So does Starbucks hire felons? Yes, Starbucks will hire felons and people with criminal records. This does not mean that all felons will be hired though. The type of crime committed, time since release and how well you interview with the Starbucks hiring manager will all play a part in whether Starbucks will hire you or not. Before you apply to Starbucks let’s dive a little deeper in to their hiring practices so you know what to expect.
Does Starbucks Hire Felons?
ARTICLE UPDATED: 05/21/2019
In short the answer is yes, Starbucks will hire someone with a felony conviction but…. and there always seems to be a but, it depends. The official corporate answer from Starbucks is
We [Starbucks] have and will continue to hire felons. We review each felon/felony on a case by case basis. If you are interested in working for us [Starbucks] then fill out an application.
Felony Convictions and Starbucks
So what felony convictions are acceptable and which are not? Well the answer is not a simple one.
There are a variety of factors that go into their decision as to if they will hire you or not. One is the length of time since you were convicted. The other is what type of felony you were convicted of.
Theft and Violent Felony Convictions
If you have been convicted of felony theft or a violent crime you are going to have a very hard time being hired by Starbucks. If you are in this unfortunate group we suggest that you take head over to our main jobs page and look for something else. So if you were busted for stealing a cup of coffee… Maybe Starbucks is not the place for you!
Does Starbucks Drug Test?
No, generally speaking Starbucks does not drug test their employees. There are also no pre-hire drug tests from what we understand. Starbucks does reserve the right to drug test you though at any moment they choose to. Most likely this would only happen if you were involved in an accident or incident while working for them. Don’t believe me? Check out this Reddit post about drug testing at Starbucks.
Starbucks and Ban the Box
Starbucks has adopted a “Ban the Box” policy. What this means is:
The “Ban the Box” movement requires employers to eliminate the question on a job application ts about an applicant’s criminal history and attempts to reduce an employers’ accessibility to criminal records until later on in the application process. The goal of this initiative is to decrease discrimination against applicants who may have a criminal history.
Source: Wikipedia
Should You Lie About Your Felony Conviction?
No you should not lie on your Starbucks application. The reason you shouldn’t lie is that they run a background check on every single person that that they hire. If you get caught lying about your criminal record you done… Like don’t ever apply again done.
Does Starbucks Hire People With Misdemeanors?
Yes, Starbucks hires people that have a misdemeanor on there record.
I have a Class B Misdemeanor for petite larceny and managed to get the job. If you get a job offer then it will probably be denied due to your background check. HR should send you an email with a form to fill out for a chance at an appeal for hire. It will have set questions and a chance to tell your side of the story.
My GM told my manager and I that it was sorta rare for them to appeal, but it’s worth a shot. Good luck!
Source: Reddit
Starbucks Interview and Hiring Information
This video covers a number of topics about Starbucks including the interview process, interview questions, what it is like to work for Starbucks and other great topics.
What to do if Starbucks Denies Your Application
If you are denied employment by Starbucks due to your criminal record you still have options. Well one option. You can actually appeal there decision to their human resources department. You will need to fill out paperwork detailing why you think there decision is wrong, how you have changed and why your felony or criminal conviction should be overlooked.
Background Check Limits
It is important to understand that some states have laws regarding how far back a criminal background check can go. This may play a large part in whether Starbucks will hire you or not. Here are the laws for all 50 states regarding how far back someone can run a background check on you.
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.
Share… Please tell us you experiences with Starbucks
Please comment below with your experiences regarding Starbucks employment in order to help our organization, Help For Felons and other felons looking for jobs.
I think everyone deserves a second chance at life. Jesus didn’t seem to discrimate. He had a zealot and a tax-collector among his apostles. During his day, these were not the best people to hang out with, and then there was St. Paul, who was a murderer and became the “Apostle to the Gentiles”. People do make mistakes,(we’ve all made mistakes!) but people do change, and deserve a chance to be happy.
We all need 2nd chances,dah !! in this greedy corp. world !!
I was hired at a Starbucks in Battle Creek,MI. I was hired along with two others. I never lied about my felony conviction but a background check was never done. Until three weeks in. I was doing the job fine,no problems,actually I was doing a good job. My felony came up,of course, I did not lie about not having one. My boss went to bat for me as I was doing a good job and progressing through training faster than the other two new hires. She said they could not get past the fact that I had made mistakes in my past.I would say that this is a definite NO on hiring felons.
I just went through a background check with Sbux here in Seattle for a Barista position, and have a deferred misdemeanor for harassment. HR sent the store manager a decision letting him know I was disqualified. It’s unbelievable that I’ve never been convicted, but was treated as if I were in this situation. Also, was not even given the option to discuss the matter with anyone at corporate. One way ticket….
I do recall the store Manager stating that they now use a new system for background checks.
If you think the EEOC or any local advocates will assist you, this requires you going on record. Meaning that your name and information can be found when a potential employer does a background investigation on you, linking you with these agencies. It’s messed up. If you try to report it, you’re basically marked. Unbelievable.
That is incredible and ridiculous to say the least. Sorry you had to go through that for no reason. Good luck to you and thank you for the information.