jury service coincides with potential return to work date

[stainesmassif]

I've just started negotiating my return to work with my employers, anticipated date of 22nd June with reduced hours. I've received a notification of jury service this morning, starting 15th June. How does this affect my return to work? any ideas?

seems perfect to me- a legit excuse to delay return to work by a week or two?? work cant mind by law (i think!)

you can defer it for a year, get your emplyer to write a letter saying you cant have the time off.

i would think better to do it before yuou get 'into' your work- they have been used to coping with you so an extra week or two surel wont matter???

i would think better to do it before yuou get 'into' your work- they have been used to coping with you so an extra week or two surel wont matter???

I'm dubious because it will affect my child care, and also there is no telling how long it will take - i have to tell work 8 weeks before my intended return date....i would honestly prefer for them to have called me up for it just after I had actually returned to work! annoying also because i've always wanted to do jury service.

its not always just an extra week or two, my jury service lasted 11 weeks! i know thats not the norm, but personally i would defer and get work sorted first

hmmm, nancy, i think you're right. unfortunately!

tbh you're not missing much, jury service was the most boring thing i have ever done, when you do eventually do it, take alot of books with you!

I'd def get it delayed. DH's jury service was 15 weeks and quite traumatic, and he wouldn't have wanted to deal with that at the same time as DS starting nursery

One thing is that jury 'days' are shorter than working days - I had to be present in the court from 9.30am to around 4pm but in practice a lot of that time can be sitting around if you don't get selected for a case. Would that make a difference to your decision re childcare (I think you can claim childcare costs as well)? I think if the case is expected to be more than 2wks, they ask if you are able to do that period of time.

I'd ring your employer and ask what they would find easier to accommodate in terms of you needing more time from work. If you want to defer it, you'll probably need a letter from them anyway.

Can't you say you are looking after your children? I know I got out of jury service by looking after my toddler. I was pregnant too at the time and couldn't face a child-abuse case. My friend had just sat through weeks of one. That was at least 6 years ago and I haven't been called up again.

Thanks for replies. I've decided to defer, get back into work first. Catching up on my reading sounds good though!