Does Dollar General Hire Felons?

So, if you’re wondering “does Dollar General hire felons?” we’ve got some good news for you. Let’s look at some details.

Finding a steady job when you’ve got a felony on your record is often easier said than done, and that’s even the case with entry-level retail work.

However, Dollar General and its sister operation Dollar General Market, now have a less discriminatory hiring policy thanks to a recent lawsuit they settled with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Does Dollar General Hire Felons To Work At Their Stores in 2024?

The Dollar General application contains the following statement concerning candidates with criminal records.

“Applicants with criminal histories should not be discouraged from applying for employment with Dollar General, and a criminal history does not necessarily exclude you from employment. Dollar General has in place a process in which persons who do not satisfy the hiring criteria as a result of the criminal background check may seek reconsideration. “

As you can see, Dollar General is willing to give ex-offenders a second chance. However, the type of felony on your record and how long ago it took place, are important factors that will determine if they can hire you or not.

The decision is ultimately made by the corporate office and they can overrule the store manager who may be keen to hire you.

That being said, Dollar General definitely hires felons, so our advice is to put in an application and see how you get on.

Do Dollar General Hire Convicted Felons To Work At Their Warehouses?

Yes, it’s possible for a felon to get hired at a Dollar General warehouse. Hiring decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, and the decision will depend on the type of offense on your record and whether it has any relevance to the job you’re applying for.

Do Dollar General Do Background Checks?

After a successful interview, you’ll need to pass a background check before you can begin work at a Dollar General store or warehouse. There’s no way around the background check and every candidate has to go through the process.

When you fill out your application, you have to agree to undergo a background check, and the background check only takes place after Dollar General makes a conditional offer of employment.

When your background report is complete, the company will review your history and make a hiring decision on a case-by-case basis.

The background check will cover the following:

• Verify your name, date of birth, and social security number.
• Confirm your right to work in the country
• Check your employment record and confirm the reason you left your previous job.
• Check your criminal record.

The Dollar General background check may take several weeks. Delays can occur if you’ve lived in more than one county or state because more databases need to be checked.

Your background check can also take a long time if they’ve got a lot of background checks to get through.

But when the background check process is running smoothly, reports can often come back in a few days.

How Far Back Does Dollar General Go On The Background Check For Felonies?

In the majority of states, there are no limitations on how far back a company can go when they check your criminal record. This means that employers can go through your entire adult history if they want to.

Dollar General doesn’t disclose how far back they go, but most companies will look through records covering at least the last 7 years.

Some states have passed laws that limit how far background checks can go, so if you live in one of the following states, your background check won’t go back further than 7 years:

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

The 7-year time frame may include prison release dates or parole dates, though, which if included, would reveal an older conviction.

You’ll need to be honest about your history if you’re asked about it. Remember, having a criminal record doesn’t mean that you won’t be hired, but if the company finds out that you’ve lied during the hiring process, they won’t want to hire you.

What Felony Offenses Are Disqualifying At Dollar General?

Dollar General will look at your felony and determine if the offense has any relevance to the position you’ve applied for. They’ll also take into account your conduct since that time.

For example, if you’ve been employed since your release from prison or since your probation ended, and you were a good employee with no disciplinary issues, then that will count in your favor because it shows that you’re reliable and trustworthy.

Making an individualized assessment was one of the conditions the company agreed to in the lawsuit settlement.

Does Dollar General hire felons with recent convictions? It’s possible to be hired with more recent convictions but the company is unlikely to hire anyone with a recent history of theft, violence, or sexual assault. You’re also unlikely to be successful if you’ve got repeat offenses on your record.

What Happens If You Fail The Background Check?

If Dollar General decides that they can’t hire you because of the felony conviction revealed by your background check, they’ll send you a notice of Pre-Adverse Action. This is the first of two notices you’ll receive, with the second notice confirming that you won’t be employed by the company.

When you receive the first notice, you’ll have an opportunity to obtain a free copy of your background report. When you review your report, you’ll be able to see exactly what information the company discovered about you, and check it for accuracy.

You’ll also have the opportunity to request reconsideration. Again, this was one of the conditions agreed to in the lawsuit settlement.

The Pre-Adverse Action notice will outline the reconsideration process, and you’ll need to supply information to support your request.

Good supportive evidence would be referenced from previous employers and character references from community leaders, church leaders, parole/probation officers, and supervisors of any voluntary work you’ve done.

If you’ve taken any academic courses or vocational training, including your certificates and qualifications.

You should also include a letter which highlights any relevant experience in a customer facing role or a warehouse environment.

There’s no guarantee that your reconsideration request will be successful, but it’s important to make the effort because you could convince them that they should take a chance on you.

And when you submit a reconsideration request, your application will get a closer look because the company will need to make sure they aren’t unfairly discriminating against you because of your record.

Is There A Drug Test At Dollar General?

You won’t need to pass a drug test to work at one of Dollar General’s stores, but if you apply for a job at one of their warehouses, then you will be asked to take a pre-employment drug test.

Dollar General doesn’t carry out drug tests at the interview, instead, you’ll be asked to attend an appointment at a local clinic after you’ve accepted a conditional offer of employment. You usually have 48 hours after accepting the job offer to get the drug test done.

Dollar General uses a 5-panel urine test which looks for:

• Opiates
• Cocaine
• Marijuana
• Amphetamines
• Phencyclidine (PCP)

How Can Felons Improve Their Chances of Getting Hired At Dollar General?

You’ll have a better chance of being hired at Dollar General if you apply for entry-level positions.

Lead Sales Associate, Assistant Manager, and Store Manager positions, are all positions with a lot of responsibility, and the company is unlikely to initially trust you in any of these unsupervised roles which also involve being a store keyholder. You’ll have the chance to apply for promotions once you’ve established a good employee record.

You’ll also be a more attractive candidate if you have open availability. This means being able to work whatever hours they want to schedule you for. When you fill out your application you have to state the hours you can work, so put down the widest range you’re able to commit to rather than the hours you would prefer to work.

Having some previous retail or customer service experience will be a big plus in your favor, and you’ll need to be fit to keep up with the demanding workload.

The hiring manager wants to see that you’re capable of being fast on your feet and able to spend the day bending and lifting, so if you’re visibly out of shape, it’s a good idea to work on that before you apply.

Quick Recap

Does Dollar General hire Felons? Yes. The company hiring policy doesn’t automatically reject applicants with a criminal record and Dollar General has hired felons before, so go ahead and put your application in.

You will need to pass a background check, but the type of offense committed and conduct since that time will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

If you fail the background check because of your felony, you have the option to go through a reconsideration process where you’ll be able to provide further information and try to convince the company to hire you.