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.

Well yes, but it makes no actual difference to her ability to magic childcare out of nowhere. She should be granted a deferral what ever the reason for the childcare issue.

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

Unless I have misunderstood, Op was called in good time, organised childcare & accepted.

Now her childcare has fallen through with less than 2wks to the trial.

Obviously the court don't want to change things.

If Op was ill on the day though they'd have to!

But there are in this case, two parents, one of whom could take parental leave.

What would happen if the OP was in hospital, just leave the kid to fend for itself at home 9 to 5?

What it boils down to, is that people simply do not WANT to, because it is a hassle. Of course it is, any disruption to new routine and any new thing that takes up your time that you didn't plan, is a bloody hassle and we don't want to do it.

That is why it's a legal obligation to do it, and you need a bloody good reason not to. Otherwise no fucker would do it.

But OP, seriously, ring them and ask to defer as your planned childcare has fallen through.

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. And there'd be a better chance of that if there were payment for jurors, better acknowledgement of childcare needs, adequate compensation for loss of earnings, etc. Someone commented "I would not like to be tried knowing that the jury was made up entirely of people who hadn't had the nous or ability to argue their way out of it". And I imagine there's many people on this thread who would not want themselves or their children to be in front of a jury made up mainly of elderly women.

How many people can afford to take indefinite unpaid leave?
If it is a legal obligation, the bare minimum should be adequate compensation. It would be significantly cheaper for us to not attend and pay the fine, than to take unpaid leave or pay for (mythical) short term childcare x3.

You can call them, and they should let you off.

I was called for jury duty a while back. Although we had FT care for my son, because my husband works shifts and the court hours were potentially incompatible with me being able to pick him up when needed, and we had no one who could be on regular standby, they discharged me back into the pool to participate another time.

Like you, I'd be fascinated to see how it works - but I was so stressed at the thought of how to make it all work!

Exactly this!
What happens if you (or your partner) don't have enough annual leave left?
Also, why do people assume it's going to last for a maximum of 2 weeks? My colleague's jury service went on for 9 weeks.

@Hellohah and @Nanny0gg did you actually read my post?? I am suggesting she try and scrape together some kind of proof that there's no childcare available. So "I've called x nurseries and none have space" or "settling in period is x time and that's now too late" type of thing.

@bloodypublicservice yes it's shit, but you're asking for alternatives to turning up with your child, right??

Bloody hell, teaches me to try and help.

Ah, mumsnet land where apparently everyone should be comfortable leaving their child with paid babysitters or even be able to find one at short notice. In reality, I know of no one that would ever do so.

Try phone and speak to someone OP, if they still refuse then a doctors note is the way to go. Failing everything I'd absolutely turn up at the court child in tow, you've given fair warning.

Can you ask to defer it? They won't excuse you for childcare issues but will defer you to some time within the next 12 months, which gives plenty of time to find childcare.

I deferred a few weeks ago because I'm self employed and wouldn't be able to find cover at such short notice. They absolutely wouldn't have excused me for the same reason.

I don’t disagree…I’ll fess up that the 2 weeks notice doesn’t ring true and had my alarm bells ringing…but as in another post I agree childcare is being ignored

my other post does make wild wacky suggestion that courts book emergency childcare places at nearest nurseries to them and hold them, parent pay and claim back. Even 1 flexible place would get round this. Even parents starting jury service can get emergency childcare issue . Would be much more sensible for government and judicial system to actually recognise this problem. But hey ho…

I’ve posted this before but they expected me to show up on my c-section date and I had to fight them to get a deferral, when I phoned they told me childcare wasn’t their problem so fully expected me to show up within hours of being cut open and having a baby removed. The health visitor stepped in with a strongly worded letter and I got a deferral but being honest they had pissed me off so much I just didn’t show up when called again and I’ve never heard from them since.

Mumsnet is mad. Parents ought to have a multitude of childcare options permanently on tap just in case. But also, nobody should ever be expected to provide childcare ever.

Something needs to be done to overhaul the system if it is to remain fit for purpose.

Absolutely

Even if it can be deferred for 12 months, is OP (or indeed every SAHM) supposed to put their child into child care full time on the off chance they might be called for jury duty at some point?

If it was me called for jury duty, until my youngest is in school (3 years time) I am not available. That 3 years time point also relies on DH being available to collect DC after school every day. Oh and we only have one car so we might have to get a second one as public transport here only runs sporadically and not necessarily from here to the local courthouse.
I suppose it would mean driving me to the courthouse (an hour-plus roundtrip) dropping the DC in school. Pick up #1 , pick up #2 an hour later, back into the car for another hour long roundtrip
Repeat indefinitely. Could be a day, could be 2 months.

People don't understand that no back-up childcare means no back-up childcare. Like, not a single person who can help day to day

Yes, a grandparent could help for a day in extreme circumstances (eg mind dc while I'm in hospital having other DC) but they live minimum 2½ hours away

Agree BUT the system is spectacularly shit at compensating people adequately for the loss of earnings or expenses such as childcare, making it infeasible for some families. You want people to do their civic duty? Fair enough, but make it financially possible for them.

Yes plus there are magical nursery and childminder places that can be found at the drop of a hat and don’t have massive waiting lists or require any kind of settling in period.

Everyone suggesting her husband should as for emergency annual leave - their employer might not consider this good reason, especially not heading into the kids summer holidays when they likely already have a full contingent of workers on annual leave to contend with. And loss of two weeks pay at short notice - how do they cover that? As PP have said, what happens if he does manage to take two weeks emergency leave but then the trial isn’t finished? It’s a ludicrous system and the tiny amounts that can be claimed back are an insult.

I would send off the appeal and one final email stating that you do not have childcare and will not be able to leave your child. Ask to defer. Then you will have to turn up on the day with her, you don’t have a choice really.

Even if I did manage a place, the allowance doesn't even cover one child. Not sure how we would fund the other 2.

You don't get out of it for being self employed and it clearly states that on the website.

Everyone can defer it ONCE with a valid reason. Being self employed and childcare issues are both valid reasons to defer.

Can you just not show up to jury duty? Say you're sick?

If you can't not go, and can't leave your child home alone (obviously you can't), I don't see what you can do except take baby with you. Make it their problem, it's not like you haven't tried to give advance notice.

I'm surprised that they refused your request. My MIL was called for jury service around the time I had my child. She told them that she had to see her grandchild so can't do jury service and they accepted the request. I was disappointed though as she was very very overbearing at the time and pretty much moved in.

I also have such issues, was called about 6 years ago, I wrote on the form that I had ibs, (used the words 'urgency' & 'frequency') and had a letter back saying I was excused.

I was called to do jury service last year. I deferred due to a holiday then attended. Admittedly I didn't have childcare issues.

The £5.71 lunch allowance doesn’t even cover a lunch from the courts own cafe, let alone meal deal. Well, it was at the court I went to! The food allowance was enough for a sandwich, drink, snack at the courthouse cafe. You might even be able to take it all in chocolate bars and take them home! Bring in your own lunch. Expenses aren't great but they paid my fuel and parking to a reasonable level.

As it happens I attended for two days but was excused/dismissed by the third day so it's possible you won't be called. You have an opportunity once there to fill in a form expressing any difficulties you might have doing jury service.

Otherwise, don't refuse but defer to a time when you may have the support you need. I think you might be entitled to defer twice but no more. Pick a time, even next year when you think it may be possible.