HOW DOES A DUI IMPACT TO YOUR EMPLOYMENT
DUI charges are serious and can have potential consequences on various aspects of a person’s life. Getting charged with a DUI can contain a multitude of different penalties, including incarceration, court fines, loss of driving privileges, employment consequences, and financial uncertainties.
A DUI conviction stays on your record permanently. Therefore, if you are currently seeking employment and a potential employer runs a background check, they will be aware of your DUI conviction. What the potential employer does with this information will vary depending on the person, the job title, and the job industry. Usually, jobs which require driving of commercial vehicles will be less likely to hire someone with a DUI conviction.
If you are charged with a DUI while you are currently employed, you may also face consequences in your own career. For some people, their employers are understanding, and a DUI charge or conviction has little to no affect on their employment. However, not all are so lucky. A DUI charge comes with jail time, court visits, lawyer visits, and this can lead to missed work. While some employers may be lenient and accommodating, some employers will not allow an employee to miss days of work, no matter the situation.
Apart from the issue of missed work days, some employment contracts and employment policies subject their employees to immediate termination if charged or convicted of a crime. Therefore, a charge for driving under the influence would be grounds for automatic termination. Also, a conviction for driving under the influence often leads to a license revocation, while you may be entitled to a restricted license, often times it is hard to continue with employment without the ability to drive.
A DUI charge is serious and can come with many consequences. It is important you speak with an experienced criminal defense attorney to ensure your life is not greatly impacted by a driving under the influence conviction.
You may also want to take a look at the article titled “Can you get your license back after 3 DUIs?” for more information on the subject.
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