Do I Tell My Employer If I Go To Jail For A Month?

SINGAPORE: A local worker shared in a Reddit post about her unusual life happenings. u/doopiejoo posted in r/askSingapore that though she is doing well now, she had an ‘incident’. Apparently, she has a criminal record.

“Do the right thing and be honest? Or keep quiet, hide a skeleton and keep my life going as per normal,” she asked. “Integrity is key, but having to job hunt with a criminal record would suck more. So I am considering ‘hiding’ it and asking for unpaid sabbatical to fix personal matters if sentence is short,” the she added. She also mentioned that she has a dilemma about honesty and practicality regarding the subject matter.

She further explained that her employer is not too strict with background checks, and she does well in her performance and has a good relationship with her bosses.

Other Reddit users commented on the post to give her advice.

One user stated, “Check your contract. Usually, you are obligated to disclose any pending or possible criminal charges. A few friends have gone through this before. Unless it’s something like fraud or assault, or theft, employers usually won’t care.”

Another user remarked: “If it is a minor offence, just be upfront with your employer. Honesty leads to clear conscience. Even if you hide it and move to other jobs in future, your new employers could still do background checks and find out.”

One more user mentioned: “Somehow, they are going to find out. Just tell them the truth. The worst is getting fired.”

To declare or not to declare?

According to Singapore Legal Advice, many jobs require applicants to declare whether they have a criminal record. Applicants are also subjected to background checks.

More so, criminal records can never be fully removed or erased until the person dies or reaches 100 years old. Records for certain minor crimes may become available on the expiration of a crime-free period of five consecutive years.

If not managed well, this issue can become a work setback.

In another Reddit post, a worker asked for advice on handling workplace setbacks.

The worker admitted, “He’s always gone to bat for me, but I’m worried now. I’ve been feeling pretty useless and stupid the entire day.”

“Everyone makes mistakes, and it’s ok, mistakes are necessary for us to learn. Don’t beat yourself up. One mistake out of the many other times you’ve got the job well done is not a fair way to judge yourself. It will be ok. This too, shall pass!” a comment declared.

“People who messed up real bad at work, how do you handle the setback?” — Netizen