# Jury Duty: employee rights and responsibilities: called but not picked for service.



## sman

Hi. I've searched the boards, google and citizensinformation.ie but cannot find clarity on this issue. 

For jury service, what are an employees rights in relation to jury duty when they are called but are NOT picked for service. 

For example person is called to appear in court on Monday at 9 am, but are not picked to serve and so are dismissed at approx 11 am, then asked to re-appear on Wed at 9 but again are not picked to serve. Should this employee return to work at the earliest opportunity (say 11.30 am on Monday and also work Tuesday) as i am paying him/her? or is he/she entitled to take the full 2 weeks off despite the fact they may only be required for an hour or so every couple of days? 

I have an employee who has said he/she will be back to work in two weeks due to jury duty which i think is wrong. 

If someone knows where i stand on this, can they also provide a link or some documentation so i can show my employee? Thanks


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## Sunny

*Re: Jury Duty entitlements*

As far as I know and I don't have any links and so can only go on what happened in my company is that you are right to expect your employee to return to work after being discharged on a daily basis.


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## Stifster

*Re: Jury Duty entitlements*

Try the Court Service 8886000.


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## pinkyBear

*Re: Jury Duty entitlements*

Hi there.
I was recently called for dury duty - the first day we are explained our entitlements. 
You are bound to attend in the morning from 9.30 (or when ever they tell you to arrive), and your employer is required to pay you. 

If you are not called for service - you must return to work. If you do not return to work the employer may only pay you half a days wages. 
If you are called for service, the person is obliged to stay for the day and the employer is oblidged to pay the person for the full day.
P..


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## csirl

*Re: Jury Duty entitlements*



> Hi there.
> I was recently called for dury duty - the first day we are explained our entitlements.
> You are bound to attend in the morning from 9.30 (or when ever they tell you to arrive), and your employer is required to pay you.
> 
> If you are not called for service - you must return to work. If you do not return to work the employer may only pay you half a days wages.
> If you are called for service, the person is obliged to stay for the day and the employer is oblidged to pay the person for the full day.
> P..


 
This is what happened when I did Jury Duty. Returned to work at c.11:30 on days when not picked.


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## ClubMan

*Re: Jury Duty entitlements*

Anybody that I've worked with in the same situation returned to work when not required to stick around for jury selection/duty.


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## steph1

*Re: Jury Duty entitlements*

If you have not been picked you are obliged to go back to work straighaway.


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## ajapale

*Re: Jury Duty: employee rights, duties, responsibilit: called but not picked for serv*

Im moving this from Askaboutlaw to Work, Careers, Un/employment, Further Education/Training/Employee Rights were the question of Jury Duty and Employer/ee rights, duties and responsibilities has been discussed in the past.

ajapale
AAM moderator


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## Brendan Burgess

*Re: Jury Duty: employee rights and responsibilities: called but not picked for servic*



> I have an employee who has said he/she will be back to work in two weeks due to jury duty which i think is wrong.



Hi Sman

I think you have an employee with a serious attitude problem. You need to sort that out.

Brendan


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## gipimann

*Re: Jury Duty: employee rights and responsibilities: called but not picked for servic*

On the one occasion I was called for jury service, I was given the rest of the day off as a local arrangement because I worked in Coolock but was called to attend the court in Trim.   I deal with the public in my job, so I had to be replaced for the day whether I was called to serve on a jury or not.

I wasn't called to serve, so was back at work as usual the following day.


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## Purple

*Re: Jury Duty: employee rights and responsibilities: called but not picked for servic*



Brendan said:


> Hi Sman
> 
> I think you have an employee with a serious attitude problem. You need to sort that out.
> 
> Brendan


That's tyhe main issue here.
Call the court service, get your facts straight and then call your employee in and read them the riot act.


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## pinkyBear

*Re: Jury Duty: employee rights and responsibilities: called but not picked for servic*



> has said he/she will be back to work in two weeks due to jury duty


 -
Jury Duty only lasts a week, if the employee has not been picked. They are obliged to return to work (unless teh employer states otehrwize ). If the person is picked for a jury - it could be longer than that. The thing is, when you are called for service as an employer, the employee is oblidged to return two documents from the courts. One shows that you had to attend jury selection in the am.
If you were picked for a jury the other note indicates this and documents how long you had to attend this jury.

P.


