Hearing loss affects 1 in 3 of us, but all too often isn’t spoken about at work. This can make it harder for people to get the support they need.
Here are simple, practical ways employers can make it easier to talk about hearing loss – so everyone feels safe, understood, and included at work.
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How to start the conversation
Want a simple way to start the conversation about hearing loss? Share RNID’s free hearing check with your team or organisation.
Why it works
- It’s free, quick, and easy – it only takes 3 minutes
- It sends a clear message – hearing health matters
- It helps normalise conversations – no one feels singled out
Top tip! Highlight the hearing check on a national awareness day like World Hearing Day (3 March). It’s a great moment to show your commitment and spark meaningful conversations.
Supporting someone with hearing loss doesn’t have to be difficult. Showing someone that you’re there to help is invaluable. Everyone with hearing loss is different and the assistance they need will vary from person to person.
Once an employee shares information about their condition with you, it’s OK to ask how their hearing loss affects what they can hear, and the effect it’s having at work. You can then work with your employee to discuss the support that’s available.
Talking to colleagues
Talking about hearing loss doesn’t have to be hard – here are some tips to get you started.
- Create moments for sharing. People’s hearing loss is often gradual. Offer lots of low-pressure opportunities for sharing – from recruitment to regular check-ins.
- Explore what works together. Everyone’s experience is different. You can use open questions like “What can I do to make communication easier?”
- Understand what’s possible. Check policies for reasonable adjustments and understand the process for making changes and who to involve.
- Agree next steps. Some adjustments may require support from across the wider team. Agree with the person how they would prefer these are communicated, whether you will lead or both discuss with the team together.
- Setting an example. Ensure team meetings are inclusive to all members of the team and encourage colleagues to consider each other’s communication needs.
- Deaf awareness training. RNID offer e-Learning courses that your staff, line managers and HR teams can take to become more deaf aware. Find out more.
Understand hearing loss
Over a quarter of managers have said they did not feel knowledgeable about hearing loss.
Read our guide to types and causes of hearing loss and deafness.
Use the right terminology
Our research showed that employers are concerned about getting the language around hearing loss right.
Terms to use
These terms are generally accepted:
- ‘deaf’
- ‘deaf people’
- ‘hearing loss’
- ‘hard of hearing’.
Terms to avoid
There are some terms that the communities we support have told us they prefer are not used:
- ‘hearing impaired’
- ‘the deaf’.
Like an individual’s experience of hearing loss, the terms with which they identify will vary. Our advice is simple: just ask.
The terms that staff members want other people to use to describe themselves can be added to their reasonable adjustment record for future reference.
Encourage colleagues with lived experience to create a personalised digital communication card to help inform others about their hearing loss with their preferred methods of communication. This can be shown digitally on a phone, embedded in email signatures or printed, laminated and worn on a lanyard for example. This can help everyone understand and is a great visual reminder. Generally, most people are accommodating when informed.
Recruitment stage
You need to demonstrate that the culture and practices are in place to offer individuals the right support from get go. Ask candidates whether they require an adjustment during all phases of the recruitment process. However, you should not unnecessarily ask candidates about a disability during the recruitment phase.
In some cases, those with lived experience may not be aware of what support is available or any adjustments that can help, especially if this is a new condition. Be clear about any support you have readily available and reach out to RNID if you need further advice.
Read our information about making your recruitment accessible.
Offer stage
Provide another opportunity for the candidate to tell you about a hearing loss (or other disability), and any support or adjustments that they require.
You could include a question in the offer of employment letter, or in any form new members of staff are required to fill out, for example:
If you require additional support or any reasonable adjustments to support you at work, please let us know in advance to help us prepare and make any arrangements.
Induction stage
Help new starters share
Offer new starters another opportunity to share information about their hearing loss or any other disability or health condition.
Outline the support available within the organisation. If applicable, mention this in an induction presentation or pack.
Workplace assessments
Offer a workplace assessment to your employee. This can make sure the right support is in place. Access to Work may be able to support employers with the cost of recommended support
Make sure that the right adjustments are in place. Once the employee has started, it may become clearer what environmental adjustments are needed. For example, check with the employee that they’re comfortable with their workstation and make sure there isn’t too much background noise. Employees who work from home some of all the time should also have their home workstation assessed and reasonable adjustments provided.
Make sure you write down any support or changes. You could use an Adjustment Passport to guide the conversation and record adjustments.
Sign language
For someone whose first language is sign language, keep in mind that lots of written induction documents may not be accessible.
Make sure a sign language interpreter is available to go through documents with them together.
The induction programme should be phased so that there’s not a mass of information in one go.
Communication skills
Give team members the opportunity to learn communication skills to support their new colleague – and other existing and future colleagues who may have hearing loss.
Offer staff deaf awareness and basic BSL training to help create an inclusive culture. Explore our remote training options for businesses to support your team.
While in work
Continue to give staff opportunities to talk about their hearing loss throughout their working life. This is particularly relevant for those who develop hearing loss later in their career.
If someone has hearing loss, it’s important for them to get support at the earliest possible stage. If you offer health checks for your employees, then you should include a hearing check as part of this. Make it clear during these checks that your organisation is on hand to support anyone who gets a result that indicates possible hearing loss.
If an employee tells you about their hearing loss, this information is confidential. Agree with the employee how any information may be shared with the team, such as adjustments that colleagues may need to support with.
Staff-led disability networks
Both new and existing staff may benefit from the opportunity to share experiences with others who have hearing loss, or other disabilities and health conditions.
Employee resource groups, such as disabled staff networks, can be a great way for colleagues with shared experiences to connect and discuss any issues that present a common barrier within the workplace.
Staff-led networks work best with senior management sponsorship and budget as needed, in order for the group to achieve its goals.
Lead by example
People in senior positions can use their platform to talk about their own hearing loss.
Many leaders we spoke to said they noticed that more employees were willing to share their own experiences of hearing loss after a senior leader openly discussed theirs.
Further support
- Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Adjustment Passport – a document to record the support and changes at work
- DWP British Sign Language (BSL) Adjustment Planner – a specific BSL version for you to use, if you or your colleague uses BSL
- Access to Work – a government scheme that could help pay for any assistive devices or communication support you need at work
- Access to Work Northern Ireland
- Workable – employment support for people in Northern Ireland
Contact us
We can help.