How Long Does a “No Rehire” Status Last? + How to Check Rehire Status

How Long Does a No Rehire Status Last?

Rehire eligibility and the length of “Do Not Rehire” status vary by employer. There are no laws governing employee rehires, but some companies do have rehire policies. Depending upon the company policy, you may never be eligible for rehire once you leave, or there may be a specific time frame, such as two years, in which you can’t be rehired after leaving.

We reached out to the HR departments of several large companies, including Amazon, Apple, Disney, Microsoft, Target, UPS, and Walmart, for more information. (Our previous research also details the rehire policy at Walmart.)

An employee can be given a status of ineligible for rehire for their specific position or any position companywide, representatives told us. Some companies group all former employees as ineligible for rehire.

If a company considers rehire eligibility on a case-by-case basis, some reasons it may consider branding a former employee “Not Eligible for Rehire” include:

• Attendance issues
• Getting fired
• Job abandonment
• Keeping company equipment upon leaving employment
• Misconduct
• Not giving a two-week notice
• Poor job performance or failing a performance improvement plan
• Violation of company policies
• Workplace violence

Note: Depending upon the company, laid-off employees may or may not be eligible for rehire. If you are a laid-off union employee, your contract may require that you be rehired.

How to Check Rehire Status

At your termination meeting, you may be told whether you are eligible for rehire, or you can ask. Once you have left the company, you can call the HR department and ask for your rehire status. If you do not qualify for rehire, you can try to find out why; the company may not tell you, but it never hurts to ask.

Can No Rehire Status Be Changed?

If your status indicates you are not eligible for rehire, there may be no way to change your status. At companies that rely on online applications, the system will often identify you as ineligible once you enter your information.

However, if you maintained a good working relationship with a person or two within the organization, they may be willing to recommend you for a current job opening or allow you to list them as a referral and a reference on your job application.

Some companies also allow you to appeal your “rehire ineligible” status by explaining what happened in the past and how you have changed. The employer may accept your explanation and change your status to eligible, which will allow you to apply for current openings.