second language.

Women are more likely to not feel heard than men when it comes to voicing their opinion at work (24 per cent vs 19 per cent). Women also generally (work and otherwise) are more likely to keep silent in fear of rejection (32 per cent vs 22 per cent of men).

According to Connect Hearing audiologist, Andrew Glynn, the workplace is a space where we can feel particularly vulnerable about hearing loss.

“Feelings of shame and embarrassment or even fear that colleagues will see us being less competent are all common. There is also the very real concern that hearing loss can make a person a liability in the workplace, both to themselves and to their co-workers,” says Andrew.

“When hearing loss goes unaddressed, it can really hold people back from reaching their professional potential or worse still, put people in danger,” says Andrew.   

Despite 3.6 million²Australians experiencing hearing loss, it can take many prompts and reminders from family members for people to take action and book a hearing appointment.

Up to 36 per cent of respondents would waste precious hearing time talking to friends or family about their potential hearing loss or Googling the issue, rather than going for a free and easy hearing test.

“If there is one regret my clients share with me it’s usually that they wish they had addressed their hearing loss concerns sooner,” says Mr Glynn.

Booking an initial hearing screen with Connect Hearing is free and takes just 15 minutes. For 99 per cent of our clients, their hearing loss will be manageable, and technology today allows for almost invisible solutions. To book a free hearing screen click here.

For more information about the ‘Connect And Be Heard Report’, visit:

www.connecthearing.com.au/forms-brochures/connect-and-be-heard-research-report/

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To learn more about the how people feel when they aren’t heard, and what is important to be heard on, Connect Hearing surveyed 1,162 Australians over the age of 18 through research provider D&M Research in November 2020. This included 1,008 Nationally Representative Australians plus 154 ‘fair to terrible hearing’ boost.² 

Australian Government Department of Health (2020). Ear health. [online] Available at: https://www.health.gov.au/health-topics/ear-health.

[Accessed 11 November 2020.