Does Michaels Hire Felons?

Retail stores always have plenty of job openings with low entry requirements, which might lead you to believe that they aren’t overly picky about who they hire. But if you’ve applied for retail jobs in the past and been turned down because of your felony, you know that isn’t always true.

When you’re searching for a job with a felony on your record, you need to do your research so that you don’t waste your time filling in applications and attending job interviews that will lead nowhere.

How does Michaels fit into your job search? Does Michaels hire felons?

Michaels is a large arts and crafts retailer with over 1200 stores throughout the United States and Canada. The company is well-liked by employees who enjoy its relaxed work environment, and if you are at all interested in crafting, you’ll fit right in.

So let’s dive in and answer your questions about getting hired at Michaels with a felony on your record.

Does Michaels Hire Felons in 2024?

Michaels does hire felons. But they don’t hire all felons.

Yes, this is one of those situations where getting hired depends on the nature of your felony.

As you know, Michaels is a retailer, so they have to consider the safety and well-being of their customers as well as their staff.

Any convictions involving violent behavior or theft will make it difficult for Michaels to hire you.

Companies that hire individuals with violent backgrounds expose themselves to negligent hiring lawsuits if an employee or customer is injured by an employee with a history of violent behavior.

Since companies lose over 79% of negligent hire lawsuits, they are understandably reluctant to employ people with convictions for assault or sexual offenses.

And because retailers handle money on the premises, they need to make sure that their employees aren’t going to pocket cash from the register, steal customers’ card details, or raid the cash office.

Other types of felonies besides those main ones, could still be a deal-breaker for Michaels, but ultimately, you won’t know exactly how your record will be viewed unless you apply.

Current and former Michaels employees report being hired with felonies, so it’s worth filling out an application and seeing what happens.

Is Michaels On The Ban Box List?

Michaels isn’t on the Ban the Box list, so on the Michaels job application, you’ll have to check the box asking about your convictions.

They ask you to state whether you’ve had convictions for felonies or misdemeanors in the last 10 years.

However, they are very specific about the convictions or no contest pleas they want to know about. These are:

• Theft
• Immoral acts
• Misrepresentation

If you have convictions that are eradicated, expunged, sealed, or diverted, you don’t need to include those. And they aren’t concerned about any marijuana convictions over 2 years old.

Some states ban employers from asking about convictions on the initial job application, which means that you won’t have to disclose any information unless you’re asked about your history during your interview.

This gives you a chance to get to the interview stage where you can explain about your conviction instead of being automatically disqualified regardless of whether your offense has any bearing on the job.

Michaels in the following states can’t ask about your convictions on the application.

• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Washington D.C.
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Illinois
• Maine
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• Oregon
• Rhode Island
• Vermont
• Washington

Many other counties and cities have adopted Ban the Box legislation of their own, so depending on where you live, you may not have to answer a question about your felony on your application.

However, even if you aren’t asked about your conviction when you fill out your Michaels job application, they will carry out a background check which will uncover your felony unless it’s outside the reporting time limits.

Michaels Background Check

Michaels will carry out a background check on all applicants, and since they ask about offenses going back 10 years, it’s reasonable to assume that the background check is going to go back 10 years too.

However, the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) limits the information an employer can receive about non-felony convictions to those within the last 7 years.

So in theory, if you have misdemeanor convictions or non-felony arrests or charges, an employer shouldn’t be able to find out about any that are more than 7 years old.

While the FCRA doesn’t place any restrictions on felony convictions, some states have also established a 7-year limit on background check felony reporting.

In the following states, Michaels shouldn’t be able to find out about felonies over 7 years old.

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

What does that mean in practice? If you live in a time-limited reporting state, should you disclose your felony if you’re asked about it?

That’s something you’ll have to decide for yourself. If you’re asked at your interview if you have had any convictions within the last 10 years, you should always answer honestly.

Michaels state on their application that having a felony won’t automatically disqualify you, which suggests that they look at applicants on a case-by-case basis.

There’s more to you than your felony, and if you’ve got relevant skills or experience and they can see that you’re not likely to steal from the company or assault anyone, they may be happy to hire you.

Besides looking at your criminal record, your background check will verify your personal details, including your social security number, to ensure that you have the right to work within the United States.

Does Michaels Conduct Drug Test?

You won’t need to take a pre-employment drug test for Michaels’ retail positions. But if you’re applying for a job at a Michaels distribution center, you will need to pass a drug test.

Michaels doesn’t do any random drug testing at their stores or warehouses, however, you could face a drug test if you have an accident at work that could have been caused because of drug use.

They test for the most commonly abused drugs, which are:

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

How To Apply For A Job At Michaels

The Michaels application can be filled out online at their jobs portal or you can pick up an application at your local store.

If you apply through the jobs portal, you can search all of the available positions at the stores in your area.

Once you’ve completed the brief application, you should hear back fairly quickly if Michaels wants to interview you.

At your interview, you’ll be asked about your skills and experience relating to retail and customer service work.

Because Michaels is a crafting and hobby retailer, they prefer to hire applicants who have some background in arts and crafting or who at least have a genuine interest in these types of activities.

You’ll also be asked about your availability. Most entry-level jobs at Michaels are part-time. Store managers are always interested in hiring staff who are willing to work the least popular shifts. So try to be as flexible as you can over hours.

After the interview, if Michaels wants to hire you, they’ll run your background check, then get back to you with a start date.

Conclusion

Michaels is known to hire felons, so filling out an application could lead to a new job for you, although a job offer isn’t guaranteed. The nature of the felony will determine if they can hire you.

The retailer is interested in misdemeanor and felony convictions over the last 10 years for theft, misrepresentation, and immoral acts. Having convictions for these offenses won’t automatically disqualify you, though.

Michales carries out background checks on all job applicants, so make sure that you answer questions about your felony honestly.