Second Chance Employers, Multnomah County

Oregon and Portland have strong legal protections for people with criminal records in the hiring process. Knowing these protections, and which employers actively recruit people with records, is essential for case managers working with justice-involved clients.

Legal Protections:

• Oregon state law prohibits employers from asking about criminal history before the interview stage.
• Portland's ban-the-box ordinance (applies to employers with 6+ employees, at least one in Portland) prohibits asking about criminal history before a conditional job offer. Employers cannot consider certain categories of convictions at all.
• Marijuana convictions from before legalization can be expunged in Oregon.

Employers with Documented Second-Chance Commitments:

Dave's Killer Bread (Milwaukie, OR, 10 min from Portland) Founded by someone with a 15-year prison history, Dave's Killer Bread is perhaps the most visible second-chance employer in Oregon. Approximately one-third of employees have felony convictions. Primarily hires for bakery production roles at their Milwaukie facility. Apply directly at daveskillerbread.com/careers or through All Star Labor & Staffing.

Burgerville PNW fast-casual chain with an explicit second-chance hiring program. Hires for hourly restaurant roles across Portland metro. Apply at burgerville.com/careers.

Central City Concern Large nonprofit social services employer with a documented commitment to second-chance hiring. Also runs the Central City Staffing Trainee Program placing justice-involved clients in their own operations. See the Central City Concern resource for full details.

Goodwill Industries of the Columbia Willamette Explicit second-chance employer. Hires for retail, warehouse, and donation processing roles across Portland metro. Apply at goodwillcolumbia.org.

Programs that help justice-involved job seekers:

SE Works, Justice-Involved Adults Track WorkSource Portland Metro's SE Works operator has a specific employment track for formerly incarcerated individuals. Free coaching, job placement, and connections to second-chance employers. 6401 SE Foster Rd and 8044 SE Harold St.

All Star Labor & Staffing Portland-headquartered staffing agency that places workers with various backgrounds, including justice-involved. Multiple Oregon offices. allstarlabor.com

Oregon Voices Advocacy and reentry support organization connecting justice-involved Oregonians to employment and housing resources. oregonvoices.org

Case manager notes: Portland's ban-the-box ordinance is stronger than the state law, most employers with any Portland presence are covered. Clients should know they do NOT have to disclose a record on a job application in Portland, only after a conditional offer. The PDX Legal Resource Guide (pdxlrg.org) has an excellent current page on resources for people with felony records.

Anyone with a criminal record seeking employment. Oregon ban-the-box law applies to most employers statewide; Portland ordinance covers any employer with 6+ employees. All employers and programs listed are open to applicants with criminal histories.