Reporting a DUI to Your Employer in Atlanta

Whether or not you are required to report an arrest for driving under the influence (DUI) to your employer will depend on who you work for, and what kind of work you do. In most cases, there is no requirement to report a DUI to an employer or company. However, this will depend on the company's policies, and any agreements the employee made to their employer. Additionally, jobs that include or require driving as part of the employee's duties may require the employee to report the DUI, temporarily stop driving, or even require an installed ignition interlock device (IID).

Driving on the Job

One area which may require reporting of a DUI arrest or conviction includes employment where driving is part of the job. If driving is part of one's employment, the most immediate concern is the threat of losing their license to drive as part of the administrative license suspension (ALS). After arrest, drivers only have 30 days to file an appeal of the automatic suspension or to install an ignition interlock device. If no appeal is filed, or is not accompanied by the $150 fee or the device is not installed, the driver's license will be suspended for at least 30 days, or up to a full year.

Jobs where an employee may have to report a DUI could include full-time driving positions, or jobs where the employee only has occasional driving duties. This includes delivery drivers, commercial drivers, mail carriers, truck drivers, and forklift operators among others.

Company Policy to Report DUI

Some companies have a requirement to report any arrest or criminal charge. This would include a DUI arrest. It is a good idea to review any employee handbook or company guidelines for policies related to reporting criminal charges. If the employer does require reporting of the incident, failing to do so may be grounds for dismissal. However, a DUI charge remains a sensitive topic, so an employee arrested for a DUI should take care to minimize the number of people who are aware of the arrest.

Government or Federal Employment

Many jobs requiring some level of security clearance will require self-reporting of a DUI or other criminal convictions. Many federal and government jobs involve some security clearance, which would mandate reporting of security or suitability issues. This could also include employers contracting with the military or defense departments. It would apply to those with security clearance or those applying for clearance who are waiting for approval.

Future Employment

If an individual's job does not include driving responsibilities and there is no company policy requiring disclosure for an arrest, their current employer may never have to learn of the DUI arrest. However, it could have an impact on future employment. If an employer conducts background checks, the DUI conviction will show up on an applicant's criminal record. This may or may not affect the possibility of employment, depending on the employer's policies. As time passes, the relevance of a past DUI arrest will likely be of less importance to an employer. However, any DUI may affect the likelihood of hiring where a job includes significant driving duties.

Atlanta DUI Defense Lawyer

If you have been charged with driving under the influence in Atlanta, not only will you face fines and a criminal record, but your license to drive could be at risk. If your job includes driving duties, a DUI could threaten your employment, and even future employment. Whether you need to report a DUI will depend on your job, and your employer. In order to keep your driver's license, and a clean criminal record call me today. Don't let one simple mistake result in losing your job.