Dollar Tree is always looking for dependable staff to work at its new and existing stores. You don’t need any previous retail experience for entry-level positions, but will your criminal record count against you when you apply?
Does Dollar Tree hire felons? Is there a background check? And are there good career opportunities if you’ve got a criminal record?
Let’s find out!
Does Dollar Tree Hire Felons For Retail Positions?
We know Dollar Tree has hired people with felony convictions in the past, so it’s safe to say it will hire applicants with criminal backgrounds.
However, the company needs to make sure that you won’t steal from them or put their employees or customers at risk. Dollar Tree is a felon-friendly employer, but they won’t be able to hire every felon who puts in an application.
Some types of criminal offense will be acceptable, others won’t be.
The best thing you can do is put in an application and see what happens. Dollar Tree is a second-chance employer, and employees report that many felons currently have jobs at Dollar Tree stores.
Does Dollar Tree Have Special Programs For Felons?
Dollar Tree hasn’t joined the Second Chance Business Coalition or taken the Fair Chance Business Pledge. Even though they haven’t partnered with these initiatives, they still give ex-offenders a second chance, and their hiring practices don’t exclude felons.
Dollar Tree participates in the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) program. This program gives employers financial incentives for hiring workers who face barriers to employment. Recently released felons are one of the groups the WOTC is aimed at.
If Dollar Tree hires a felon within 1 year of their conviction or release from prison, the company benefits financially.
Does Dollar Tree Distribution Hire Felons?
Working at a Dollar Tree warehouse is another option open to former felons. Work at Dollar Tree warehouse is fast-paced, and in their job listings, they specify they’re looking for “industrial athletes”, which should give you an idea of how busy you’ll be during your shift.
While you’ll need to pass a background check, Dollar Tree employees report that felons are hired to work at the company’s warehouses, so go to the careers website and search for distribution center positions in your area.
Dollar Tree currently has 25 distribution centers across the country.
Does Dollar Tree Carry Out Background Checks?
When you apply for a job at Dollar Tree, the hiring process includes a background check.
The background check only takes place once you’ve been offered a job. Hiring managers will often offer candidates a job on the spot after a successful interview. As long as your felony isn’t a disqualifying offense, you’ll soon be able to start your new job at Dollar Tree.
Background checks can take anywhere from 2 days to 2 weeks to complete, and as soon as the system clears you, your manager will arrange your first schedule.
One question that former felons always want to know is how far back the background screening goes.
Dollar Tree hasn’t made its background check policy public, but they have to follow state law, and some states limit background checks to 7 years.
Even if you have a more recent felony, there’s still a good chance you’ll be hired. Having a felony isn’t an automatic disqualification at Dollar Tree.
States limiting employment background checks to 7 years are:
- California
- Colorado
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Mexico
- New York
- Texas
- Washington
Background checks are a type of consumer report regulated by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
If an employer decides they can’t hire you because of your felony, they must tell you that the information on your background report is the reason you haven’t been hired.
They must also provide you with a free copy of your background report so you can check it for errors and dispute any incorrect information.
What Felony Convictions Are Disqualifying At Dollar Tree?
For retailers like Dollar Tree, a felony theft conviction is going to be a concern. They may also disqualify you if you have a felony that involves violence or a sexual offense.
The nature of the offense is important, but so is the age of the offense. Older offenses may be less of a problem than very recent ones of the same nature.
The number of criminal convictions on your record is also a factor. Do you have one felony, or do you have several? Does your record list misdemeanors as well as your felony?
Having multiple convictions doesn’t necessarily mean Dollar Tree won’t hire you. It depends on what the convictions are for and how long ago they happened.
Will Dollar Tree Hire Felons For Management Positions?
It’s going to depend on your individual background. Dollar Tree has hired felons into assistant manager and store management positions in the past. They’ve also promoted associates with felonies into management positions.
When you meet the hiring qualifications for a management position, it’s worth applying for that role rather than an entry-level position.
If you want to be more cautious and start in an entry-level role where you can prove your value as an employee before applying for a promotion, that’s a viable option too.
Dollar Tree looks for employees it can promote from within, so you’ll have opportunities for career advancement.
The type of felony on your record and its age will determine whether they can hire you for a management position.
Applying For A Job At Dollar Tree
Whether you’re interested in getting a job at a Dollar Tree store or a Dollar Tree distribution center, you need to apply online at the Dollar Tree careers website. Go to https://www.dollartree.com/careers.
From there, you choose to apply for an hourly-paid position at a store or distribution center, or for a management position.
The online application is straightforward, and it doesn’t take long to complete. After you’ve entered your personal details and employment history, you’ll need to complete a short online assessment, which will ask you some basic questions related to the role you’ve applied for.
Once you’ve finished the assessment, your application will be in the system, and a hiring manager will contact you for an interview.
Dollar Tree hiring can be very fast. Keep checking your messages so you don’t miss the interview notice.
Does Dollar General Hire Felons?
Dollar General is another big chain of discount stores you might consider when you’re looking for a new job.
Dollar General has hired felons in the past, and they make it clear on their application form that having a criminal history will not necessarily disqualify you.
Quick Recap
Does Dollar Tree hire felons? Yes, they do. Dollar Tree will hire a felon as long as the offense doesn’t pose a risk to their business, employees, or customers.
They’ll run a background check after you’ve been offered a job and look at the type of offense on your record and how long ago the offense took place.
Many felons have been able to work at Dollar Tree even with fairly recent felonies on their record, so you’ve got a good chance of being hired.