The post office is the second-largest employer in the United Stages. In 2018, there were 31,324 post offices in the United States. All of those post offices need employees. The salary is great for a job that doesn’t require an education. The starting salary for all entry-level positions is $21 an hour. On average, a postal worker makes $72,000 a year. There are overtime hours. Projections show that more post office jobs will be available in the foreseeable future.
Employees of the post office are not federal (government) employees. However, the employees of the post office enjoy the same benefits as federal employees. The advantages of a post office job include: excellent health care insurance, great retirement benefits, more holidays than most jobs, and regular pay increases. You can get help with child care expenses. There are also student debt loan forgiveness programs. The post office might help with college tuition and books.
The post office hires extra people October through January for seasonal jobs. The post office often hires from within. Starting as a seasonal worker is a great way to eventually get a permanent job.
You may be a good match for the post office if you are physically fit. You must be able to lift 70 pounds. You don’t need a medical exam, but you might have to show that you can easily lift and carry heavy objects. There should be no costs to you to apply for a job at the post office.
Can a person with a felony conviction work at the post office?
Most of time, yes. People with a felony record are only able to apply for entry-level jobs. Entry level jobs are mail carriers, package handlers, and customer service assistants.
There is no official policy regarding the hiring of a person with a felony record at the post office. However, certain felonies may not mesh with specific post office jobs. For example, if you are a registered sex offender, you probably can’t be a mail carrier. You are restricted from being near parks and schools. Possibly, there may be a mail route in a rural area that could work. If your felony offense involved mail fraud, it is less likely that you will hired by the post office.
If your felony offense involved a vehicle, you may not get hired to drive a mail truck. If your conviction involved theft, you may not be hired to use a cash register. But even in those cases, you should still apply. It sounds like the post office is committed to giving people a second chance. And, of course, many job openings also helps. Any references that can show that you have made positive changes in your life may help immensely. Volunteering in your community is a good way to show character.
The post office has a good reputation for hiring ex-felons. Unlike most jobs, by law the post office must read every application it receives for a job opening. The post office must try in good faith to hire any qualified person if there is an open job. The United States Post office is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This means that the post office is more likely to look at you individually. Hopefully, they will not automatically refuse to hire you. The post office takes into consideration the nature of your felony and how long ago it was. It’s best if you only had a single felony. The post office will also consider your age at the time of the felony.
What is the application process?
There are three steps in the hiring process. First, you will need to apply online. Obviously, don’t lie on the application. If you are found to have lied, it’s grounds for automatic dismissal.
You will need to take an online assessment. The test questions check your ability to read addresses, complete forms, and use a code. You also take a personality assessment. You will get the results in an hour. If you fail the exam, you will have to wait four months before you try again.
If you pass the test and there is a job opening, you will have an in-person interview. At the interview you may need to show that you can lift 70 pounds.
There will be two background checks. The first is a local background check. This background check will check your driving history. The first background check is done before your interview. The second background check is after your interview.
Information about background checks
You need to give permission to have a background check run on you. If someone runs a background check without asking first, they are not in compliance with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ( EEOC.)
You may be asked to pay for your background check. This is legal.
It might be a good idea to run your own background check, to see what it looks like. Sometimes there are errors on the background that should be fixed. Seeing your background check ahead of time means there are no surprises.
Unfortunately, it is legal to discriminate against you due to your felony conviction, except for certain circumstances. It is not legal to discriminate because of gender, race, age (over 40), disability, gender identity, sexual identity, pregnancy, color, religion and genetic information. Employers can decide not to hire you because you have a felony conviction, but they have to be fair. They can’t hire a white person with a felony record, but not hire an African-American person with a felony record.
Some states only allow background checks to cover the last seven years. The states that have a seven-year limit are California, Colorado, New York, Kansas, Montana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, Texas, and Washington.
In any of the other 39 states, your felony conviction will be on a background check. However, the person asking for the background check decides how many years back to check. One strategy you might avail is to find out ahead of time how far back the post office looks. Federal jobs usually look at your whole record, but the post office isn’t officially a government job.
The official advice is to be completely honest when filling out any kind of application. Don’t be dishonest or falsify information. That alone can lead to you not getting the job. You can get into trouble with the law. Being forthright about a past felony can be a good idea. Employers appreciate honesty.
General requirements to work at the post office.
You can be as young as 16, but only if you have a high school diploma. If you are 18, you do not need a high school diploma or a GED. You need to be a citizen of the U.S. or a permanent resident. You have to read and speak English. You have to be willing to work overtime. If you will be driving a mail vehicle, you have to be 18. Also, if you are driving a mail truck, you need a valid driver’s license. You will need to take a new driving test using the vehicle you will be driving at work. You will need to pass a drug test.
It’s a straight-forward process. There are no state laws to check. You don’t have to find a school. You will apply on-line. You need about ninety minutes to apply. Have a resume ready to attach.
The post office can be a great opportunity for people with a felony conviction. Certain felonies may lessen your chances, but even then you should apply. The post office is always looking for new employees. The post office claims to try to hire anyone who is qualified for an open position. The post office has a history of being felon-friendly. It doesn’t cost you anything to try. This is a great opportunity if you didn’t finish high school or go to college. Very few jobs will pay as well as the post office without a lot of education.
