Does Publix Hire Felons? We Asked, They Answered

Publix is a major grocery store chain with lots of positions available all around the country. Great news for those looking for a job, but it does leave the important question: Does Publix hire felons?

At Successful Release, we know how important it is to get a real answer to that question. That’s why we went directly to Publix and asked them about their hiring practices.

In addition to answering the above question, we also aim to clarify a few more key points:

• Does Publix hire people with misdemeanors?
• What’s the best way to apply?
• Does Publix do background checks?
• Will my record stand in my way?
• How do you get a job at Publix with a felony?

We know you’re ready for your next career, so let’s dive in!

Does Publix hire felons?

Official company policy for hiring felons

To find out the official company hiring policy for felons, we asked the company personally. Their answer was short, but sweet.

They told us that they have no official hiring policy for former felons. If the candidate fits the requirements of the position, they can get a job.

So, does Publix hire felons? According to them, the answer to that question is yes.

Has Publix hired felons in the past?

When we contacted Publix, we also asked them if they have hired felons in the past. Their answer? Also short and sweet: Yes.

Does Publix hire people with misdemeanors?

Though Publix did not actually tell us if they hire people with misdemeanors, the odds are pretty good that they do. Why? When companies are open to candidates with felonies, they are also likely to be open to those with misdemeanors.

Is Publix on the Ban the Box list?

The Ban the Box campaign is an ongoing effort to make the hiring process fairer for people with felonies. When a company signs on, they agree not to ask questions about a candidate’s criminal record on the job application.

By doing this, people with felonies are seen for their skills rather than for their past.

There is also the Fair Chance Business Pledge. This effort goes back to the Obama administration. Their goal is to get companies to voluntarily promise to make the hiring process a little bit fairer for people with felonies.

Unfortunately, Publix has not signed this pledge.

Does this mean that you won’t be able to get a job at Publix with a felony? Not quite. It just means that your record will be considered.

In fact, we can confirm that their application does contain questions on a candidate’s criminal record.

Does Publix have special programs for hiring felons?

No, they don’t. In the best case scenarios, some companies actually have special programs for hiring former felons. These programs make it much easier for people with a criminal record to get hired.

What are the odds of someone with a felony getting hired?

Let’s go over everything that we have heard from Publix about their hiring policies towards former felons. They flat-out told us they will hire former felons, and that they have done so before. They do, however, do background checks, they ask about criminal history on their applications and they do not have any special programs for hiring felons.

All of these things considered the chances aren’t so bad. We would classify your odds of getting hired at Publix with a felony as high.

The company does lose points for the fact that they don’t do anything to make the process easier for you. Still, at the end of the day, it certainly is possible to get hired at Publix with a felony.

What are some entry level jobs?

Publix features the sort of jobs you would expect to find at a grocery store.

There are clerking jobs, bagging jobs and warehouse work. There are also custodial positions. Each store has an average of 130 or so associates, so there are tons of opportunities for work and a wide variety of shifts.

How to get hired at Publix with a felony

Submitting a good application is key to getting any job. This means putting together a solid resume. Resume writing is a skill that most people struggle with a little bit. Fortunately, there are resources available that can make things easier (like this guide).

If you have someone in your life that is good at this stuff, you should have them take a look at it. Otherwise, there are career centers available to help you out.

Nailing the application is extra important at Publix. Their HR representative told us that they will hire candidates with felonies if they are qualified.

If you can show them that’s you, then you’ll be asked in for an interview. Most grocery store positions require social skills. Publix will want to make sure you are up for that task. How do you do this? Simple. Show off your winning personality!

Even if you only want to apply for a stocking position, you will still interact with customers and coworkers.

Dress professionally, cover up tattoos and unconventional piercings, and try to be natural.

Showcase your skills when they ask you why you’d be a good fit for the job. An ability to do basic math may help you get a cashier job. A history of using heavy machinery might help you get a job in the warehouse.

If you have a past job you can reference, great! If you took a class or had a job in prison, that works too! Showing that you learned valuable skills in prison will shine a positive light on your record, and prove you are qualified for the job.

Does Publix do background checks?

They said that they do. They use a third party to do the check after the offer has been extended.

However, there are a few things you should understand about background checks. Each state does things a little bit differently.

For one thing, there are some states that don’t consider information that is older than seven years. In other words, if your offense happened eight years ago, it won’t show up on the background check in these states:

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

(*there may be some exceptions based on pay and position)

There are also some states that won’t consider offenses you were found not guilty of. Here are those states:

• Alaska
• California
• Hawaii
• Indiana
• Kentucky
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• New York

However, there are, unfortunately, many states that look at your entire record.

• Alabama
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• Connecticut
• DC
• Delaware
• Florida
• Idaho
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Nebraska
• New Jersey
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oregon
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

Company ratings

We also went to the internet to find out how people feel about working at Publix. To accomplish this task, we checked their rating on glassdoor.com.

For the most part, employees of Publix are pleased with their experiences there. The company had an overall rating of 3.7 out of 5 potential stars.

They lose the most points in the category of work/life balance. However, this is situational. Once you get settled in, you will be able to be a little bit more choosy about your work.

What felonies might have a hard time getting hired here?

As you can imagine from the type of work available at grocery stores, theft will work against you. You’ll be working with products and cash, so Publix will not look kindly on a record related to that.

Remember that most positions also require dealing with customers. For social jobs, most companies avoid people with violent or sexual offenses.

Does Publix drug test?

Publix does drug test their candidates.

Have you applied for a job or worked here? Share your experiences!

If you have worked at Publix, we would love to know what it was like. Tell us anything you can so that we can improve our information. We would love to hear from you!