Will A Misdemeanor Affect Employment? You must learn more about the potential consequences of being convicted of a misdemeanor crime. How will that impact your job search?
When getting a job, the company is going to screen you to determine whether you’re a good candidate. To achieve this goal, the company will perform several checks with one of the most important being a criminal background check.
As you likely already know, a criminal background check studies your criminal history to find out about past arrests and convictions. While misdemeanors tend to be less harsh than felons, misdemeanor convictions can still lead to immense issues.
What Is A Misdemeanor?
First, you should learn more about misdemeanor crimes. What is a misdemeanor and what are some of the most common crimes in this category? Ultimately, misdemeanor crimes are less serious than felony crimes.
Although it depends on the specific crime, you’ll find that misdemeanors usually have lower punishments than felons.
However, misdemeanors are worse than administrative infractions. It is common for people to receive community service and monetary fines as punishment for committing misdemeanors.
Remember that numerous crimes fit into this category. Some may be misdemeanors or felons depending on the severity of the crime.
For instance, prostitution, petty theft, simple assault, trespass, reckless driving, indecent exposure, and public intoxication are common misdemeanors.
The laws may vary from one state to another. Therefore, you’ll have to check your local statutes to find out about the crime you’re dealing with.
How Long Will The Conviction Remain On Your Criminal Record?
You may believe that your misdemeanor conviction is going to remain on your record for the rest of your life.
Ultimately, it usually will. However, there are some exceptions to the rule. In some states, criminal offense convictions will be sealed automatically after a few years.
In Pennsylvania, summary convictions should be sealed after five years. As for smaller misdemeanors, these convictions will be sealed after ten years. All fines and costs must be paid. Similar laws may be present in other states.
You’ll also want to remember that most criminal records are only going to show up for seven years. After that, it will stop showing up on criminal background checks.
In some cases, the convictions can still show on your criminal record. If you’re trying to get a government job or a job with a high salary, the background check may go back further.
Expunging Your Misdemeanor Record
Once you’ve been convicted of a misdemeanor, you should begin taking steps to resolve this problem. It could impact your job search.
Therefore, it is a good idea to have the conviction expunged from your record. While it won’t be easy, doing so is the best way to hide it.
Once you’ve expunged it, you won’t have to worry about the conviction negatively impacting your ability to get a job.
Just remember that the conviction may show up on your criminal record anyway. If you try to get a high-paying job or a government job, these entities may have access to your conviction regardless.
The process of expunging your criminal conviction depends on where you live. In Pennsylvania, you’ll have to file for expungement. You must submit a petition to the court of common pleas.
Remember that this has to be submitted where the offense occurred. If you need assistance, you should try working with a lawyer.
Cost Of Expungement
Do you want to get the conviction expunged from your record? Doing so will prove to be wise since this is one of the easiest ways to eliminate it. The expungement process is long and potentially expensive.
If you work with an attorney, you’ll pay up to $1,000 or more to get the conviction expunged from your record.
Furthermore, you’ll find that it may take up to 4 to 6 months to get it removed. Again, it will be worth it in the long run. Expungement is the only way to prevent it from showing up on your criminal record.
Before you can expunge the conviction, you have to wait ten years.
How To Handle A Misdemeanor Conviction
It is pertinent to learn how to handle your misdemeanor conviction. Until you get it removed, you need to be ready to confront your past. After all, your conviction is going to show up on your criminal background check.
If a company checks your background, they’ll quickly learn that you’ve been convicted on misdemeanor charges.
How should you behave? What is the best way to confront your past? When completing an application for a job, you should tell the truth. You’re going to be asked about your criminal record.
Don’t lie about your past. Provide as much information. In all likelihood, you’ll get the chance to talk to the company’s human resources person.
When doing so, you can explain what happened in your past and what you’ve done to overcome your past. Face it head-on to ensure that you get your point across and get the job.
Summary
If you’re trying to get a job, you must prepare for a background check. You’re likely going to be background checked before you can get the job. Some companies won’t hire people convicted of misdemeanor crimes, but others will.
It is best to maintain a clean criminal record. If you’ve been convicted, you’ll have to look for employers that will hire you anyway. Thankfully, many companies will hire people with misdemeanor convictions.
FAQs on Will A Misdemeanor Affect Employment
Will A Traffic Misdemeanor Affect Employment?
A traffic misdemeanor may impact your employment, but it depends on the crime and your job. It doesn’t happen often though.
If you’re trying to get a driving job, your traffic misdemeanor may make it harder for you to get the job. It depends on the circumstances though.
Will A Misdemeanor DUI Affect Employment?
Misdemeanor DUI convictions can lead to issues with employment. However, the repercussions will depend on the job you’re trying to get. If you drive and deliver goods for a business, a DUI could create problems.
If you are getting a job involving handling and stocking products in a store, it likely won’t be an issue.
What A Class A Misdemeanor Affect Employment?
Since class A misdemeanors are going to show up on your criminal record, they could make it harder for you to obtain a job.
Your potential employer is going to consider this when determining whether you’re a good candidate for the job. It could impact your ability to get a job, but not as much as a felony conviction will.
Do Companies Care About Misdemeanors?
You may believe that companies do not care about misdemeanor convictions. Unfortunately, this generally isn’t the case.
A history of misdemeanor convictions can tell a company a lot about a potential employee. Usually, one misdemeanor conviction won’t be an issue, but it could be.
What Jobs Don’t Care About Misdemeanors?
Many companies aren’t worried about misdemeanors. If you have multiple misdemeanor convictions, it is a good idea to pick one of these companies to minimize the risk of rejection.
Most companies check for criminal convictions, but some will still hire you. For instance, McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Walmart, and others may hire people with misdemeanor convictions. Jobs in this category would be cart pushers, stockers, and more.
Do Misdemeanors Matter For Jobs?
Is a misdemeanor conviction going to impact your job search? You must remember that most companies are going to check for criminal convictions. Will it matter? Typically, the answer will depend on the circumstances.
If you are trying to get a manager job, driving job, or law enforcement job, your misdemeanor conviction may matter. Again, it will depend on the job you’re trying to get and the company.
Can Employers Discriminate Against Misdemeanors?
Yes. Companies have the right to avoid hiring you because you have a misdemeanor conviction. Many companies won’t do this. Most will be willing to overlook your misdemeanor conviction, but it depends on the circumstances.