Jury Duty Leave
Taking time off for jury duty has become a subject of great debate among many employers. Some employers are reluctant to provide jury duty leave to their employees. All employees should give a time off to their employees upon to serve as witness or jurors if summoned to appear for trials. In this case, the employers should not discriminate or punish the employees for their jury duty. Moreover, some states prohibit the employers from intimidating employees who want to serve as jurors. In most cases, the employees are required to provide their employers with a proof that they were called for jury duty.
Should employers compensate employees for jury duty?
This is the main question asked by most employees who want to take time off to provide jury duty services. Unless the employer’s terms state otherwise, most employees are not entitled to any payment during jury duty leave. However, some states require to employees to give some compensation for the jury duty. In some cases, the employees are allowed to use their accrued paid leave to serve on the jury. In addition, workers on the night shift may get time off from work if they are working on jury duty during the day.
Should employee postpone their jury services?
For employees who have a tight schedule, the courts can allow them to postpone their jury service until the convenient time. Usually, this postponement can be up to six months from the first date. In this case, the employee will select the time which is more convenient to serve on a jury.
Are employers allowed to communicate with employees during the trial?
The employers are not barred from communicating with the employees during the trial. However, this should be done during the trial recess the discretion of the employee. Remember that employers are strictly prohibited from communicating with their employees about the trial.
Do states reimburse employers who compensate their employees for the jury services?
Usually, the courts reimburse the jurors who are not compensated by their employers. If the employers compensate their employees for jury services, the employee will directly refund the funds paid by the courts to the employer. In this case, the court will not directly refund the money to the employer.
Conclusion
Jury duty plays a vital role in the country legal system. In this case, the laws have been made to protect the jurors from intimidation and harassment by employers. Therefore, those who want to serve as jurors should discharge their duties without fear of being terminated by their respective employers.
Keep in mind that policy regarding jury duty leave differs from state to state and also by company. Consult HR or your employee handbook to make sure you know your company’s policy.
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