Recently we did an article to see whether or not Dollar General hires felons or not. Today we thought we may as well consider a similar chain—Family Dollar. Family Dollar is a massive franchise operation with branches running in nearly every state. Indeed Family Dollar is 8,000 stores strong, one of the largest retailers in the U.S. with $10 billion in annual revenue. So let’s ask the question: Does Family Dollar Hire Felons?
Does Family Dollar Hire Felons?
Felony Background Check Limits
It is important to understand that some states have laws regarding how far back a criminal background check can go. This greatly affects whether Family Dollar will hire felons or not.Here are the laws.
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.
Do Felons Want to Work for Family Dollar?
But before we dig in, it’s worth a second of your time to consider if a convict would even want to work at Family Dollar. Who are they and what have they got to offer? Essentially, they are an all-around discount retailer, offering “extreme values on household items, cleaning supplies, vases and floral supplies…affordable beauty products, toys and crafts, school supplies, and everything in between.” And everything costs just $1.
Based out of North Carolina, Family Dollar’s business offers jobs within the stores themselves, in distribution centers, or at their multiple corporate store support centers.
They boast a pretty decent benefits package for their associates, including a 401(k) retirement plan which matches employee contributions; a credit union membership option; medical and dental coverage plans; life insurance; disability; plus a dedication to general health and wellness lifestyles, including “biometric screenings, health coaching, and general wellness support.”
Sounds fairly progressive. In fact they’ve even got what they call their WorkLife Benefits Employee Assistance Program, which apparently is in place to aid workers who are facing serious personal issues. That definitely sounds better than most of the companies I ever worked for!
But…Will Family Dollar Hire You?
Alright, so you’re convinced Family Dollar is the place for you. Great! But if you are a felon, will they have a place for you? You’d think so; they employ about 60,000 people. And think about it: roughly 8 – 9% of the U.S. adult population has a felony on their record. So it makes sense they’ll consider you for a job if you’ve had a prior conviction.
Just bear in mind, they will do a phone interview with applicants whose resumes they like, and after vetting those candidates they’ll schedule in-person interviews. This is where the felon applicant gets to fill in the dreaded background check paperwork and will probably get asked to provide a specimen for drug testing. Assuming all goes well, a candidate will be asked to participate in a training orientation.
Like Dollar General, Family Dollar does take into consideration the criminal record of their applicants, as well as running a standard credit check. While they may not specifically be looking for reasons not to consider felons, it does behoove any applicant to consider submitting a cover letter of explanation for any prior events which may raise eyebrows.
No, that letter of explanation is not required, but if you know you have some potentially worrisome items listed on your application, why not go make it easier on the hiring manager? Offer your side of the story and state whether or not any rehabilitative measures have been completed or are underway. Things like volunteering, community service, adult education, any drug or behavioral rehabilitation treatment or counseling attended…all of these things can go a long way in demonstrating to your future company that, although you might’ve made some serious mistakes in your past, you are still a valuable asset worth hiring.
In Summary
This likely goes without saying, but if there is any chance for getting a felony conviction expunged from your record, then it is worth the trouble to do so…not just for getting a job at Family Dollar, but for a thousand other reasons, too. But if that ship has sailed, then hold your head up, tell them everything, and just be as honest and forthright as possible. Most people appreciate and respect someone who admits their mistakes and can show that they have learned and changed.
Let’s face it, when it comes to employment there are a lot of people out there looking for work and yes, a lot of them do have felony convictions on their record. But most of them don’t. You need to give yourself any edge you can, especially if you’re coming into the situation with a strike against you.
As a national employer, Family Dollar won’t discriminate against hiring anyone based solely on a prior conviction…but as with any business seeking new hires, they do want the best personnel they can find, folks who offer the most potential to succeed, not the most potential to get into trouble.
So take heed, and go into the hiring process with determination but patience, with honesty and candor, and a willingness to admit your past while focusing on what qualities you can offer their company in the future, when they hire you! Believe in yourself, and make them believe, too.
We hope this article answered your question “Does Family Dollar hire felons.” Stay positive, and best of luck!
