Racking up impaired driving offences is a surefire way to land yourself in legal troubles, as any Boulder lawyer for repeat DUIs can tell you. Did you know that the ramifications of a DUI can extend beyond that, though? In addition to putting you on the wrong side of the law, a DUI can stop your job prospects dead in their tracks. These are a few of the ways in which a DUI might tank your career.
DUIs And Employment
The most obvious effect of a DUI is how it might play into the hiring process. Any time you go out to interview for a new position, your prospective employer is probably going to run a background check to learn a bit more about you. That DUI will most assuredly come up, and then it might become an issue.
Depending on the company, the higher ups might not feel comfortable with the DUI and could pass you over for another candidate, especially if the job involves handling sensitive material, driving, operating machinery, or dealing with kids. In other cases, an employer may be understanding about the DUI, but it can still pose an impediment to your getting hired.
A DUI might even directly impact your current job, if there’s anything in your contract stipulating that any sort of illegal behavior on your part is grounds for termination. This is a case-by-case thing, of course, but the fact remains that a DUI or committing a Federal drug crime could potentially get you fired and left without recourse.
Other Ways A DUI Can Affect Your Career
In addition to potentially getting you terminated from your current job or impairing your ability to transition to a new job, DUIs can affect your career in more subtle ways as well — like removing your ability to drive.
If your license is suspended because of a DUI, and driving to work was your only reliable means of transportation, that could put a huge dent in your ability to get to work consistently. In such a scenario, you’d have to lose your job simply because of an inability to get there.
Alternatively, the need to go to court because of your DUI charge will cause you to miss days from work, which could also impact your boss’ decision on whether or not to keep you with the company. If you should have to enroll in some form of substance abuse rehabilitation program as well, you might miss even more days.
These and other small changes that DUI brings to your life, while they might seem small at first, can have a big impact on your livelihood. Be sure to drive safely, and avoid putting yourself in such a situation to begin with.
