Everything we’ve read tells us Wawa will do a background check when you apply. It sounds like it will probably occur early in the hiring process. Some former employees have said their background check was completed before they had a phone interview.
What you need to know about background checks:
Not all background checks are created equal. In some states, if your offense is over seven years old, it won’t show up on a regular background check. Here’s a list of those states:
- California
- Colorado*
- Kansas*
- Maryland*
- Massachusetts
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Hampshire*
- New York*
- Texas*
- Washington
(* sometimes certain pay or salary bracket positions require a more thorough background screening).
Other states won’t hold cases against you where you were found not guilty. Here are the states on this list:
- Alaska
- California
- Hawaii
- Indiana
- Kentucky
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- New York
Other states will look at your entire record, including not guilty verdicts. Here’s a list of those states:
- 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 spent some time looking online to see what employees had to say about Wawa. The reviews on glassdoor.com tended to be very positive (3.7 out of 5 stars). Almost 75% of employees said they would recommend the company to a friend. Over 2,000 employees have posted reviews on indeed.com. These reviews are also very positive (4 out of 5 stars).
What felonies Wawa will not hire
The company didn’t tell us the specific convictions that would stop your applicaiton in its tracks. See the next section for charges you may have to explain.
What felony convictions might have a hard time getting hired here?
Does Wawa hire felons? Our research indicates it could be difficult for former felons to get a job here. And, because the Customer Service Associate position requires a lot of public interaction, these felonies may make it even more challenging:
- Felonies involving theft, since you will be handling a lot of money.
- Violent felonies, since you will be dealing with difficult people in a fast-paced environment.
- Sex offenses, since you will be dealing with a lot of families.
Our goal is to let you know about felonies which may raise red flags during background checks. We cannot say conclusively that people with these types of felonies will not get hired at Wawa. Nor do we condone stereotyping people based on their past mistakes.
Does Wawa hire sex offenders?
There is nothing firm about this online, and the company didn’t tell us directly. Wawa might hire sex offenders, but we’re not sure.
Does Wawa drug test?
Most of the employee statements we read say Wawa won’t drug test unless they’re suspicious about an employee being under the influence. However, there were a couple of reviews which said they do drug testing. In the end, it’s better to be safe than sorry and make sure you stay sober either way.
Have you applied for a job or worked here? Share your experiences!
If you’re a former offender who’s worked with Wawa, please let us know! We’re especially interested in any tips you might have that could help others get a job at Wawa with a felony.
We want to help you in any way we can, and we value your feedback!