NOT FUCKING NOW JURY SERVICE FFS

[RozHuntleysLeftHand]

Me and ex and have split up.
I'm literally so stressed about money I'm throwing up.
I'm about a week from being evicted and......

A Jury Summons shows up this afternoon.

I know they're not psychic, and in many other periods of my life I would have done it with pride? Not sure if that's the right word but I am a strong believer in justice.

But bloody hell the timing!!

I recently managed to defer but it wasn't easy. Not rtft but maybe go to your gp and get a sick note. That was going to be me last ditch attempt as I was going through some bad stuff too.

I would expect someone self employed to have adequate provision (savings etc) to be able to temporarily cover annual leave, sickness etc both of which would be unpaid. In this instance you would receive per week the same as someone on a £16k annual salary which is more beneficial to you than the unpaid leave you would choose to take for a holiday or need to take for sickness.

And in the real world? That is less than the minimum wage! You sound very sanctimonious.

Critical illness wouldn't pay for jury service.
Many people who are self employed dont have the luxury of being short-term sick.

3 week on jury service is not affordable- I believe you dont have to do it if it would impact on others ie you wouldn't be be able to pay the mortgage or feed your children.

@user3837313202

I would expect someone self employed to have adequate provision (savings etc) to be able to temporarily cover annual leave, sickness etc both of which would be unpaid.

In this instance you would receive per week the same as someone on a £16k annual salary which is more beneficial to you than the unpaid leave you would choose to take for a holiday or need to take for sickness.

Tell me you've never been self employed without telling me you've never been self employed...

The last two years utterly decimated my industry and my savings went with it. I was banned from working and then found I wasn't eligible for SEISS or furlough despite having paid every penny in taxes that I owed.

Holidays - unlike jury service - are scheduled for my quietest months, and the reality is that I'll still be checking emails and answering calls while I'm away. I rarely switch off.

As for sickness - if I'm well enough to stand up I'm well enough to work. I couldn't even afford to self isolate with covid FFS.

I swear some people live in cloud cuckoo land, where self employed people are all making large sums of money. Meanwhile, back in the real world...

Agree- I worked through covid. No choice- I had employees dependent on me at a time when our industry was on its knees.

@Overtheroadroundthecorner

I would expect someone self employed to have adequate provision (savings etc) to be able to temporarily cover annual leave, sickness etc both of which would be unpaid

Yes, all those months of not being able to work during covid and having no income have left my bank account brimming with cash.
I’m sure mumsnet is in another realm sometimes.

Not to mention the detriment to the business of it’s not being looked after for potentially weeks/months.

Agree. I am the fee earner. I have employees and sub-contractors reliant on me. I dont work they dont work.

Some people really do live in rainbow bubbles removed from the reality of life.

@FloralsForSpring

Mine was one of the most harrowing things I have ever had to do. I would defer and cite your mental health.

Agreed. My case was extremely straightforward, lasted for two days and it's a matter for public record that the deliberation preceding the not guilty verdict was a short one. I still found it hugely stressful and I still do think of what happened those two days.

End of 2012 was when he first did jury service.
2nd time was July 2013
3rd time to as May 2014
4th summons he received November 2014 for January 2015 but he was excused.

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz my husband is self employed and there is no way he's doing jury duty. The £60 a day isn't enough for him and he's not sick so should be made to loose out financially. We plan our holidays and save extra as we know of this expense it's not fair to spring it on people.

There is a part on the form that asks you if you are unable to attend, the reasons why. If you, say, give yourself 12 months to recover from what’s going on, they WILL summon you again.
I did jury service and loved every minute of it.

I was called up about 10 years ago. Work attached a note saying nobody could safely replace me at that notice, and I was excused and taken off the list forever.

@resuwen

I would have absolutely have LOVED to do jury service at literally any point during my adult life so far...except the window when I was EBF, which is when the summons arrived. 🙄

I know - I've been called twice. Once to coincide with my degree finals and once when my first DC was a couple of weeks old and EBF. Excused both times and not called since. That DC is now early 30's!

A semi professional jury just wouldn't work. Other countries have investigating judges. Pros and cons for both systems, but there'd need to be big change in England and Wales. It's far more likely that some cases will no longer be eligible for jury trial if there's an issue getting juries.

@TheHoptimist

I assume all the people saying it’s a breeze are not self employed

No way most people can afford to be a juror on £64.95 a day

Gosh, is that all it is? If I were called i'd have to do the jury duty in court and then come home and try to keep up with my self-employed stuff too.

I emailed and said I'm not doing it because I'm a sahm and they excused me. Jammy but I just thought I'd try my luck and it worked.