Disclosing and Not Disclosing #background #felony #record
I ran into some trouble 11 years ago with an assault conviction, it has not affected my ability to work since. However, I was laid off in June, received a really good offer from UBS. So, they have you complete the application process after you accepted the offer. On the application it asked if I was ever convicted, plead guilty to:. So I disclosed. Not sure now if the offer will be rescinded, I am expecting the worst to happen
Generally, you should disclose your past because if it comes up on a background check and you have misrepresented yourself, then the company would terminate you. That said, you should always read the questions carefully. Since states have different rules about how far in the past a criminal record will linger, if it asks, "Have you been convicted of a felony in the past 5 years..." and your conviction was 11 years ago, you can legitimately say "No."
As for what they'll do now... there's nothing you can do about it. The job market is picking up, so if you need to continue your search, so be it. Stay strong & God bless.
Scott, you did the right thing, unless they asked for a specific length of time (like in the past 10 years). A criminal record can be detected for over 20 years that I am aware of, so in this case you were right to disclose it. However, they would also see that you have had no other criminal activity. Good Luck...