If you’re looking to apply for a job at Amazon, you could be questioning whether you can even get a job there if you have a misdemeanor or if you can work for Amazon if you have a record. Is Amazon offender friendly? Do they hire those convicted of petty theft?
Whether Amazon hires those with a record varies in all situations. Keep reading to learn more about what this entails!
Does Amazon Hire Misdemeanors?
Amazon does hire misdemeanors, though it depends on what they were charged for. Amazon often will not hire those with theft or fraud misdemeanors. A candidate with any type of violent misdemeanor will also likely not get a job. Amazon does hire those with drug misdemeanors, often.
Below, we explain in detail when Amazon may hire those with a record!
Does Amazon Hire Theft Misdemeanors?
On average, Amazon tries to steer clear of hiring those who have theft misdemeanors. While Amazon often hires those with misdemeanors when they apply for warehouse positions, they do take an exception when the misdemeanors have anything to do with theft or fraud.
This is because warehouse employees are often dealing with a large number of items — so Amazon doesn’t ever want to have to deal with someone stealing items from their warehouses.
However, this doesn’t mean that you won’t be hired if you have a prior theft conviction. If you have completed your sentence and you haven’t had any other theft conviction in a long time, then Amazon may decide to hire you — especially if they need workers.
When it comes to felons with theft charges, Amazon may not choose to hire those in this position at all, especially if the charges are recent.
Does Amazon Hire Domestic Violence Misdemeanors?
On average, Amazon does not hire any applicant that has any type of violence misdemeanor. This can include those with domestic violence misdemeanors.
Just as with the other topics in this article, Amazon could hire you if you have a domestic violence misdemeanor. For example, if you haven’t had any new charge or arrest in years and have already completed your sentencing or probationary period, then you could be hired.
If you have a domestic violence misdemeanor, you should always be honest with your hiring manager in the beginning. Never lie about having a record. If you lie and this is revealed during a background check, then you may not be hired because of your lie rather than your record.
Does Amazon Hire Drug Misdemeanors?
When it comes to leniency, Amazon is most lenient to those with small drug misdemeanors — as long as there is no violent charge associated with it. Many people with records in this regard have found success when applying for a job at Amazon.
As we’ve already discussed, it will help if you’re honest about having a record throughout the application process. Explain that you’ve been arrested and charged with drug-related crimes before — but that you’ve learned from this experience and haven’t had any issues since.
Amazon does conduct a drug test before you start, as well as random drug tests throughout your career. You should also be able to pass these drug tests before you are officially offered the job.
Does Amazon Hire People With Pending Charges?
Amazon could hire people with pending charges, though it really will depend on what these pending charges are. As Amazon does a full background check before you can start working, they will uncover your situation. So, don’t lie about it or think they won’t find out.
If your pending charges have anything to do with violence, then you likely won’t be hired. The same goes for any type of pending theft charge.
Does Amazon Warehouse Hire Misdemeanors?
Amazon warehouses do hire those with misdemeanors — though it depends on what the misdemeanor is. As we’ve detailed above, Amazon often doesn’t hire those with violent, theft, or fraud misdemeanors.
This doesn’t mean that you won’t be hired at all if you have these types of misdemeanors, as every hiring manager and warehouse operates differently. Plus, if a lot of time has passed since these misdemeanors occurred, you may have a higher chance of being hired.
Does Amazon Flex Hire Misdemeanors?
Amazon Flex has a slightly different policy, mainly because drivers will be going to people’s homes and workplaces. Therefore, Flex can be a bit harsher when hiring those with a criminal record.
Amazon will always check for any criminal violations that occurred in the past seven years. This occurs regardless of what department you’re applying within.
Amazon Flex may allow some with misdemeanors to work with them as long as the misdemeanors are minor. Any misdemeanors that deal with violence or theft will not result in a hired applicant.
Does Amazon Hire Felons?
Amazon can hire felons differently than they hire those with misdemeanors. Felons are anybody that has been convicted of a felony, which means they have spent time in prison for their crime.
Those who have been charged with a misdemeanor, in comparison, may not have gone to jail at all and may have just been put on probation.
Because of this difference, Amazon judges felons a bit differently than those with misdemeanors. However, this doesn’t mean that you won’t be hired by Amazon if you have previously been convicted of a felony.
What you were charged for will obviously be important to Amazon. Much as with misdemeanors, any felony that deals with theft, fraud, or violence will not pass the application process — and these felons will not be hired.
However, if you have a felony for another reason, you’ve already completed your sentencing, and the felony occurred a bit ago, you could be hired by Amazon. Again, it really just depends on your hiring manager and what position you’re applying for.
If you are a felon looking for a job at Amazon, always be upfront throughout the entire application process. Explain that you have done the time necessary to atone for your crime and that you are looking to move on from this.
Do not lie about your criminal history. A felony will definitely show up in your background check — and then you will not be hired.
Does Amazon Hire Felons in California and Texas?
Amazon does hire felons in California. However, Texas is a bit different.
While all Amazon warehouses can hire felons (depending on what the crime they were charged for was), some past applicants state that they have had a tough time getting a job in Texas because they were a felon.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that all warehouses are like this in Texas. However, if you are a felon in Texas looking to work for Amazon, you should definitely be aware that you might have some issues in this regard.
Does Amazon Hire Misdemeanors? – Reddit Experiences
Many employees and Amazon applicants have taken to Reddit to explain their experiences when being hired by Amazon when they have misdemeanors. Across the board, it appears that sometimes those with a criminal history are hired, while other times they are not.
Everybody has a different story. Every situation is different. Therefore, there is no specific answer to the question of whether Amazon will hire those with misdemeanors. It depends on your specific situation and what you were charged for.
Conclusion
Amazon does hire some applicants with misdemeanors, as well as some felons. However, it does depend on what the individual was charged for. Those with arrests dealing with violence, fraud, or theft will often not be successfully hired by Amazon. Every situation is different, though.
