Office Depot: Hiring, Background Check & Employment Verification FAQs

Office Depot was founded in October 1986 in Boca Raton, Florida, by F. Patrick Sher with partners Jack Kopkin and Stephen Dougherty. The first stores helped define the office supply superstore format, and the chain expanded rapidly through the 1990s and 2000s, including an attempted merger with a rival that federal antitrust regulators blocked in 1997.

In November 2013, Office Depot completed a merger with OfficeMax, a competitor founded in 1988, and chose Boca Raton as the headquarters for the combined business. OfficeMax continues as a brand and subsidiary. In 2020 the corporate parent renamed itself The ODP Corporation, keeping both as customer-facing retail banners.

The ODP Corporation reports three segments: ODP Business Solutions, its business-to-business distribution arm; the Office Depot Division, which runs the retail stores and consumer e-commerce; and Veyer, its supply chain and procurement operation. As of March 2025 the Office Depot Division operated 857 Office Depot and OfficeMax retail locations across the United States, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. In December 2025 Atlas Holdings acquired the company in an all-cash transaction, taking it private, with Craig Gunckel named chief executive officer.

The company reports more than 16,000 coworkers across its retail business and its North American business-to-business distribution network. Store roles include sales associates, print and copy services associates, technology specialists, cashiers, stock and receiving associates, and store management. Beyond the stores, it employs distribution center staff, delivery drivers, contact center representatives, business-to-business sales professionals, and corporate teams in merchandising, supply chain, technology, finance, marketing, and human resources.

Company culture and employee programs:

Retail positions typically involve customer service, product knowledge across supplies and technology, and hands-on work in print and copy services, where associates run production equipment and handle customer documents. Schedules commonly include evenings and weekends, and hiring rises around back-to-school and year-end periods. Onboarding generally covers point-of-sale systems, product training, safety, and loss prevention, with extra technical training for print and technology roles. The company has also deployed internal tools, including an artificial intelligence assistant for store associates. Pay, benefits, and scheduling vary by role and location.

Yes. Employers in the retail industry, including Office Depot, are legally permitted to conduct pre-employment background checks on job candidates as long as they follow applicable federal, state, and local law. Screening conducted through a third-party provider is governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which requires a standalone disclosure, written candidate authorization, and a defined adverse action process before an employer may decline an applicant based on report results. Because Office Depot operates in many states and territories, state and local rules can add further requirements depending on where the job is located.

Office Depot is generally reported to conduct background checks as part of its hiring process, which is consistent with standard practice among large national retailers. Store employees handle cash and payment cards, work with high-value technology merchandise, and in print services handle customer documents that can include sensitive personal or business information. Distribution and delivery roles involve inventory, vehicles, and access to customer premises. Those responsibilities typically inform how a retailer approaches screening, and the scope of an Office Depot background check may vary by role, division, and state.

Candidates generally apply online through the company's careers site for a specific store, distribution center, or corporate opening. Applicants who advance are usually contacted for a phone screen or invited to an interview with a store or department manager, and some locations use a brief assessment. Retail candidates often have one or two conversations, while corporate and business-to-business sales roles typically involve several rounds. Applicants who receive a conditional offer are usually asked to authorize a background check before a start date is confirmed, and driving roles commonly add a motor vehicle records check.

Turnaround depends on which searches are ordered, how many jurisdictions are involved, and how quickly courts and previous employers respond. Many reports come back within a few business days when the scope is limited to one or two counties. Timelines lengthen when records must be retrieved manually from several courts, when a candidate has lived in multiple states, or when a former employer is slow to confirm dates. For more on the factors involved, see background check turnaround times.

The employer determines which searches to include. For a retail or distribution role, a pre-employment background check may cover some or all of the following:

Candidates should read the disclosure and authorization paperwork provided during hiring, because it identifies the searches that apply to their specific role.

The lookback period depends on the search type and applicable state law. Under the FCRA, consumer reporting agencies are generally restricted from reporting most adverse information older than seven years, with exceptions that include criminal convictions and positions paying above a defined salary threshold. A number of states apply tighter limits, and rules on reporting non-conviction records differ by state. Driving record lookback periods are set separately by each state motor vehicle agency. Because the company hires across many states and two US territories, the rules governing a report depend on where the candidate lives and where the job is based.

Office Depot does not publish a detailed policy on applicants with felony records, and hiring decisions of this kind are typically made on a case-by-case basis. Employers generally weigh the nature and seriousness of the offense, how much time has passed, evidence of rehabilitation, and whether the record relates to the responsibilities of the specific job, with more scrutiny for roles involving cash handling or access to customer premises. Many states and municipalities have adopted "ban-the-box" laws that restrict when an employer may ask about criminal history, often delaying the question until after a conditional offer. Candidates should answer application questions accurately and be ready to discuss their background if the topic arises.

Applicants are typically asked to sign a standalone disclosure and provide written consent before screening begins. Candidates should expect to supply accurate personal information, including full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, and address history, since those details determine which jurisdictions get searched and errors are a frequent cause of delay. Roles involving driving generally require a valid driver's license, may have a minimum age requirement set by the company's insurer, and include authorization for a motor vehicle records check. Corporate roles may require education details for verification.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act is the US federal law that governs how consumer reporting agencies collect, use, and share background check information for employment purposes. It requires an employer to obtain written authorization before ordering a report, to provide a pre-adverse action notice with a copy of the report and a summary of rights if a negative decision is being considered, and to give the candidate a reasonable opportunity to dispute inaccurate information before the decision becomes final. For a fuller explanation of how the FCRA and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidance apply to hiring, see Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

Delivery roles generally carry requirements beyond a standard retail screening. Candidates are typically asked for a valid driver's license and consent to a motor vehicle records check, and the company's insurer may set thresholds around recent moving violations, at-fault accidents, or license suspensions. Positions operating a commercial motor vehicle above defined weight limits fall under federal motor carrier rules, which can add a commercial driver's license requirement, medical certification, a three-year driving history inquiry, and participation in a drug and alcohol testing program. Requirements depend on vehicle class and state.

Running a personal background check with Checkr lets you preview what Office Depot may see and gives you time to identify potential inaccuracies before they affect your application. In one secure report you can review:

Create your report in minutes at Checkr Personal Background Checks. To share verified credentials with recruiters and hiring managers, build a free Checkr Profile.

Check your report status in the Candidate Portal. Or, visit the Checkr Help Center for FAQs, dispute steps, and to contact support.

The resources and information provided here are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Always consult your own counsel for up-to-date legal advice and guidance related to your practices, needs, and compliance with applicable laws.