I was fired from my job when my supervisor learned I had a felony conviction. I have been working for a new employer for three years, and I just learned that my old supervisor will start working here too. I didn’t disclose my conviction when I was hired, but they also never asked. Does my former supervisor have any duty to keep my conviction secret? Can I be fired if my new employer finds out?

Steve Duggan replies:

Felony convictions are not private information. So, your old supervisor has no legal obligation to keep this information about you quiet, even though he found out about it at a former employer. Unfortunately for your situation, there is also no law in any state that I am familiar with that would prevent your current employer from firing you for having a felony conviction in your past.

Posted 05-02-2017

Information here is correct at the time it is posted. Case decisions cited here may be reversed. Please do not rely on this information without consulting an attorney first.