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I just saw a great 2nd chance background chance discussion. There are a lot of great advice and experiences shared by many members you can follow up and connect with. Good luck!

Hi @Michelle Scheller! There are a lot of great companies that provide great job opportunities as second changes. In addition to the resources shared above, it wouldn't hurt to either check out Dollar General's website or even calling and asking. Best of luck!

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Benjamin,

Unfortunately, no company will not conduct background checks for liability reasons. However, there are felon-friendly companies that do offer employment, but they vary.

I suggest you check out this list of companies: https://www.dioceseofjoliet.org/siteimages/peace/documents/Jail_and_Prison_Ministry/List_of_Felon_Friendly_Employers.pdf.

It's best if you contact the companies of interest and speak to their HR department to confirm what their hiring process is like for those with a criminal record.

Omission can be your enemy in life. I say this in regards to your offense, as it may be hurting you by omitting to it during the application process or background checks. A felony offense that exists on your record for years may have the benefit of not being indicated on a job application. There are criminal-friendly companies that do offer employment but acquiring employment within can be challenging.

For example, if your offense is over 10 years old and your state allows it, legally, you do not have to check the “yes” box regarding conviction. Especially for companies that may conduct a 5-7 or 5-10 year background check, as that conviction will not come up during a background check if the offense is over ten years old. There are many companies that offer employment to those with criminal records, but there are also companies that exercise bias behind closed doors, whether they offer employment to ex-criminals or not, it's the type of offense that they will look at.

This same thing applies to your criminal background. If your offense is old and/or has surpassed a time frame, it is completely legal to not specify that on your job applications.

When a person has been convicted of a felony, the length of time the felony will show up on the record depends on the state the felon lives in. In California, Colorado, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Texas, and Washington, a felony will not show up on a record after seven years no matter what. In every other state, however, the information is present on the record forever. It all depends on how far back the requester (company) of the background check wants to go, but they are able to obtain information regarding any felony convictions during your entire lifetime. Most employers only go back 5-10 years on a background check, though. In your case, yours appear to be recent as you've mentioned "before COVID", so it will be challenging for you, for sure, but not impossible.

You can read more information regarding convictions here: https://www.privateeyesbackgroundchecks.com/does-a-felony-show-up-after-7-years/. Hopefully this insight may help you future job search.

Best.