Dr. Michael MacDonald, Director of Audiology, and Rick Renna, Chief Growth Officer of Birdsong Hearing Benefits, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss why hearing loss is one of the most underaddressed workplace health issues in America, and why union workers are disproportionately at risk.
With more than 22 million Americans exposed to hazardous workplace noise and only 16 percent of adults with hearing loss using hearing aids, MacDonald and Renna outlined the workforce consequences of untreated hearing loss. From a $12,000 annual income gap to elevated injury risk and mental health impacts, MacDonald and Renna explained how Birdsong is working with unions, health plans and employers to close the gap through accessible hearing benefits.
As part of May’s Mental Health Awareness Month discussions, MacDonald and Renna also provided the documented connection between hearing loss and depression, isolation and cognitive decline.
Michael MacDonald and Rick Renna of Birdsong Hearing Benefits joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to raise awareness of one of the most overlooked occupational health issues in the American workforce.
More than 22 million workers face hazardous noise exposure on the job, 10 million are exposed to ototoxic chemicals that can damage hearing, but only 16 percent of adults with hearing loss use hearing aids. More than 80 percent go untreated.
For union workers in the trades, manufacturing and other noisy industries, the consequences of untreated hearing loss compound over a career. Workers with untreated hearing loss earn approximately $12,000 less per year on average than those with normal hearing — and the career impact goes beyond wages.
Some workers quietly pass on advancement opportunities, such as trustee posts, leadership positions, and other jobs that require frequent communication, to avoid exposing their hearing limitations. Employers, meanwhile, face measurably lower productivity and workers’ compensation claims that can run up to 33 percent higher annually among employees with untreated hearing loss. This is largely driven by the elevated risk of slips, falls and workplace accidents.
With May being Mental Health Awareness Month, the link between hearing loss and mental health deserves more than a passing mention. MacDonald explained there can be a correlation between untreated hearing loss and mental wellness, including depression, social isolation and cognitive decline, including pre-dementia. These are all documented outcomes for workers who go without treatment.
MacDonald explained that when someone cannot hear well, they begin withdrawing from conversations, social situations and workplace interactions. They stop participating in meetings. They avoid family gatherings. They quietly withdraw from parts of life that require communication. That withdrawal compounds over time into something far more serious than a hearing problem, he said.
For workers, the mental health toll intersects with the physical and financial damage in ways that reinforce each other. A worker who is isolated and depressed is less productive, more prone to accidents and less likely to seek help for either the hearing loss or the mental health consequences that follow from it. Renna added that untreated hearing loss is associated with workers’ compensation claims running up to 33 percent higher annually. This is not just because of the physical risks of not hearing warnings, alarms, or instructions on a job site, but because the full-body toll of operating in an environment where you are constantly straining to hear creates fatigue, inattention, and elevated accident risk.
Treating the hearing loss, MacDonald said, does not just help the ear. It helps the whole person — reducing depression, restoring communication, strengthening family relationships, and returning workers to full engagement with their jobs and their lives.
One of the more encouraging developments, both MacDonald and Renna shared, is the erosion of the stigma around hearing aids. Smaller, more sophisticated devices with Bluetooth streaming, tinnitus support, and near-invisible profiles have made hearing aids genuinely appealing. The prevalence of wireless earbuds has normalized having something in your ear entirely, they added. Younger workers who would never have considered a hearing aid a decade ago are increasingly open to getting tested and treated.
For union members, plan administrators, and employers looking to learn more, birdsonghearing.com is the starting point.
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