UPS is well-known for offering competitive pay, but it’s also well-known for running background checks on all potential employees.
So, what is UPS looking for in a background check, and what else do you need to know about the background check process? If you’d like to find out, keep reading!
What Is UPS’ Background Check In 2024?
UPS conducts a routine background check on all potential employees that shows all criminal charges. UPS tends to disqualify candidates based on charges involving theft, drug or alcohol use, and violent charges, though this varies depending on the position applied for. UPS background checks span the last 7-10 years, and results can take up to three weeks in 2024.
If you’re interested in applying for a job with UPS, or just want to have a better understanding of the background check process, be sure to keep reading to learn more!
What Does UPS Look for in a Background Check?
Any company conducting a background check on potential employees is typically doing so for one reason: to help mitigate the company’s risk.
In laymen’s terms, this means that if a company is running a background check on you, it’s because management wants to make sure that hiring you is a safe choice.
This is also to ensure that you don’t pose a risk to the company’s reputation or profits.
Therefore, most background checks are looking for indicators of increased risk, which would be considered charges involving theft, drugs, alcohol, or violent behavior.
These aren’t the only charges UPS has access to, however- running a background check on anyone pulls up their entire criminal history.
It’s important to keep in mind that any altercation you’ve had with law enforcement will be visible to potential employers like UPS who are running a background check, including minor charges.
Some background checks even go so far as to check your financial histories, such as your credit score and bankruptcy record.
However, it’s unclear as to whether or not these factors are visible on UPS background checks.
Petty crimes, misdemeanors, and parking tickets are typically overlooked, especially if they’re not recent.
However, this can vary depending on the position you’re applying for, which brings us to disqualifying factors for a UPS background check.
What Are Disqualifying Factors of a UPS Background Check?
To reiterate, the entire point of running a background check on a potential hire is to help mitigate the risk UPS takes in hiring any given employee.
This means that there are certain, universal things that tend to disqualify you from employment with UPS, no matter what position you’ve applied for.
Having any of the following charges on your record would disqualify you from being employed by UPS:
- Aggravated Assault
- Breaking and Entering
- Child Abuse or Pornography
- Drug Cultivation and Manufacturing
- Drug Distribution
- Drug Trafficking
- Driving Under the Influence
- Driving While Intoxicated
- Embezzlement
- Extortion
- Forgery
- Fraud
- Hate Crimes
- Homicide
- Kidnapping
- Rape
- Robbery
- Sexual Assault
- Stalking
- Theft
Therefore, almost any crime that includes violent behavior, alcohol/drugs, or theft will disqualify you from employment at UPS no matter what position you’re applying for.
There may be some leeway in certain instances, but special cases are few and far between.
If you have one of these charges on your record for the last 10 years, be sure to speak to your hiring manager to see if you’re at risk of being disqualified.
Outside of the above-listed charges that can disqualify you from employment, there are also other things UPS can use to decide against hiring you.
These other factors are closely linked to the position you’ve applied for.
For example, if you applied to become a driver for UPS but have speeding tickets, an accident, or any vehicle-related charges on your record, you could be passed over for employment.
If you have any questions concerning your background check or criminal record, be sure to speak to your hiring manager and the lawyer who handled your case to get more information.
How Far Back Does a UPS Background Check Go?
Almost all background checks show a complete criminal record.
This means that from the time you turned 18 to the present day, any criminal charges or brushes with the law are accessible by employers.
Just because all of that information is available, however, doesn’t mean it is all considered.
People grow and change all the time, and UPS is among many employers that believe that people make mistakes and that those mistakes shouldn’t haunt them for the rest of their lives.
With this in mind, UPS only tends to look at recent criminal history, which means management examines records from the last 7 to 10 years.
There are plenty of resources available online to help those convicted of felonies find jobs.
While UPS has yet to release an official statement, the company has in-depth profiles on several credible pages such as Relaunch Pad.
How Long Does a UPS Background Check Take?
Typically, UPS will only make an employment offer once the results from a background check have come back and the hiring manager has had an opportunity to look it over.
Background check requirements and how long they take can vary from state to state.
This is because UPS background checks consider crimes made at both the state and federal level and sometimes have to do separate background checks to gain all accurate information.
That being said, it seems like the typical turn-around time for a background check is anywhere from one to three weeks.
There are plenty of helpful websites geared towards providing potential employees of certain companies insights into the hiring process and day-to-day schedule of a given role.
For example, you can check out the UPS Indeed page.
This page is a great resource for questions related to background checks, ranging from disqualifying factors to how long it took to hear back from a hiring manager.
To learn more, you can also read our posts on UPS attendance policy, UPS shoe policy, background check statistics, and UPS leave of absence policy.
Conclusion
UPS conducts a relatively standard background check on all potential employees that looks at criminal history from the past 7 to 10 years.
While the background check can show everything from a parking ticket to a felony, UPS tends to keep an eye out for charges involving drugs, alcohol, theft, and violence, as candidates with these charges pose a larger risk to the company than others.
