Has anyone had to do jury service? Did your employer still pay you?

[paddingtonbear1]

I've just got a summons for the last week in July. It's dd's last week of school before hols, and she finishes on the Wed so not great timing (I work part time). I don't think it will be a good enough excuse to defer though. Has anyone else ever been called up? What was it like? Did you still get paid? I know your employer is obliged to grant you leave but it can be unpaid.

DH was paid, and I would be if I were called.

DH was called and ended up on a very long trial. He was paid (and the courts reimburse your employer), but it had a very negative effect on his employment with them

I did it many years ago pre DCs and my employers paid me full pay. I only did the basic two weeks, though. Not sure if they would have carried on doing this if I had been on a long trial.

Back then there was a basic allowance paid to you by the court for loss of earnings. It was very low though and was nowhere near the value of my pay for those two weeks. It went straight to me and not my employer. Employer paid me full wages on condition I paid over to them the allowance as part reimbursement, but they covered the difference.

That was about 20 years ago, though, so rules may well have changed.

Do you have childcare options at all for your DD during the holidays? I know someone who was called up an actually keen to do jury service (stay at home mum with a four year old not yet at school). Called the court and they said that, since they couldn't help with childcare, she would be excused (not even deferred). Might be worth a call.

A lot of employers will pay for the first fortnight and take it from there. If you're reliant on the court payments, they often don't cover full salary unfortunately.

Thanks all! I'm currently on annual leave but have called my company this morning. There's nothing about jury service in our personnel manual, nobody from the company has had to do it before (we are a small firm of less than 20 people). Our company secretary/accountant is in a board meeting and will ring back later. I don't think they'll be too chuffed, esp. as I'll be halfway through a project! I don't have childcare yet for the first 2 days of the hols (dd would finish school part way through my first week), but I do have for the week after (my ILs). Any longer than that and it could get awkward - we do use a holiday club but dh can't really drop off and pick up.

Managed to speak to my employer, they will pay me normal pay so long as I pay them back the allowance I can get from the courts. So, the same situation as you had DancingHippo. My project manager was ok about it - he believes in jury service, thinks its a good thing!