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Are My Employers Notified If I Am Arrested or Convicted of a Felony?

Posted: Wednesday, October 31st, 2018 at 9:59 pm

Are My Employers Notified If I Am Arrested or Convicted of a Felony?

Many people are aware of the fact that when you apply for a job or are offered a position, a background check is likely to follow. But what happens if you’re already employed and you know you’re going to be convicted of a felony? Will your employer find out? What will happen to your job? While each legal case is individual in nature and the answer depends greatly on surrounding circumstances, here are a few things you should know.

Felony Arrests Are Nearly Impossible to Hide

If you’re arrested for something like shoplifting, your employer is very unlikely to ever find out unless you tell them, you tell a coworker who tells them, or they see it on the media for some reason. But felonies are a different thing altogether. Since felony convictions are quite serious in nature, it’s almost assured that your employer will find out. For one thing, if you live in a state where bail is legal, the bail bondsman will have to confirm your employment and will have to call your employer to do so. For another, being convicted of a felony usually comes with jail time, so it’s going to start becoming obvious to your employer that something is wrong when you’re not there for an extended period of time.

Minor Felonies Might Not Be Revealed

That being said, minor felonies might fly under the radar. Unless you do something to provoke the police officer, the thing you’re accused of doing directly relates to your job, or your employer is the victim, the police won’t have much of a need to call your employer and let them know. For instance, if you stole money and you work in a position of financial trust, they might tell your employer. But it’s possible that you could be arrested for a minor felony and never have to tell your employer. A conviction, on the other hand, will be almost impossible to hide.

Convictions Will Likely Be Revealed

An arrest is one thing and, if you’re not convicted, you might be able to get on with your life relatively unscathed. But if you’re convicted or you’ll have to be in jail awaiting a trial, it’s pretty much a guarantee that your employer will find out. You’ll be missing work while you’re in jail, you’ll have to get time off to attend your trial dates even if you are on bail, and if you’re imprisoned, obviously you won’t be working anymore after that, so your employer will find out.

Negotiating a Lesser Sentence

Unless you’re accused of something like murder or grand theft, there’s usually a way to negotiate a lesser sentence. A criminal defense attorney can help you do this. It’s important to hire an attorney to help you through this process. The legal system is complex and there are many nuances that the average person isn’t aware of. Hiring an attorney can help you avoid losing your job and can help you get back on track as soon as possible.

It’s important to hire a criminal defense attorney any time you’re accused of a crime, especially if it’s a felony. Felonies are serious business and can cause you a lot of stress and hardship for many years to come. Contact an experienced, reputable criminal defense attorney in your area and make sure you have someone to fight for you. A defense lawyer can help you obtain the best possible outcome, can negotiate your sentence, and in some cases can keep you from losing your job. Don’t leave your future to chance by trying to go it alone.

 

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