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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

..to even consider this ? Work related

26 replies

miaCara · 01/03/2019 19:01

I work in a stressful environment .Its low paid and very full on from start to finish. I like the work though which is why I stay and I rarely have sick leave.

Ive just had a jury duty letter.

I intend to reply that yes I can do it and there will be no problem getting released from work as its local government.

My query is - what if they dont want me for the whole 2 weeks? I will be granted special leave which can be extended if the case is expected to last longer. But a friend told me that her JD ended within a few days.

Do I just toddle back to work or would I not be expected back until the end of the special leave? Im not asking my manager as she will definitely say yes in answer to the question but Im pretty sure that if it was her she wouldnt come back early. No-one would know anyway probably.
Have you been in this situation and what did you do?

OP posts:
ThroughThickAndThin01 · 01/03/2019 19:04

You just do the days they need you to.

Asdfghjklll · 01/03/2019 19:04

Hmm I think after you are dismissed you have to go back to work the next day. Your work can possibly claim some of your wages back from court and if they find out you have been sciving it could mean trouble.

seven201 · 01/03/2019 19:06

Surely you'd be risking losing your job!! There's no way I'd even consider doing that. Take annual leave if you want some days off!

Petitprince · 01/03/2019 19:06

I think they put you back in the pool if your case finishes before the two weeks, so you could get another case.

FrancisCrawford · 01/03/2019 19:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Hoopaloop · 01/03/2019 19:06

Definitely go back on first available day.

IceRebel · 01/03/2019 19:07

Surely if they don't need you then you go back to work. Confused

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 01/03/2019 19:07

Husband did it recently, did 4 days of the two weeks, two different cases.

SurgeHopper · 01/03/2019 19:09

Stay home and chill for the rest of the time?

Pinkprincess1978 · 01/03/2019 19:10

Your employer will have a form to fill in and it asks if you are released part way through the day can you return to work for a part day or if it finishes before two weeks can you return.

Most employers would tick yes to both but you will know when they give you the form back to take on your first day of service.

Original poster
miaCara · 01/03/2019 19:20

Pinkprincess1978
Do I take the form back to work with me. My DH cant remember a form but his employer was laid back so didnt ask any questions . He just returned to work after his 2 week slot but his case ended on the wednesday.

OP posts:
ilovesooty · 01/03/2019 19:31

You return to work if you're no longer needed.

ScreamingValenta · 01/03/2019 19:34

Where I work it's covered by a special code on the system, which means the company can reclaim the lost wages portion. If you lied about the duration of the case, you'd most definitely be found out.

Chloemol · 01/03/2019 19:58

You turn up, if they don’t want you that day you go back to work the and day if before lunch. If they W want you you stay for the length of the case. If it’s less than the two weeks you maybe asked to attend again and get a second case, if not you go back to work

Original poster
miaCara · 01/03/2019 20:30

Ach - you lot are no fun.Angry
You were supposed to say -Aye go on and have a few days off and slip back to work on the monday with nothing said.

I was fondly dreaming of a nice easy time in the court for a week or so and then some free time at home with no kids or DH under my feet. All my annual leave is round school holidays so no rest for me usually.

Ah well. Back to reality .

OP posts:
ScreamingValenta · 01/03/2019 20:40

You know your workplace/manager better than we do - I can only say I certainly wouldn't get away with it in my office because of the way the payroll system works!

mrsfollowill · 01/03/2019 20:47

You know the answer yourself Grin you won't get away with saying the case lasted a full two weeks !! My colleague has just recently done this and she actually came into work before and after her day at court as they were dismissed during working hours and it didn't start until 10.00 am. Mind you you the court is next door to our workplace!

SauvignonBlanche · 01/03/2019 20:48

One of my staff did it recently and they phoned me every day to let me know if she was needed in court the following day, they stopped her going in after 3 days and she came back to work. Anything else would be fraud.

Pinkprincess1978 · 01/03/2019 21:12

@miaCara yes you will get sent a form to complete which your employer states how much you would loose by being on jury duty. Strictly speaking your employer is meant to deduct from you two weeks pay then reimburse any days you return for.

I work in education so we only deduct off people who much they claim back and we do after they get reimbursed (shush we are not meant to do that) but we don't want our staff to be worse off but also we want to get something back from the loss of our staff.

MrsPinkCock · 01/03/2019 21:13

@miaCara Grin

Sorry to add to the general party pooperness but your employer may well look into it and if you stayed at home whilst not on jury duty and they found out, they could sack you for gross misconduct. It’s up to two weeks for the sole purpose of jury duty so if you’re done after a few days it’s straight back to work. You won’t get paid anywhere near as much as you would at work anyway so you’re better off going back!

2birds1stone · 01/03/2019 21:20

Local gov here and did jury.

There is a form you have to submit to your work so they can claim back from the court the days you did service for.

You turn up on the Monday and get put into selection. If you are called up they will give you details and if there is a reason you can't sit... ie. You know someone involved. Then someone else is picked (there are usually 14 people but only 10 or 12 sit)

I will warn you though that sometimes it's not a doss . There is a fair amount of sitting about so take a book, and food etc. But I ended up with 2 cases. 1 per week. Both were sexual abuse cases. Both very emotionally draining. For the one we finished on Thursday but I spoke to work and explained briefly what I had been through and they agreed to let me take Friday off (I can check emails etc on my phone)

Even now and it's about 3 years on I still remember the graphic details and it's hard to go through.

Some cases are simple. There was one we were going to be called in for but the person pleaded guilty before we could.

2birds1stone · 01/03/2019 21:23

Just a bit more on the pay. My work paid me for a full day and then claimed back from the court for the amount they pay. So I was no worse off.

And with going back to work I took my laptop with me so if I was dismissed early I could work from home. My work is next door to the court as well so I would often pop in before or after if I had time.

Original poster
miaCara · 01/03/2019 21:40

Actually thanks very much for the insider info. I just thought I would turn up , probably be put on the register or something, do my stint in the court and at the end of the trial or whenever sign something for my expenses and off I go.
I didnt consider all the fine details of hours and days to account for . I suppose I will have to ask what is expected from my manager. I still think they would wangle to entire time off though.

OP posts:
2birds1stone · 01/03/2019 22:12

Oh yes and don't forget if you get called onto a complicated case in week 2 there is a possibility of it over running. So the court will contact your work to let them know and get agreement you can sit.

Also if you go into deliberation and you can't make a decision before court closes that night you will be expected to stay in a hotel and not have contact with anyone apart from the other jurours and the court people.

Thankfully the cases I had were pretty open and shut. Although one we had to decide on 10 accounts and a few of us argued that for 2 of them there was not sufficient evidence that the offence occurred... so that sparked a 3 hour debate.....

Also even when you have made a decision you have to wait for the judge and court to be available before you can go back in.

It's not a straight forward as some people think.

Must admit for some they didn't get called in at all, even for the ballot to sit on jury so went home straight away.

If memory serves (sure all courts must be the same) they have about 20 people called up that they then do a hat name picking for 14 people, 12 of which then get chosen for being on the jury... so there is always that chance you wont get picked for the week and therefore on Monday go back to work.

cocodash · 01/03/2019 22:36

I got my jury duty letter in a couple of years ago and was buzzing as it meant a few days off work. Skieve. Correct? Boy was I wrong.

Ended up being chosen to be on the jury and it was a murder case in the high court. Was there for 7 weeks and it was not nice at all. I can still remember the case clear as day. I was desperate to get back to work after that.

Grass isn't always greener! Lol

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