Q: Do I have to disclose a felony from 15 years ago to a possible employer?
A:
If the employer requests and your answer is untruthful, you could potentially be terminated for not being truthful on your application. Further, if the employer does a background check and it shows the conviction, you are not likely to get the job for not being honest on your application. They may have hired you if you disclosed but may have a policy to not hire anyone who is not truthful on their application.
You would need to discuss with an attorney about whether you have to disclose a specific detail on a specific application. However, in general, it is best to be truthful and explain the situation. If the conviction is from many years ago and you've been law abiding, the employer may not care.
It may also be time to look into the pardon process to help clean up your record.
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