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.

Some posters really are on another planet.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4537683-jury-service?postsby=doggiescats

You might not be needed for the full two weeks. I was only needed 3 days when I did mine. Someone I work with never even got a case, they sent her home on day 1 and text her every morning to let her know if she was required and she never was. Could your husband not look after her on day one and you could go in and explain your situation potentially?

£65 to compensate for a day's wages is ridiculous. It's not even minimum wage.

Has he actually requested emergency annual leave and explained the situation why it's needed? Everywhere I've ever worked would have made an exception to the normal holiday booking rules in this situation and would have granted short notice annual leave. I appreciate there are some situations/workplaces where it wouldn't be possible, but I think most places would OK it regardless of their normal annual leave booking rules.

I think many parents don’t realise how different life looks when you don’t have available childcare options at the drop of a hat. It must be lovely to have a support system like that.

Are you serious? Did you actually think through what you suggested?

ask a friend or neighbour to do two weeks childcare for you? How many people do you think would be willing or able to do that?

Why have you only had 2 weeks notice? Is this in Uk? Why can you not defer date- there’s that option normally when you agree to say you’d like to defer

is this more that you got the full notice, relying on MIL, and now with 2 weeks to go MIL is unable to provide childcare and you’re now “stuck”.

thats an emergency childcare issue - not they didn’t give you notice. If they didn’t give you due notice you should ask for deferring on this basis. Some people can cope with 2 weeks , I could theoretically as retired, others can’t .

I was called 2 weeks ago for a date well over a 8 weeks away

I think that's a good point.

Appeal and tell them about breastfeeding and no childcare either.

If they refuse take your child with you to Court.

I can't believe the pressure they put on people to be on a jury.

What difference does it make? If there's a childcare issue, there's a childcare issue. What exactly is she supposed to do? Is everyone supposed to triple book childcare just in case?

I’m not condoning this in any way but…..

I was called up for Jury duty whilst I was on maternity leave. I called the number told them I’d been requested to attend but was on mat leave and had no alternative childcare and they told me not to worry and I was let off- I didn’t need to provide any evidence.

hope that helps ;)

It won't, OP doesn't work.

OP have you asked to defer your service rather than be excused entirely? I wouldn't leave my child alone with a stranger for over 8hrs a day for 2weeks either.

The courts in Manchester absolutely do instruct the police to bring the failed to attends to court and the fine is £1000.

Absolutely. You wouldn’t stand a chance here.

No. But they don’t ask to be excused because that’s not going to happen. The guidance for jury service summoning officers is discretionary deferral where childcare is a problem.

OP call the the court clerk (or whatever they are called) and explain to them on the phone rather than in emails. Hopefully they will be a bit more sympathetic when speaking to you over the phone rather than emails. Explain you need to defer. It might make a difference. Good luck.
I had jury service a year ago. DP travels for work so was a real pain organising grandparents to pick up and drop off. I spent a total of 4 days sitting around for hours in the waiting room then was dismissed . Oh, and my work didn't cover jury service so was pretty much unpaid as the government cover a dismal amount of expenses.

Fgs…can’t believe you’ve just had audacity to write that

im retired. Just got called. I’ve been called to a court which is not the nearest to me and is nearly 1 hour 30 mins by train. Dad has dementia. I have a very busy life including volunteering, caring etc
BUT
it no way compares to people who are potentially loosing wages due to the pathetic reimbursement of wages and many companies these days not doing their civil duty in making up missed wages. I have a pension to live on. The expenses are to cover loss of basic income - your pension won’t stop becuase you attend court.

nor do your woes in any way compare to women or men with young children- the system still works on assumption that women are SAHM or have other female relatives nearby to sweep up children’s care . You can’t get a nursery place at even 2 months notice and certainly not for a vague it’s a minimum of 2 weeks but might be 10 weeks if you’re unlucky. Childcare provision of that sort doesn’t exist in this country. If courts expect it they should book emergency childcare places on hold in nearby nurseries for parents to use and then claim for. The costs are covered. The availability is the issue . If you can’t child mind a gc, their parents step in- that’s what they have parenteral leave for.

oh, and if you can’t use public transport, call the clerk and explain you need a taxi with evidence of your disability-they ask you for your special needs on the form, so why didn’t you say that? If that’s the only choice you’d get that reimbursed.

honestly. Focus on the op here, not your minor inconveniences by comparison. Do your duty without begrudging it. If it was one of your children in the doc facing charges and they were innocent you’d want to be damned sure they were tried by a good cross section of jury, in a open court, that was held accountable to the judicial system. As would we all. That means we all have to suck up and do stuff we don’t want to do at times.

Why should OP’s DH use up his annual leave on OP’s jury duty?

She hasn’t got time to arrange for an appeal hearing as the jury service is less than two weeks away. Deferral is the way to go.

Because if they didn’t give her any significant warning she’s got a stronger case to ask for deferral

Completely agree regarding deferral vs being excused though. One is reasonable and would hopefully be granted, the other not.

No idea why you took such offence at this poster - she’s entitled to her point of view and if you actually read the post, in relation to what’s been discussed here, she’s right.

The system is discriminatory to parents. There are not many parents who can find childcare for a period which might or might not be one day, or five days or six weeks. That sort of childcare doesn't really exist if you don't have family.

If I could find paid childcare somehow I wouldn't be comfortable with sending a one year old or really young child to be cared for by a stranger- they often need a settling in period.

Also people get out of jury duty for all sorts of reasons- like being self employed. Being responsible for a small child is a valid reason.