The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 forced everyone to stay at home. This also affected different businesses, as companies had no choice but to adopt the work from home model.
Even after the restriction on movement was relaxed, the benefits of working from home were already discovered. So it continued. Companies and their employers liked all the benefits. And from every indication, “work from home” is here to stay.
What does this mean for felons?
Since a felony takes you some steps back in the job market, you are probably wondering what this means for you. But just like with everyone else that is looking for a job, it broadens your options.
These days, employers are adding the option of working from home to the perks of working with their company. So if you want to work from home, your chances are equal to that of someone without a felony conviction.
There is no law that says felons should not be allowed to work from home. This new model of employment should not bother you at all. On the contrary, it should encourage you to be more confident as you apply.
Unlike before 2020, companies are more accommodating to applicants and they focus on skills before a criminal record. And if you were convicted over seven years ago, your chances are higher than that of someone who just got released.
If you are convicted of a crime related to theft or fraud, it will be hard for you to secure a job with a financial services company. And most of them are fully into the work from home model.
Another thing to take note of is a highly publicized crime. If what you did was televised or trended on social media, people will not want to get associated with you. In such a situation, try to get a job that is not related in any way to the crime you pleaded guilty to.
You can work from home in the corporate world
There is a popular belief that this new model of working from home does not apply to the corporate world. Which is incorrect because it was the corporate world that was affected the most by the lockdown.
So, understandably, they welcomed this method of allowing people to work from home by connecting via Zoom meetings and Microsoft Teams. If your criminal record won’t affect you getting an onsite job, it will not affect a remote job as well. What matters is your competence, no matter the working structure.
Most of the jobs that use the work from home model are felon-friendly
As a felon, you should be happy about the work from home model. This is because the jobs that are linked to it are tolerant of felons. These jobs include software development, UI/UX design, digital marketing, and every other line of work in the tech industry.
