Facing criminal charges can be profoundly unsettling. However, when you’ve been accused of a felony offense, you can expect various aspects of your life to change. This includes challenges in securing and maintaining gainful employment, which can potentially affect your career trajectory and financial stability. As such, it’s crucial to enlist the help of a seasoned Rockland County Criminal Defense Attorney to explore your legal options. Please continue reading to learn how your status as a convicted felon can make obtaining a job much more difficult.
How Hard is it to Get a Job as a Convicted Felon?
If you are convicted of a felony, it’s natural to worry about the potential repercussions, such as spending time behind bars. However, it’s essential to also consider the long-term impact of a conviction, as it can affect your life even after you have served your sentence. Generally speaking, the biggest challenge for convicted felons is finding employment. It’s important to understand that an employer is well within their rights to deny you a job if you have a felony conviction on your criminal record.
Unfortunately, many employers will turn down applications with a felony offense on their criminal record as it could indicate a significant moral problem. Although you don’t have to disclose any information regarding your criminal convictions, most employers will conduct a background check. This means they will most likely discover it on their own and it could affect their decision of whether or not to hire you. A felony can limit your career opportunities as those convicted may be prohibited from working in certain fields. For instance, those convicted of sex crimes may not be permitted to work with children.
Can I Lose My Job?
If you are already employed when you are convicted of a felony offense, you may lose your job. In New York, employers are well within their rights to terminate you for various reasons including a felony conviciton. This is because you will likely have to take leave to serve your prison sentence, your crime could expose a moral problem that your organization takes issue with, or the crime may be related to your position at the company. It’s important to note that New York is an at-will employment state which means an employer can discharge an employee at any time for any reason, as long as it’s not an act of illegal retaliation or discrimination.
If you need a dynamic legal strategy to effectively combat your criminal charges, please don’t hesitate to contact our dedicated legal team. Connect with The Law Office of Carl Spector today to learn how we can help fight for the best possible outcome for your case.
