How Will a DUI(Driving Under Influence) Destroy Your Career?

Let’s consider this for a moment – it takes hard work and commitment to get far in your professional life, but one bad decision can easily destroy all your hard work.

In a word, you MUST think twice whether a few glasses of wine are an appropriate way to celebrate your promotion before you ruin your career.

Take a moment from your busy schedule and read on to see how drunk driving can damage your professional life. 

Will you lose your job? 

For many employers, conviction of a crime is grounds for firing. 

The steps an employer can legally take about DUI will depend on many things, primarily, on the company’s policy. Furthermore, firing polices differ.

However, if your employer has a mandatory firing policy, you may lose your job. Depending on your job, in certain situations, you are obligated by employment contract to inform your employer about a drunk driving conviction. If you were drunk driving in a company car, or if you are employed as a driver, your employer has grounds to fire you.

If you continue working, how will a DUI affect your work?

First, embarrassment and stress will affect your performance. Second, you will likely miss work due to court appearances and, in some cases, for mandatory alcohol treatment. Moreover, depending on your conviction, you might also suffer mandatory imprisonment.  All this will take much of your time and money.

When will you lose your license?

The nature of the offense will determine whether you will lose your license or not, but your driver’s license will usually be suspended or revoked for a certain period.

If you need to drive to work, will you still lose your license?

Sometimes, a restricted driver’s license may be issued for driving purposes to work, school or church. If you are employed as a driver, and you don’t get an exemption from driving to and from work, this will have practical and financial implications on your job.

In such circumstances, you will have to consider hiring a private driver, taking a taxi or the bus. Public transportation can be easily accessible, yet unreliable. A private driver or a taxi is a good solution if you can afford such services. Whether you get provisional or restricted license depends on how many DUIs you have had.

Moreover, you need to be aware of the expenses in case you need to reapply for driver’s education classes. 

What about your professional license? 

Certain professions, such as lawyers and medical professionals and practitioners, teachers and educators, and even plumbers, require that any arrest be disclosed to the licensing agency. If you lose your license, you will lose your job.

How will a DUI affect your professional advancement?

Lying about your misdemeanor or conviction is not an option; most job applications require this information.

Employers are often legally entitled to inquire about felony and conviction and most companies do criminal background checks.

If you want to reduce the effects of the conviction, probation is an option, and if you successfully complete it, you can apply for an expungement of your DUI record and remove the conviction from your record. Otherwise, DUI will appear in public records. If you didn’t comply with the terms of your probation, or were sentenced to jail, the expungement petition can be very complex.

If you lose your job, or if you are in between jobs, what will happen?

For those who are in between jobs, a DUI conviction will affect them greatly. Furthermore, some employers will not hire a person with a DUI conviction. Why? The answer is - insurance companies.

A company that hired a person who was a liability risk to others could be sued. Insurance companies, on the other hand, will increase the rates for the employer.

How will a DUI affect education opportunities?

Many colleges require information about criminal records. Thus, if you have multiple DUIs, some universities will deny your admission. On the other hand, some colleges and universities will determine the effect of DUI after you have already been admitted. This means that they might decide to temporary or permanently suspend your admission and financial support.

What are the consequences of a DUI if you want to start a company?

If you lose your job, self-employment might be a good solution. However, in case you need financial support, the aid is very often denied. Moreover, if a person was fired because of drunk driving on company time, unemployment benefits may be denied as well.

If you wish to accomplish great things in your profession life, remember: there is no such thing as safe drunk driving.