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## Stifster

*Re: Jury Duty: employee rights and responsibilities: called but not picked for servic*



Brendan said:


> Hi Sman
> 
> I think you have an employee with a serious attitude problem. You need to sort that out.
> 
> Brendan


 
Or the employee may not know what the story is either. I assume that the letter says they must be available for up to two weeks...they could well end up on a case for that long.


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## Purple

*Re: Jury Duty: employee rights and responsibilities: called but not picked for servic*



Stifster said:


> Or the employee may not know what the story is either. I assume that the letter says they must be available for up to two weeks...they could well end up on a case for that long.


Any non-public sector employee who goes into their boss with that sort of a childish attitude is asking for trouble. They should find out the facts themselves before they waltz in with an "I've got a note from me Mammy for two weeks off" attitude.


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## Stifster

*Re: Jury Duty: employee rights and responsibilities: called but not picked for servic*



Purple said:


> Any non-public sector employee who goes into their boss with that sort of a childish attitude is asking for trouble. They should find out the facts themselves before they waltz in with an "I've got a note from me Mammy for two weeks off" attitude.


 
Do you even know what a letter calling someone to jury service looks like or how it reads? 



> I have an employee who has said he/she will be back to work in two weeks due to jury duty which i think is wrong.


 
Hmmm, that is hardly enough detail to imply that they waltzed in etc etc


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## Purple

*Re: Jury Duty: employee rights and responsibilities: called but not picked for servic*



Stifster said:


> Do you even know what a letter calling someone to jury service looks like or how it reads?


 Yes, I’ve seen a few of them.







Stifster said:


> Hmmm, that is hardly enough detail to imply that they waltzed in etc etc


 I made a general comment. I did not imply that it was the case in the Ops situation.


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## Stifster

*Re: Jury Duty: employee rights and responsibilities: called but not picked for servic*



Purple said:


> Any non-public sector employee who goes into their boss *with that sort of a childish attitude* is asking for trouble. They should find out the facts themselves before they waltz in with an "I've got a note from me Mammy for two weeks off" attitude.


 
haha, that's not a general comment. It was clearly implied by both the way it was written, the tone and the fact it was a reply to my post which was about the original point.


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## Purple

*Re: Jury Duty: employee rights and responsibilities: called but not picked for servic*



Stifster said:


> haha, that's not a general comment. It was clearly implied by both the way it was written, the tone and the fact it was a reply to my post which was about the original point.


I said _"*Any* non-public sector employee who goes into their boss with that sort of a childish attitude is asking for trouble."_ 
The first word is key.


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## sman

*Re: Jury Duty: employee rights and responsibilities: called but not picked for servic*

cheers for the comments all. The employee does indeed have a bad attitude. I rang yesterday afternoon and the person was at home and shocked that i would ring to ask them to return to work and to be in today even though they do not have to return to court for a couple of days. Apparantly "everyone else they spoke to at the court" didnt have to return to work. While they were not "waltzin into work with a note from mammy", they were waltzin around the house on full pay. I think its ridiculous that matters like this are not clarified in the act. There is only a very vague phrase that employees must be paid when on jury service - but when does service start and end? Thanks again...


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## ClubMan

*Re: Jury Duty: employee rights and responsibilities: called but not picked for servic*



sman said:


> There is only a very vague phrase that employees must be paid when on jury service - but when does service start and end? Thanks again...


In my opinion common sense says that it starts when the individual is required to be in attendance for selection or actual service and ends whenever they are not - e.g. starts at 9AM when the individual needs to be there for jury selection and ends at (say) 11AM when they have not been selected and have been dismissed for the day. If they are selected for actual service then it will be as long as the trial is ongoing and they are required in court or elsewhere (e.g. hotel when considering a verdict and instructed to reside there by the judge).


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## Natt

*Re: Jury Duty: employee rights and responsibilities: called but not picked for servic*

I have been called for jury service for Feb. I have served & been called before (bout 8yrs ago)

I normally start work at 3pm-12ishpm. I understand that if Im not called for service, of course must attend work but if I am called to serve, would I been required to attend work after service duties?


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## Purple

*Re: Jury Duty: employee rights and responsibilities: called but not picked for servic*



Natt said:


> I have been called for jury service for Feb. I have served & been called before (bout 8yrs ago)
> 
> I normally start work at 3pm-12ishpm. I understand that if Im not called for service, of course must attend work but if I am called to serve, would I been required to attend work after service duties?



I don't see how any employer would reasonably expect you to work.


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## ajapale

This thread is for discussion of employees rights / responsibilities with respect to jury duty. Ive split off more generalized discussion concerning jury duty and self employed people here.


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