To not understand what they expect me to do?

[bloodypublicservice]

I was called up for jury service starting in less than two weeks from now. I work Saturdays only as I otherwise do all of the childcare whilst my partner works full time. Originally I stated I was available as my MIL was going to have our daughter, however MIL has experienced a significant and unexpected health issue resulting in being hospitalised for the foreseeable. I've contacted the relevant department to have received a response stating that my request to be excused from this call for service has been refused and that I must still attend at the stated day/time. It mentions appealing but that a hearing is likely to be called, and given the start date is so soon, it's realistically not going to be resolved before starting.

WIBU to show up on my start date with my child and ask what else they expected me to do? We have no other local family and no provision for external childcare.

It seems the op asked to be excused jury service and this was refused -- however, if she asked for a deferral to a later date this might be granted. Worth a try, I'd suggest phoning the clerk of the court.
To be excused jury service means you won't have to do it at all, AFAICR.

When I was called up for jury duty (some years ago now, I don’t know whether it’s still the same) they’d called up a lot more people than the 12 they needed and chose the final number from those. Some of those called up couldn’t do it for whatever reason, and others were turned down and were sent home. I don’t know if that might be your way to get your duty deferred or cancelled.

Yes, I agree, ask for deferral. I was called up for jury service while at uni 300 miles away. It was deferred. It meant I got called up instead in the first couple of months of a grad job! They gave me time off, of course.

Some of these replies are crazy! I agree that it’s worth requesting a deferral. If you are told no, then you really have no other option but to take your baby to court.

No nursery or childminder will take a child on only for 2 weeks. And then there is settling in time - you can't just dump a child in an unfamiliar setting.

I think the fact they expect mothers of young children to fund child care to cover jury duty pretty appalling. As someone else said, we have our entire adult lives. Being able to put it off until your children are older doesn't seem to be entirely unreasonable IMO. Should the father give up 2 very precious weeks of annual leave, or take unpaid leave so they can't afford their mortgage?

I would turn up with my child OP!!

You said your excusal had been refused. Have you asked for a deferral? They seem more obliging with deferrals for things like childcare

You’ll need to turn up on the first day (without your child!) and they’ll ask the jury pool if anyone is unable to
commit for however long the case is expected to last for. This is when you might get let off, depending on how many people ask to be excused. If you don’t turn up on the day, the police will go to your address.

This is disgusting*@Bloodypublicservice*.
As you say WTF are you expected to do with a 14 month old?
Child services would have a field day if you just dumped a 14 month old on anyone.😡

I don't know but perhaps giving Child Services a call might help.
Saying they desperately need you is BS.
I completed Jury service last year for the second time and the number of people called who weren't needed was ridiculous. Many, many folks just sat around for hours on end doing nothing who were eventually excused after several days.

My SIL was called a few weeks ago and she sat every day for over a week before eventually being told she wasn't needed. OK, I know they need reserves but your reasons for asking to be excused or deferred are most definitely valid in my book.

They should let you defer - did you ask about that? Full excusal is rare although DH managed it due to his disabilities.

On the day, don’t go. The documents I think do give you a phone number. Call and say your child has Covid.

OP can you contact them again and ask to defer rather than be excused. Explain that it’s too short notice to arrange appropriate childcare. They may be more disposed to deferring than excusing you altogether. They will also pay your expenses for jury service, including an amount towards childcare

Maybe try calling them again to state that you are breastfeeding with no childcare and a mil in hospital. You may have been unlucky with an unreasonable call handler.
I called on behalf of my mum once and explained that she had lots on her plate with her husband having just had heart surgery. They were very sympathetic and said not a problem to cancel it.

This

You risk the police arriving at your door if you fail to attend on the day.

There are expenses for jury service and employers are also expected to allow you paid time off. Of course that’s no help to SAHMs.

You can claim for loss of earnings or childcare costs. Not sure if that applies to spouse – it might.

Out of interest, what do they do if you have something like adhd but aren't yet diagnosed? If I got called that would be the position I'd be in, there's no adult diagnosis pathway in my area currently so I've no diagnosis and I'm not on a waitlist to be assessed (I tried and got a letter saying there's no nhs pathway for this in my area) so no 'proof', but I'd be useless on a jury!

I just want to say to anyone suspecting "jury duty dodging", only a few months ago was I exclaiming how fascinating I'd find the process and that I hoped I'd get opportunity to experience it one day (because no one in my family has ever been called). If I had alternate childcare that I could utilise, I would be far less to fulfil my public duty and far more so because it's something that's almost like a bucket list thing. 🤦

An employer doesn’t have to pay you whilst you’re on Jury service.
The only way to definitely get paid is to take it as holiday

I can’t believe the replies on here, no way would I be leaving my child with a random childminder (if you could even find one that last minute!) or neighbour. I was excluded from jury service due to childcare reasons, also, you can also claim financial reasons too, not many families these days can afford the financial hit of jury service. I’d try explaining all of this again via phone or put it in writing in an email, offering to defer and if all else fails turn up on the day with your child and you will be dismissed, they have extra people selected for this reason.

As if the police have time for that.

You can’t claim for all your loss of earnings or even all your childcare.
Heres the max you can claim from the Govn website

It doesn’t and it’s capped at £64.95 per day - less than 8 hours at min wage. OP couldn’t claim it on behalf of her DH.

I think your DP should be able to get time off - it would be emergency child care - which everyone has the right to time off for, although no right for it to be paid.
I do agree though, a deferral will be looked on very sympathetically, whereas simply trying to get out of it will not be.

£5.71 for food and drink. Does that even cover a meal deal now?!