Getting arrested for a DUI can be a very embarrassing experience. It can also cause issues for your professional development. Many employers frown on criminal records for applicants for new positions or those seeking a promotion.
Even if you don’t intend to leave your job in the near future, a DUI conviction or guilty plea could still have immediate consequences on the job that you perform.
A DUI affects your licensing and insurability
You probably drive yourself to and from work every day. You might even carpool and share those driving responsibilities with others. Once you get arrested for a DUI, you will probably have to deal with the suspension of your license.
Losing your license could mean struggling to get to work every day on time or becoming reliant on very expensive forms of transportation, like ride-hailing apps. If you can’t get to work on time, your employer may start to take punitive measures against you, up to termination.
Additionally, if you drive for work, even when you get your license back, your employer may no longer be able to ensure you in a company vehicle.
Impaired driving can affect your professional license
Most people don’t think it’s surprising when they learn that a DUI could affect someone’s commercial driving license, even if it occurs when they are driving their personal vehicle. What people may not understand is that a DUI could also affect other licenses held by professionals. The state could revoke your professional license for medicine, accounting or other highly-skilled and educated positions as a result of a DUI conviction.
Failing a background check can hurt your career development
Having a criminal conviction on your record means that you will have to explain it to your employer when they review you for a potential promotion or any future employers that consider hiring you. Avoiding that blemish on your permanent record by defending against DUI charges can help you access a broader range of opportunities for career growth.