Nanny called for jury service

[olliepolly]

Our nanny has just been called for jury service.
She filled out the response form requesting a delay from April but they have just pushed it back by 6 months to October.
It could not be a worse time for us as I begin full time work in september having worked part time for the last 6 years. Just to make it even worse she has asked for 3 weeks holiday in september to go to a wedding in USA.
Can anyone help with ideas about how to proceed with this.
Can we get her out of it?
How long can jury service last for?
Do we give her paid or unpaid leave if she has to do it?

My manager in my office was called twice to do jury service, the first one at a local court and the second at the Old Bailey. There was no way I wanted her to leave the office for an indefinite period or even for 2 weeks so I told her to write this on the section as to why she couldn't do jury service.

"I have two small children and it would be very difficult to find somebody to look after them while I did jury service'. She didin't mention the fact that she is a working mother and has somebody to look after them and it worked. Had they questioned it she could have said that she was in-between nannies if she needed to.

Maybe your nanny could say that she cares for two young children and her employer would find it very difficult to find somebody to look after them. At least that is the truth!

i don't think you acn get out of it unless one of you works for a critcal service e.g doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics etc. my mum didn't have to do hers becaus ei am am midwife and she looksafter my children so to call her up would mean i couldn't work. they also said they cannot say how long it lasts anything from half a day to weeks! and yes you are entitled to full pay whilst on jury service, to be paid by your employer.
sorry if not what you wanted to hear, but its worth contacting them, although it has to be the nanny that raises the objection and not the employeer form what i understand, so if the nanny wanted to do it, you would have to let her.

they're very, VERY tight on this now... they definitely wouldn't let someone off just because they had kids etc etc

Remember: my method worked twice!!!

Starlover, how do you know? The most recent one was a year ago.

dh has got to do his soon, so going to miss 12 week scan

I am going to try and phone them on Monday and see if he can miss that morning.

Amazed at the quick responses. As it happens I do work in the NHS but thought that they were cracking down on exemptions.I would however do almost anything to get her out of it .
How unfair is it that we would have to give paid leave, even if I could find someone else to look after my 3 children we would still be out of pocket.

because my mum and a friend both got called end of last year.

my mum doesn't drive and had to take 2 buses and a train to get there, not long after surgery on her knee.
they wouldn't let her off.

my friend has kids and still was made to do it

I don't think you have to pay her, she can claim expenses from the court which include lost earnings. I used to work in HR and we used to complete the expenses forms for employees to confirm their earnings.

Wow, a point for hiring a foreign nanny. At least they aren't called up for jury duty.

I think jury service pay for you and your boss doesn't?

I'm sure that you can claim back her pay. i know she can claim expenses above what she has for her working day but not so sure about salary.

I had to do coroners - was called back to home town (as just left (3wks) and still on electoral role) - salary was covered by NHS, but got impression it was reimbursed and I claimed travel for the three days I was there as had to travel 25miles and work was only 2min walk. Oh, and lunch and coffees.

Jury service can last one day or weeks - she won't know until she gets there though and sees the case list. She may be able to request the minimum requirement to attend though, using the presumption that her employer can only find other childcare for five days.

She could also turn up as juror number 14 and not called at all.

What an interesting situation and one that I've come across before. However, anyone who's on the electorial role (living in the UK for 5 years+) can be called up for Jury Service it appears - though there are some exceptions - so Nannies, Childminders and any other childcare provider will be affected.

I have located a \link{http://www.cjsonline.gov.uk/juror/summoning/deferral/index.html\website} which provides details about Jury Service, the link specifically goes to details about deferring your jury service for a later date.

\link{http://www.cjsonline.gov.uk/juror/expenses/index.html\Expenses} are paid, though according to CJSOnline the Employer needs to complete a Certificate of Loss of Earnings. According to the Walkthrough this certificate is sent to the Juror in their information pack which is dispatched when they have confirmed their jury service. \link{http://www.paypershop.com/news-cat/payrolltips120.html\Payroll Tips: Jury Service} may be worth a look as it works through some figures to help with the paperwork.

yes dh has got forms to give his employer in his pack to do with money.

I'm a Nanny and I was called up for jury service while nannying for a family, thankfully I was 6months pg at the time with twins so I got out of that one altogether.
I was told that I would be recalled again after my pg but I wrote a letter telling them that I would have no one to look after the babies at all, they wrote back saying that I was exempt this time.
Although I can of course be called again, but at least they didn't postpone that particular jury service.

I do remember they say on the letter/info that you get expenses paid (work and travel).
Not sure how long jury service lasts, I guess it depends on the case.

Twinmummy04