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question about hiring

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annekerdh

Junior Member
Wisconsin.
I am in the process of hopefully being hired by a large national company. They love my background and resume. I do have however a record of a misdemeanor (for a bad check) from 5 years ago. How do I deal with this situation when I have to fill out my official application form?
 


HomeGuru

Senior Member
annekerdh said:
Wisconsin.
I am in the process of hopefully being hired by a large national company. They love my background and resume. I do have however a record of a misdemeanor (for a bad check) from 5 years ago. How do I deal with this situation when I have to fill out my official application form?
**A: simple. You read the questions very carefully and you tell the truth.
 

cbg

I'm a Northern Girl
You do not have to volunteer the information if it is not asked.

However, if they ask any questions to which a truthful and correct answer would reveal the conviction, tell the truth. Many employers will forgive a single mistake that happened several years ago if the employee is honest about it. Few if any will forgive falsification of the application. If you lie (either by commission or omission) and get caught, that is grounds to immediately have your application filed in the circular file, or, if you have already been hired, immediate termination.

Do not assume anything. We've had posts from people who saw the question, "Have you EVER been convicted", ASSUMED that this meant only the last ten years, omitted a 15 year old conviction and were (legally) fired for it. If it says, within the last three years, you don't need to include it. If it says within the last ten years, you do. If it says felonies only, you don't need to include it. If it says ANY conviction, you do. And so on.
 

cbg

I'm a Northern Girl
You and I were posting at the same time. In response to your question, without knowing the policies of the employer in question, no one here can possibly have any idea what chance you will still have at the job.
 

annekerdh

Junior Member
cbg said:
You do not have to volunteer the information if it is not asked.

However, if they ask any questions to which a truthful and correct answer would reveal the conviction, tell the truth. Many employers will forgive a single mistake that happened several years ago if the employee is honest about it. Few if any will forgive falsification of the application. If you lie (either by commission or omission) and get caught, that is grounds to immediately have your application filed in the circular file, or, if you have already been hired, immediate termination.

Do not assume anything. We've had posts from people who saw the question, "Have you EVER been convicted", ASSUMED that this meant only the last ten years, omitted a 15 year old conviction and were (legally) fired for it. If it says, within the last three years, you don't need to include it. If it says within the last ten years, you do. If it says felonies only, you don't need to include it. If it says ANY conviction, you do. And so on.
Thank you very much for your advice.A
 

Beth3

Senior Member
anne, you are in luck. Wisconsin has a law that prohibits an employer from "discriminating" in employment decisions based on a candidate's or employee's conviction record unless the conviction is "substantially related" to the job under consideration. So assuming your misdemeanor has nothing to do with the position you've applied for, it's irrelevant.

What will be the kiss of death however is if you lie about it on the application form. WI has a DOJ website that allows anyone to check State conviction records. It would take the employer all of five seconds to determine whether you've been untruthful.
 

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