Thinking about studying and a change of career...

[whiskeyonesix]

Hi Folks,

As some of you might know, I work in the steel manufacturing and warehousing/logistics trade.
Our occupational Health and Safety advisor at work has now classed me as a "High Risk Employee" because of my hearing loss. Quite why they have done this is frankly beyond me as my HA's restore my hearing to an acceptable point.
However, I have a feeling that this limits any chance I would ever have at promotion (besides the fact that you have to be a serious ass-kisser to get anywhere where I am, and I'm just not that sort of person) so I'm going to expand my horizons.
I'm looking into part-time studying into Occupational Health & Safety. I want to find out why certain people are more likely to have accidents than others, I used to do risk assessments at a company I worked for in the past, and it's a field that I quite enjoyed.
It will take me a couple of years to get fully-qualified as Workplace Health & Safety Assessor, but to be honest with you guys, I've gone from job to job over the past 20 years ( and i've had some very interesting ones!) but nothing that could be regarded as a career, so I think it's time I changed that....

 

[whatdidyousay!]

Do you think your hearing is being used as an excuse to give the promotion to another person ?

 

[whiskeyonesix]

Do you think your hearing is being used as an excuse to give the promotion to another person ?

I don't know. The Manager said he could see me being Team Leader within a year when I first started there (2 years ago now) then 6 months after I join, the Supervisor brings in a guy from outside to be my Team Leader who has no experience in the field, no experience in being a Team Leader, does not know the product ( comes to me at least once a day to ask me whether this or that is the right part - you'd think after a year in the job you'd know something! ), constantly makes mistakes and errors and blames others for them, and gets away with all this by virtue of the fact that he was friends with the Boss when they were at school.....
..... make of that what you will.


As for my hearing being an issue regards Promotion? I really couldn't say, but it wouldn't surprise me one little bit.

Obviously I gotta get out of there....

 

[diehardbiker]

I love steel! And yes I love steel over stupid plastic. Oh I forgot I was born and raised in Steel city. My mind still has vividly clear pictures of these steel mills, especially J&L Steel (Jones and Laughlin), you could google up and see for yourself. BUT perhaps due to that your latened Deaf, I don't know if it would be any different than born Deaf like me where I grew up use more of other senses to make it more sensitive in replacement of hearing loss. Sometimes hearing people asked me how the hell do I know danger is coming when there are sounds and I am dead Deaf. My response was I use other sense that warns me as well and it proved that it works.

I think it is lame to classify hearing loss as high risk. This is truly HOGWASH! I would love work with steel, but Im getting too old, LOL I DO have another issues, I have 4 herniated discs in my cervical spine. They were due to repetitive motion injury.

I don't know how old you are, the older you are, the harder to make a major career decision. For me, Im almost 49 years old, and making career decision was rather extremely difficult because I know I am good at one thing, and giving up something that I am good at was rather difficult. Even right now, I am in middle of surgery recovery and I don't know until maybe 6 months later. I decided not to push myself at this time, I not decided whether to go back school to take machinist course (With metal of course!), or just look for part time retail or simple job since workers compensation will pay the difference between the income I make on part time and the best wage I get back then at 100% tax free, or go back to the job that I love as part time, yet getting full time pay anyway. My issue is, I rather WORK than stay at home! And work part time seems too small for me, but again health comes first so I really don't know. Best I could do is focus on my recovery, maybe you could consider treatment options like maybe CI, that is if your current employer accept you with CI.

I have a very very strong feelings that within 20 years from now, employers will look Deaf completely differently than when it was then. That is because for years and years, there are no documented evidence that being Deaf is more dangerous than being hearing, and there are loosen documents showing the opposite as true. For instance Federal DOT that oversees CDL (Commercial Drivers License) for OTR drivers, is now working on removing hearing requirements for taking CDL exam, because they couldn't come up with proof that Deaf drivers are worse driver than hearing and they DID find that Deaf shows marginally better than hearing drivers does. Only problem I have is, 20 years later, I will be enjoying my retirement days.

Be strong, don't give up, and if you need recovery, give em time. I made mistake by pushing my previous recovery over the limits, due to wanting go back work earlier than I should have.

 

[whatdidyousay!]

I don't know. The Manager said he could see me being Team Leader within a year when I first started there (2 years ago now) then 6 months after I join, the Supervisor brings in a guy from outside to be my Team Leader who has no experience in the field, no experience in being a Team Leader, does not know the product ( comes to me at least once a day to ask me whether this or that is the right part - you'd think after a year in the job you'd know something! ), constantly makes mistakes and errors and blames others for them, and gets away with all this by virtue of the fact that he was friends with the Boss when they were at school.....
..... make of that what you will.


As for my hearing being an issue regards Promotion? I really couldn't say, but it wouldn't surprise me one little bit.

Obviously I gotta get out of there....

I wonder if that other guy is a family member of one of your bosses .
That really stink that you're being passed over like that. Companies are not loyal to their employees today. I hate to say it but it could be your hearing
if it's that suck.

 

[Bebonang]

Like whatdidyousay! said. I agree. I think it is discrimination against your experience and your hearing loss and had the nerve to hire a guy that have no experience at all. Have you talk with your Manager, not the supervisor? You should have gone to the Manager about it. If your Manager want to be sided with the supervisor, then you are at a loss. Maybe you can talk with ADA about that (meaning get a lawyer with ADA). Good luck.

EDIT: If you want out, then you do what you have to do.