Everyone makes mistakes. For some people, that’s breaking and entering. For others, it’s drinking and driving.
If you get behind the wheel when you’re intoxicated, you increase the risk of being pulled over for a DUI. A DUI is a serious offense that can lead to many expenses ranging from alcohol or substance abuse treatment to court fines.
One of the most costly parts of a DUI is the loss of a job. Not everyone who gets a DUI will lose a job right away, but if it’s hard to get to work or an employer sees you as too much of a liability, chances are that you could end up without a job.
If you don’t have a job, is it hard to get a job with a past DUI?
It is harder than if you had no DUI on your record. Why? People see you as someone who is reckless or who doesn’t follow the rules. Many employers don’t want to risk having that kind of employee on staff.
There is also the reality that most jobs require some amount of driving, whether it’s to get to work or as a prominent part of the job. If you struggle to get to a job or won’t be able to be there on time due to not having a license or having to use public transportation, that could end up costing you the job. You’ll likely not be hired for certain jobs, like if you were interested in being a delivery driver. Employers don’t want to risk a driver with a DUI who may choose to drink and drive on the job.
A conviction isn’t the same as an arrest, so it’s important to do what you can to avoid a conviction. With an arrest, the likelihood of getting work is much better. Usually, an arrest isn’t enough to affect your job search. For example, in California, employers can’t look at arrest records but can look at convictions.
If you have a DUI on your record, it would be worth the time to look into having it expunged. If you are able to have the record expunged, then you won’t have to let your employer know about the DUI when you apply for jobs. This is a major benefit of expungement, which is typically available to certain individuals depending on the number of offenses they’ve had and how much time has passed.
