Explaining why you chose to tell your current employer about an arrest might seem unnerving and quite complex. Even though you should always be honest and communicate freely with your employer, it is normal to feel afraid of what comes after this process. Whether the event was recent or a part of your past, these four tips show that you were in custody while helping the incumbent realize this fact.
1. Understand Your Legal Rights
When negotiating with your employer, you should understand the legal context. However, your privacy may be protected by laws depending on the arrest state and type. Some employers might not be able to question arrests or convictions on their initial application form, and they could have checked against the relevant offenses that took place within a short time. It is always recommended that you consult a lawyer or look up your state laws regarding employment to know whether your rights have been violated.
2. Determine the Connection Between Being Arrested and Your Current Work
If the accusation does not correlate with your responsibility at your workplace, that will mean you can handle it internally by yourself, but when these allegations significantly affect how you work or can hurt an employer’s reputation, then we must talk about this truthfully. This will not only establish the trust of your employer, but it also shows that you know what kind of impact they had and are ready to take responsibility for them.
3. Choose the Right Time and Process
Disclosing details of a company’s secrecy to an employer is very important when it comes to timing and how. However, it may be so tempting to reveal the same after an informal interview with your boss, but this should only occur at the proper time and place. It would be suggested to offer arranging a sealed meeting with the employer on this matter. This offers you a formal and organized setting within which the information will be passed on in an orderly way without any emotions intervening. You must also be frank about your arrest despite demonstrating respect without any defensive attitudes or accusations involved.
4. Prepare for Questions to Be Asked
You should not be surprised about the questions from your employer or their concern after sharing that arrest record. When they ask questions, it is essential to be calm and respond with truthfulness. Do not offer explanations or blame others, but take responsibility for yourself. In addition, a plan could help handle the situation. It can also pertain to how you are dealing with legal issues and what preventative measures have been instituted so as not to experience such an incident again. Having a plan means that you are taking action in the right direction to solve this issue, which may reduce their fear.
At last, acknowledging an arrest made by your current employer is a difficult and fraught task. However, recognizing it enables the employee-employer relationship to work naturally. To be prepared, it is essential that one understands his rights in the legal context and establishes a correlation between arrest and employment status on time-based methods of asking with answers ready. In addition, it is also beneficial to consult with an attorney in such cases. It is vital for positive results that there be a sense of professionalism and accountability as well as openness with the employer.
