William Lipovsky
Short Answer — Walmart does rehire employees who were terminated for various reasons, and your chances of being rehired increase if you left on good terms. If you were fired for breaking the law, however, you may be better off applying elsewhere.
Walmart Rehire Policy
Walmart’s website provides answers to frequently asked questions about its job application process, but it doesn’t publicize information on its rehire policy.
We interviewed several current and former employees and managers about their rehire experiences, and we’ve detailed our findings below.
You can also speak with your former Walmart manager and ask about the store’s official rehire policy.
If You Left on Good Terms
If you were an employee in good standing when you left your job at Walmart, you are more likely to be rehired, a Walmart store manager said.
Reasons you might have left on good terms include:
- Your store had layoffs and/or your hours were cut back
- You took time off for a family emergency or left to take care of your child/children
- You had a medical emergency
- You were hired for a temporary (seasonal) position that ended
If you left on good terms, you’ll likely need to wait 90 days from your last day before you’re eligible to reapply.
To apply for rehire, you’ll need to start by filling out an online application. If your application is accepted, you’ll be interviewed by a store manager. In most cases, you’ll also need to complete a background check and drug test.
Even if you left on good terms, Walmart isn’t required to rehire you. The store may not have any openings, or the current manager may be hesitant to hire someone who previously left. If you aren’t rehired at the store you previously worked at, you can also try applying to another location.
If You Were Terminated
You may also be eligible to be rehired even if you were previously terminated from Walmart. You can often reapply for the exact job you had (if there is an opening) or even a position for which you feel better qualified.
You may be eligible to reapply if you were terminated for:
- Frequently being late or missing shifts
- Not calling before missing a shift
- Not being able to do the job you were hired for
When you were terminated, a store manager should have conducted an exit interview to explain why you were being fired. During this interview, it is the proper protocol for the manager to tell you whether or not you can reapply in the future, as well as how long you have to wait before you may be eligible to be rehired.
An exit interview is a good time to explain any circumstances outside your control that contributed to your termination.
For example, you may have been late to work because your car broke down, or perhaps you had to miss a shift to stay home with a sick child. If your manager understands what happened, they may be more likely to rehire you in the future.
To be rehired at Walmart after you were terminated, you’ll typically need to wait at least six months to reapply, though some stores prefer that former employees wait a full year.
You can increase your chances of being rehired if you spend time at another job and can show that you have been working on whatever problems led to your termination.
To reapply, start by filling out an online application. If your application is accepted, you’ll go through the standard interview process again, and you’ll likely need to complete another background check and drug test.
When Walmart Won’t Rehire You
Walmart also has a policy in place for when it will not rehire former employees. Walmart will not rehire employees who were terminated for committing felonies or misdemeanors. For example, you won’t be rehired if you were fired for:
- Stealing from the store
- Committing any type of fraud
- Harassing customers and/or other employees
- Sexually harassing and/or assaulting customers or other employees
- Making a violent scene at work
For more information about what you can do if you’re in this situation, see our research on how long a “no rehire” status lasts.
If you apply to be rehired at Walmart after being fired for one of these reasons, you run the risk of facing charges.
In cases of petty theft, such as stealing food, the statute of limitations in most states allows Walmart to press charges up to one year after the incident.[1] The statute of limitations for more serious infractions is even longer. If you were fired for a misdeed, you are better off applying for a job somewhere else.
Walmart’s hiring policies also state that the company won’t rehire employees that fail any portion of the application process, including the interview, background check, or drug test. This is true even for employees that previously left on good terms.
How to Find Out If You Can Be Rehired
According to our communications with a representative from Walmart One (the company’s online associate service), you can find out if you are eligible to be rehired by contacting your former Walmart manager.
The Walmart managers we spoke with suggested that former employees can contact the company through Walmart One to ask if they are eligible for rehire. However, we also spoke with a media representative who stated that this was not true.
According to Walmart One, this has caused some confusion. In general, store managers are the most reliable source of information for current hiring and rehiring needs.
