Many felons have unique circumstances that eliminate the possibility of a 9-5 job. Perhaps they have a family they need to care for. Others may have classes or other kinds of probation requirements that take up their daytime hours. Whatever the case, these individuals need a place with flexibility and odd hours. 7-11 is a gas station, and most franchises are open 24 hours every day. Many felons have asked our organization, Help For Felons, the question “Does 7 11 Hire Felons.” This article will take an in depth look at what felons need to know,

Short Answer: 7 11 is a franchise meaning that every store is owned by an individual person. What this means for felons is that some 7 11 stores will hire felons and others will not. Below you will find more in depth information about 7 11’s hiring practices.

7 11’s and “Ban The Box”

All  7-11‘s send all their applications to corporate headquarters for a background check. 7 Eleven does not follow the ban the box initiative. The box is the question on applications that ask if they have committed a felony and if they will submit to a background check. This question has denied thousands of qualified applicants jobs, and it is a great setback for felons.

In New York, it is required that companies do not perform a background check until they are conditionally hired. If they want to refuse the applicant a job, the company has to prove the felony will interfere with work. 7-11 has been caught refusing to comply with this law, and they have expressed no desire to change.

7 11 Background Check Limits

It is important to understand that some states have laws regarding how far back a criminal background check can go. This will greatly affect whether 7 11 will hire you or not. Here are the laws in each state.

Twelve states do not allow any felony conviction information older than seven years to be reported.

• California
• Colorado*
• Kansas*
• Maryland*
• Massachusetts
• Montana
• Nevada
• New Hampshire*
• New York *
• Texas *
• Washington*

(* exceptions based on pay/salary)

Some states will not report court cases where you were found NOT guilty: Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Alaska, California, New York and Michigan.

These states will report unlimited numbers of years back of felony convictions and also report NOT guilty verdicts: Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, DC, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

7 11’s Reputation

Along with refusing to ban the box, 7-11 has also been caught exploiting workers. In 2013, at least 9 franchises were under official federal investigation for hiring illegal immigrants, and as many as 40 were suspected of doing so. These employees were forced to to work over 100 hours a week while receiving substandard pay and living conditions. Although 7-11 conducted their own reviews, they did not implement any serious change. In addition, many who have worked there legally do not recommend the place. Managers are said to pick favorites. If a felon is not liked, they could be pressured into hours they do not want to work or blamed for things they did not do.

Should Felons Apply to 7 11

7-11 was started by Jefferson Green in 1927. At the time, it was the only convenience store in the world. In 1946, they were officially named 7-11, and they only continued to grow. By the 1960’s, they had invented the Slurpee and opened stores internationally. Today, they have over 60,000 stores. All of these are franchises; each store is owned by an individual. For felons, this is usually good news. They can go to the hiring manager and explain their circumstances. In other places, like Wendy’s or Subway, the manager can hire a felon without talking to corporate. Unfortunately, this is not true of 7-11.

There are many things a felon should consider before working somewhere. One of the biggest things is flexibility; felons often need to work nights or weekends. On the surface, 7-11 seems to be the perfect match. They are open 24 hours a day, making them one of the most flexible companies to work for.

However, this company does not have a history of treating their employees well. They often refuse applicants for a criminal record, and some have even been under investigation for conditions that rival slavery. If a felon needs a job, they could apply there. However, they need to understand it will not be a pleasant experience.

How to apply to 7 11

You can easily apply to any 7 11 store on their website.