A felony conviction casts a long shadow over your employment prospects, creating obstacles that can persist years after you’ve served your sentence. In today’s competitive job market, where background checks have become routine, a criminal record can significantly limit your career options, reduce earning potential, and create barriers to professional licensing in many fields.
At John D. & Eric G. Johnson Law Firm, we understand the serious collateral consequences that come with felony convictions. Our criminal defense attorneys work diligently to help clients avoid convictions when possible or minimize their impact through various legal strategies. We may be able to help you navigate the complex criminal justice system and work toward protecting your future employment opportunities.
Legal Barriers to Employment
Many industries and employers maintain explicit policies regarding hiring individuals with criminal records. These policies often create immediate and sometimes insurmountable barriers for those with felony convictions.
Background checks have become standard practice for most employers. According to recent surveys, over 70% of employers conduct criminal background checks on all job candidates. This means your criminal record will likely be discovered during the application process, regardless of whether you disclose it.
Some employers have “blanket ban” policies against hiring anyone with a felony record, particularly in industries involving:
- Financial institutions and banking
- Healthcare services
- Education and childcare
- Security and law enforcement
- Transportation and driving positions
- Government agencies
While some states have enacted “ban the box” laws limiting when employers can inquire about criminal history, Louisiana has not implemented such protections for private employers. This means Louisiana employers can ask about criminal history on job applications and make hiring decisions based on that information very early in the hiring process.
Professional Licensing Restrictions
Beyond direct employment barriers, a felony conviction can prevent you from obtaining professional licenses required for many careers. Louisiana licensing boards typically conduct background checks and may deny licenses to applicants with criminal records, especially for:
- Legal professions
- Healthcare practitioners
- Real estate agents
- Insurance agents
- Educators
- Contractors and tradespeople
Each licensing board has different standards for how they evaluate criminal records, but many have broad discretion to deny licenses based on “moral character” requirements that can be interpreted to exclude those with felony convictions.
Practical Employment Challenges
Even when no formal legal barriers exist, individuals with felony convictions often face practical challenges in the job market that can be equally limiting to their employment prospects.
The stigma associated with a criminal record often leads to assumptions about character and reliability. Many employers, consciously or unconsciously, may view applicants with felony convictions as higher risk hires despite evidence of rehabilitation or relevant qualifications.
This stigma can create a cycle where limited job opportunities lead to financial instability, which in turn can increase the risk of recidivism. Breaking this cycle requires understanding your rights and exploring all available pathways to employment.
Limited Career Advancement
Even when individuals with felony records secure initial employment, they often face obstacles to career advancement. Promotion opportunities, particularly to management positions or roles involving financial responsibilities, may be restricted based on company policies regarding criminal backgrounds.
These limitations can result in significant lifetime earnings losses. Studies have shown that a felony conviction can reduce lifetime earnings by hundreds of thousands of dollars due to both reduced employment opportunities and lower wage growth over time.
Strategies to Improve Employment Prospects
Despite these challenges, there are legal strategies and practical approaches that may help improve employment prospects for those with felony convictions in Louisiana.
Expungement Possibilities
Louisiana law allows for the expungement of certain felony convictions after specific waiting periods. An expungement doesn’t erase the conviction entirely but does remove it from public records, making it inaccessible to most employers.
Eligibility for expungement depends on several factors, including:
- The nature of the offense
- Whether you’ve completed your sentence
- Whether you have subsequent arrests or convictions
- The waiting period (typically 5-10 years for felonies)
Not all felonies qualify for expungement in Louisiana. Violent crimes, sex offenses, and domestic violence convictions typically cannot be expunged. However, for those with eligible convictions, expungement can dramatically improve employment prospects.
Certificate of Employability
Louisiana offers a “Certificate of Employability” program designed to help those with criminal records demonstrate rehabilitation to potential employers. While not as powerful as an expungement, this certificate can provide some evidence of rehabilitation and may help overcome employer hesitation.
The certificate doesn’t remove the conviction from your record but does provide formal recognition that you’ve taken steps toward rehabilitation. This can be particularly helpful when applying for jobs where your specific conviction doesn’t directly relate to the position’s responsibilities.
Contact Our Criminal Defense Team
If you’re facing felony charges in Louisiana, understanding the potential long-term impact on your employment prospects should be a crucial consideration in your defense strategy. At John D. & Eric G. Johnson Law Firm, our criminal defense attorneys recognize that the consequences of a conviction extend far beyond any sentence imposed by the court.
Our experienced attorneys bring years of criminal defense experience to every case, fighting for the best possible outcome to protect both your freedom and your future opportunities. We may be able to help negotiate alternatives to conviction, pursue charge reductions, or explore expungement options for past convictions. Don’t let a felony conviction permanently limit your career potential – contact us today at (318) 377-1555 or through our contact form to discuss how we may be able to help protect your future.