Does Target hire people with felonies?

What Target has said

Target is a member of the Second Chance Business Coalition. After settling a 2018 class action over its criminal background checks, Target said it had removed the criminal-history question from its application nationwide, gathers criminal background information only in the final stages of hiring, and lets applicants explain their history and show rehabilitation. Its careers FAQ says every job offer is contingent on pre-employment screening, that the background check starts after you accept a conditional offer, and that Accurate Background runs it.

• Second Chance Business Coalition member

  Listed as a member of the Second Chance Business Coalition.¹

• Founding member of the Second Chance Business Coalition

  Target was among the 29 companies the coalition named as having joined when it launched on April 26, 2021.²

• Signed the 2016 Fair Chance Business Pledge

  Target was named among new signers of the White House Fair Chance Business Pledge on November 30, 2016.³

• Company statement

  In April 2018 Target said it removed the criminal-history question from its application nationwide, collects criminal background information in the final stages of hiring, and lets applicants share mitigating factors, good conduct and rehabilitation, while still excluding records it sees as a risk to guests, team members or property.⁴

• Class action settlement

  In 2018 Target settled a class action brought by the NAACP and two applicants over criminal background screening, for $3.74 million as reported by CNN; the reported terms included reviewing its hiring policies and funding groups that help people with records find work.⁵

Does Target do background checks?

Target runs background checks after a job offer. Target's careers FAQ says all offers are contingent on pre-employment screening, the background check starts after you accept a conditional offer, and Accurate Background manages it; applicants with questions about results are told to contact Accurate Background. Target's 2018 statement says conviction history is still considered, along with any explanation the applicant gives.^4,6

• Criminal history

Target names Accurate Background as its screening company. You can ask Accurate Background for a copy of any report it prepares about you.^4,6

• How Accurate Background checks work: status, timing and disputes
• How long a background check takes

Does Target drug test?

Target drug tests for some roles. Target's careers FAQ says certain jobs require a drug screen under its Drug Free Workplace policy. You're told at the time of the offer if yours does, and the screen must be done within 24 hours of accepting, at a nearby testing site or on-site. Accurate Background manages drug screens too.⁶

Rules for specific jobs

• All Target jobs

  Target's hiring-process page says candidates complete pre-hire screening through their Workday candidate homepage after the offer.⁷

Your rights, and how far back a check can go

• Under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), an employer must get your written permission before it gets a background report about you from a background screening company.^10,11,12
• Before an employer decides not to hire, keep, or promote you because of something in a background report, it must give you a copy of the report and a document called "A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act."^10,11
• You have the right to dispute inaccurate or incomplete information in your background report directly with the company that made it.^10,13
• The FCRA's seven-year limit does not apply to criminal convictions, so under federal law a conviction can show up on a background report no matter how old it is.^14,15
• Under the FCRA, background and credit reports generally cannot include arrest records, civil lawsuits, or civil judgments that are more than seven years old (or older than the statute of limitations, if that is longer).^14,16

Your full background check rights

Before you apply

• You can ask a background screening company for the information it has on you, and the CFPB keeps a list of consumer reporting companies, including employment screening companies, with their contact details.^10,13,17
• According to the Clean Slate Initiative, 14 states and Washington, D.C. have passed Clean Slate laws that meet its criteria for automatically clearing eligible records: Pennsylvania, Utah, New Jersey, Connecticut, Michigan, Delaware, Virginia, California, Oklahoma, Colorado, Minnesota, New York, Illinois, and Missouri, plus D.C.¹⁸
• The Federal Bonding Program, run by the U.S. Department of Labor, lets states give employers free fidelity bonds that protect them against losses from a newly hired worker's dishonest acts, for job seekers with past justice involvement or in recovery from substance use.^19,20

See whether you can clear your record in your state