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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Financial hit of jury service

158 replies

Pheasantsfeather · Yesterday 18:29

I've just been summoned for jury service. Checked the terms and conditions and our company will grant special leave to attend but you are unpaid. You can claim £64 per day back in expenses. My take home per day is three times that.

I am fully supportive of why I need to do it, but I can't believe I'm expected to take such a financial hit. If it were to go on for the full 10 days, I will be over £1000 out of pocket. I can't afford that, we have nursery and holiday club fees for 3x children and a mortgage to pay.

How can you be duty bound to do something that costs you so much in lost earnings?

OP posts:
Gengha · Yesterday 18:30

It’s shit. That’s why a lot of people try and get out of jury service if they can.

takealettermsjones · Yesterday 18:31

Can you not fill in a Certificate of Loss of Earnings form to get compensation from the court?

DameOfThrones · Yesterday 18:31

Be careful OP.

My DH got put on a case that lasted 3 months!

Luckily his firm payed him his full wage though.

19lottie82 · Yesterday 18:33

It’s an actual joke, if they want you to take time of work then you should be compensated 100%. People have bills to pay. It really boils my piss!

Hippiedippi · Yesterday 18:33

Financial impact is a valid reason to be excused.

Original poster
Pheasantsfeather · Yesterday 18:34

DameOfThrones · Yesterday 18:31

Be careful OP.

My DH got put on a case that lasted 3 months!

Luckily his firm payed him his full wage though.

Good god don't tell me that.

Our company doesn't cover loss of earnings and the government compensation is pittance.

OP posts:
Original poster
Pheasantsfeather · Yesterday 18:35

Id actually find it really interesting and I would be disappointed to miss the experience but I'm not willing to essentially pay hundreds of pounds for the experience.

OP posts:
aliceyyyy2654 · Yesterday 18:36

YANBU, it’s a big fear of mine. I simply
wouldnt be able to pay my rent and bills if I got put on it

Fedupwithhusbandssnoring · Yesterday 18:36

I was on holiday when I got called up. I told them this and that I could not cancel or rearrange without being severly out of pocket. I did not have to go. Can you say you're on holiday?
I understand we have.a duty to fulfil with this sort of thing, but it should not be to a personal loss of £1,000

Goodadvice1980 · Yesterday 18:43

I think you can defer for a year.

tsmainsqueeze · Yesterday 18:44

Maybe you have no way of getting to the court on time each morning because of lack of childcare as there is no one else available to help you and your situation isn't about to change until .... date youngest child is less dependent which will be .... years down the line.
This was my situation which i informed them of a good few years ago and i was excused never to be called again , so far !
I don't believe in mandatory jury service especially when facing a financial loss which i would too.
Another close relative was excused as they were the primary carer of an elderly relative , neither of these situations required proof.

PurpleCoo · Yesterday 18:46

That's a ridiculous pittance to be able to claim if you don't receive your earnings. YANBU!

Depending on your job role, that's not even an hour's pay. It's like 20-30 minutes pay for some self employed people, how can they afford to take a financial hit like that.

HerLadySheep · Yesterday 18:49

The problem with this is the only people who can afford to be on a jury are the retired, the unemployed and public sector workers, it’s meant to be a “jury of your peers” and in reality a jury can be totally unrepresentative of the population

1985goingbackagain · Yesterday 18:51

The daily rate is very low and the requirements of being there are totally inflexible. My employer made up the difference but I understand why you wouldn’t want to do it otherwise. I would suggest you defer for a year and then reassess - if it’s unworkable due to childcare then they will have to excuse you.

LivingwithHopenowandforever · Yesterday 18:54

I would happily do it only I haven’t been asked……..

MxCactus · Yesterday 18:57

I told them I couldn't do longer than two weeks because I couldn't afford childcare! Make sure you tell them that when you get there so you're not put on a long term case - they can be as long as 10 months!!!

Wtafdidido · Yesterday 18:58

I know someone who rocked up on the first day with her child in tow because she had no family or affordable childcare and tried to get excused but was refused . So she took the child and explained why and was immediately excused on the day. It’s such a crock of shit and they need to understand that your average person cannot afford the financial hit.

DancingLions · Yesterday 18:58

I don't disagree with the principal of jury service but no way could I afford to do it. I'm single and a contractor so my employer wouldnt be paying and I have rent and bills to pay.

I think people should be reimbursed for what they lose but where would that money come from?

I don't know what the answer is.

Monty36 · Yesterday 18:59

I understand you can claim loss of earnings from them if your employer will not pay your salary.

anothernewname6789998212 · Yesterday 18:59

I did it a few years back. I basically ended up pitching a sob story to my manager at the time and he ended up agreeing to pay me the difference between what I could expense and my salary - I appreciate this isn’t a possibility for everyone, I was just lucky.

That said, as part of that agreement I agreed to take my work laptop with me, and said I’d work during the periods where I was sat in the jury room. I’m glad I did, as I wasn’t called for the entire first week so was sat there waiting all day. On the second week I was on a trial, it was only for a couple of hours each day and then we were sent home so I could work then too.

Basically, if your job is able to be done remotely, it is worth asking if you are at least able be paid for any hours or days that you are able to do. It may at least make the shortfall significantly smaller.

Monty36 · Yesterday 18:59

takealettermsjones · Yesterday 18:31

Can you not fill in a Certificate of Loss of Earnings form to get compensation from the court?

Edited

Exactly this.

Strangerthanfictions · Yesterday 19:03

Fedupwithhusbandssnoring · Yesterday 18:36

I was on holiday when I got called up. I told them this and that I could not cancel or rearrange without being severly out of pocket. I did not have to go. Can you say you're on holiday?
I understand we have.a duty to fulfil with this sort of thing, but it should not be to a personal loss of £1,000

They ask for proof of booking to show it was booked before summons

Corgi2023 · Yesterday 19:03

I understand it can be a financial hit on a lot of people.
Strangely I was financially better off for it. My employer paid the difference between the day rate and my wage, I didn't have to travel as far as I did to work and could claim travel expenses, and I also made sure to claim the £5 lunch.
It was a really interesting experience.

hahabahbag · Yesterday 19:04

The problem is they don’t even pay minimum wage these days. I earn more than the maximum despite earning very little!

1985goingbackagain · Yesterday 19:08

Fedupwithhusbandssnoring · Yesterday 18:36

I was on holiday when I got called up. I told them this and that I could not cancel or rearrange without being severly out of pocket. I did not have to go. Can you say you're on holiday?
I understand we have.a duty to fulfil with this sort of thing, but it should not be to a personal loss of £1,000

Was this a while ago? Now you have to give 3 alternative dates in the next 12 months that you can do it. one lady on my jury had put dates at the very end of the 12 month period expecting not to hear from them again but she got the call up on the date stated.