Felons face a lot of issues after their release. Education, housing, loss of voting rights and lack of employment opportunities to name a few.
Employers are understandably reluctant in hiring felons and it makes life difficult for felons who are trying to make a fresh start. Hiring felons can be tricky for employers.
Not conducting background checks and verification can be considered as negligence while making hiring decisions on the basis of criminal records can be considered discrimination.
If you are a felon with experience working in the retail industry like grocery stores, departmental stores, food delivery or logistics then Meijer can be your future employer but do they hire felons? Let’s find the answer.
Does Meijer hire felons?
Yes. Meijer hires people with felony records as long as they are not convicted for violent crimes and do not have retail theft on their record. Meijer does not hire felons in pharmacy but they do hire in other departments.
Meijer is an equally opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of an applicant’s race, color, gender, religion, race, etc. They believe in treating every person with dignity and respect and this courtesy is extended to felons as well.
Although Meijer does not have any specific employment programs for felons, they have hired felons in the past.
Does Meijer hire people with misdemeanors?
Meijer hires people with misdemeanor records if they are convinced that the person is reformed and can be a valuable addition to their team.
Does Meijer run background checks?
Meijer does conduct background checks in the pre-hire phase. Typically they verify your identity, check if you are legally eligible to work in the U.S. and check your criminal records.
There have been no reports of credit checks as a part of the employment process at Meijer but it might be conducted for specific roles in the credit and finance departments.
A background check can take 1 to 3 weeks to complete. If you have a clean record then the results come back sooner but if you have criminal records then it might take more time.
Meijer is not a part of ban-the-box so they might ask about felony convictions in their initial application process. It is advisable to be honest about your records as any undisclosed information that comes up in background checks can disqualify you from the hiring process.
What information is included in background check results depends on the state and local laws. In some states like Alabama and Alaska, non-guilty convictions are also included in the background check reports while in some other states like California, only guilty verdicts get reported.
Does Meijer conduct drug tests?
Meijer does not conduct drug tests during the hiring process but they ask employees to appear for a drug test if the employee gets injured on the job.
Getting hired at Meijer
Meijer is a multi-billion dollar retail chain with more than 70,000 employees across 6 states in the U.S.
They have vacancies in stores, pharmacy, manufacturing, distribution and corporate roles. They also have retail hourly roles like clerks, cashiers and security team members.
Meijer provides its employees benefits like flexible scheduling, team member discounts, weekly pay, medical/dental/vision insurance and growth opportunities in leadership.
To work at Meijer one should
- Be at least 21 years of age
- Have strong listening and communication skills
- Problem solving competence and eagerness to troubleshoot whenever necessary
- Desire to work with customers
- Detail oriented and organized
- Friendly outgoing nature
If you wish to work at Meijer, the application process starts from their career portal. You can view open job positions and apply directly from the portal. If shortlisted, you will be scheduled for a phone screening followed by an interview.
Typically, questions about previous employment, work habits and experiences are asked during an interview. You will also be asked to consent for a background check.
If background check reports check out with the information provided on your application, they will send you a job offer.