Fear My Tinnitus May or Is Getting Worse from Work

So I will keep this short. You can read my past stuff for more information on me. Basically, I work in a financial job that requires talking on the phone. Long of the short, the place is damn noisy. I have hearing loss and tinnitus. It's a call center environment. This is not a good combination. I recently changed jobs within the company to the email department. We mostly email all day. But, we still have to make some outcalls on occasion. Well, in order to hear in his new noisy environment, I have to turn my headset up to levels I didn't in my old building. My desk is basically near a bunch of noisy talkers who will never just give it a rest. Worse, the guy near me talks so loud on the phone. I have noise cancelling headphones on all day, when I'm not on the phone, and can still hear every word this guy says. He is also loud and obnoxious.

I have asked my new boss 2 weeks ago to move to an empty desk away from these noisy talkers. There is one right now open for our teams use that is away from these people. I said it was mainly to focus but also I have hearing issues and it's hard hear around those people if I'm on the phone.

Anyways, everyone I know says not to complain and don't make bad impression with my new boss. But, I feel I have no choice. This is my health and none of these people who are telling me not to complain will be there to help me if my hearing loss gets worse and ringing gets worse. I already seen how they acted when this got really worst last year and didn't care then either.

What do I do? I desperately need help. I been in this role currently for maybe 3 weeks. I mentioned me wanting to move desks about two weeks ago, in a one on one meeting we had scheduled. I just feel I'm being a complainer, it I have no idea what else to do.

How do I handle this tactfully while getting to my new quieter desk? I hate this life and don't want to be alive much longer like this. People have no idea how bad it is with hearing loss and ringing you hear over EVERYTHING. I never don't hear it. Now I fear I'm hearing a new tone in the ear I have my headset on at work to call people. Help me I can't stand this life anymore. No one cares and no one has a clue what this is like with BOTH hearing loss and ringing.

 

Im sure if you remind them you really could work better on 'that desk ' due to your hearing they will support you.
If your in a union they could push it for you at a last resort if they dont listen...lots of love glynis

 

I have the same problem. If you think an office with people talking is loud, try working in manufacturing...
There are steam pipes above my office and noisy servers right behind me. There are noisy areas I have to go into frequently.

 

@Alue , I take it you can put earplugs in or noise cancelling headphones and not have to rely talking on the phone to people all day through a speaker? That is the key difference for me.

I'm terrified its getting worse. I hate working in offices. @glynis , I have no union to protect me because I live in the USA and a lot of states have laws that make it very hard to unionize.

I just don't know how to make my new boss take my concern seriously without sounding whiny and giving a bad impression. It's already hurting my performance, trying to ignore all this noise.

 

Would moving desks change anything about your job or put anybody else out ?
If not then maybe just move to it or ask him again .....
Bosses need to be showing they can help accommodate health issues......
Good luck and keep us posted....lots of love glynis

 

No, that is not the case. I have to answer the phone occasionally and communicate with people. Headphones only do so much, and when you wear them all day all you can listen to is your tinnitus. Communicating while wearing earplugs is frustrating too because your own voice gets loud because of the occlusion effect. It's rather miserable, and my tinnitus is always worse at the end of the work week.

 

Why not wear ear plugs ? You can crank up the phone volume until you hear it fine with plugs..