[Anonymous]

Curious if you had an arrest on your record say for protesting the Dakota Pipeline, do you think it will affect your chances at obtaining or keeping a job in our profession?

[Anonymous]

I understand what you guys are saying honestly, but it's unfortunate you take offense to my perspective. Apparently you think I am here asking for help so that you can share your forced narratives like a parrot when I am simply only asking the question from a theoretical perspective to better understand the nature of the industry. Your comments have not generated any new thought, just reinforced the idea that accountants are like robots without a mind of their own.

[Missy]

Well then in very real way we helped you in your quest to better understand the nature of the industry. You're welcome.

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[Anonymous]

Lol

[Anonymous]

When I was in school, a professor walked up to me and said a remark I won't easily forget. I was simply wearing a seersucker suit for an event.

“Clients typically don't want a colorful person being the one who does their books.” I took it to heart thereafter. We have a very professionally conservative industry. Being an accountant with an arrest record is highly unique.

The world is divisive enough right now. I would care a lot about a person getting arrested over their political opinions – irrespective of what they are.

[NY_CPA7890]

@brickell You appear to want mla and others to validate that it is ok to have an arrest record. I don't know what sort of hypothetical job you are looking to land where having an arrest record is not frowned upon, but every job I've seen frowns on the applicants having an arrest record. It doesn't matter if it's an accounting firm, an investment bank, a retailer, or even the NFL. Your private life is scrutinized so that the employer does not get dragged into the news for negative coverage. Appearances always matter.

[Anonymous]

Arrests are different from convictions. A case can be dropped or dismissed, yet if you were arrested, it will still count against you apparently. You can be falsely arrested for being in the wrong place at the wrong time and even if it's a dropped case, potential employers will look past you.

[Missy]

NY CPA my comments aren't even about the arrest itself. I know plenty of great people who've been arrested and plenty of terrible people who never have. I could give specific examples all day long of people who were fired for doing GOOD things, like the cafeteria staff who bought a student lunch with her own money. But at the end of the day the OP is childlike in his belief that anyone who says what he disagrees with is a parrot, a robot who's towing the corporate line.

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[Anonymous]

Sorry I speak in common language absolutes rather than prefacing every single obvious generalization with “some” “most” “the majority”.

[Trele6]

I would say small firms could lean to more extremes than larger corporate ones.

Small firms are basically a family with little standardization/polices probably. This could be super extreme that you are fired for any little thing, or super lax and they just don't care.

Large companies/firms have standards that all must meet and follow. It's the corporate world. Small companies can be more off the cuff and do things the way they want just “because they can”.

First go at the CPA! Only using Becker
Reg / Nov 2015 - 87
Far / Apr 2016 - 79
Bec / May 2016 - 80
Aud / Aug 2016

[tcheney3]

I've personally worked at a government agency, two public accounting firms, and one of the largest accounting publishing companies in the US. I've NEVER had a background done inclusive enough to find and certainly to use something petty as a misdemeanor for what disturbing the peace? Trespassing? My guess is most of the HR people who would hold it against you are the same people who aren't able to recruit top talent. It's the same reason less and less companies are drug testing. The idea is to find the candidate most qualified and suitable for the position and the company. Plus let's be honest, unless you are a Big 4 recruiter, in public accounting in particular there are way more companies out there than available talent. Perfect example: I was let go from my previous position in a very hostile working environment. I interviewed for 6 positions the next month and was offered 4 of them. 3 of the companies didn't even ask what happened at my previous firm. Long story short: any company that wouldn't hire you for the simple reason of getting arrested at a protest (unless it was a major felony), why would you want to work for them anyways? Firms in the accounting sector are a dime a dozen.

BEC - 82
REG - 86
FAR - 85
AUD - 84 and I'm out!!!!!
Ethics - 95
In Skynet's Honor:
Act I: Shutdown Skynet and prevent Judgment Day.
Act II: Add a comma and three letters to my title.
Act III: Time Travel and marry a young Denise Richards (and prevent subsequent plastic surgery),return to present.
Act IV: Serve as Successor to Elon Musk as CEO of Tesla.
Act V: Ensure Judgment Day has been stopped. Utopia achieved.

[Missy]

I'm sure this will also fall on deaf ears (really what does SHRM know about HR practices, right?) but lets try another way….its a pretty heavily discussed topic in HR and Law websites. The EEOC guidelines apply to all employers, not big or small, public or private or even accounting. I realize some don't want to accept what I've said CAN apply to a 9 person company or a Fortune 500 company, or may not apply at all so please don't take my word for it…………

https://www.employeescreen.com/iqblog/criminal-records/will-an-arrest-show-up-in-a-background-check/

https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/state-laws-use-arrests-convictions-employment.html

https://hiring.monster.com/hr/hr-best-practices/recruiting-hiring-advice/acquiring-job-candidates/social-media-recruiting-guidelines.aspx

https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-magazine/pages/1114-social-media-screening.aspx

https://www.themuse.com/advice/job-seekers-social-media-is-even-more-important-than-you-thought

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[NY_CPA7890]

I think employers appreciate honesty, so if you told them you were arrested at a protest during the interview, they would take what you say into account. It's up to them at the end of the day, no matter if it's a mom and pop shop or a Fortune 500 company.

And let's just pretend it never shows up on a background check and you don't disclose. If they find out about the arrest, the worst thing they can do is fire you. Being arrested is not a good look and it speaks volumes about your judgment.

[Anonymous]

EEOC guidelines mean nothing considering employment is at will.

[Anonymous]

At will employment is a loophole. Many firms abuse this.

[Missy]

Exactly!!! Now you're starting to understand my point. I'm not saying employers SHOULD hold arrests against someone, or that I agree with it. My point has been all along, some will anyway. Some big companies will, some small companies will, some that are great employers, some that would be horrid to work for. We don't know that at that stage of applying/interviewing unless you happen to come across it on a website like Glassdoor. Chances are better than not they'd never even know, and even if they DID, they may still hire the candidate. But theres always the underlying possibility REGARDLESS of where you're applying that they might. I'm saying never assume one way or the other because employers can with very few exceptions do whatever the hell they want to do.

Licensed Massachusetts Non Reporting CPA since 2012
Finance/Admin/HR Manager

[Author]

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