A jury summons is one of the few kinds of time off nobody plans. You might serve one day or several weeks, and you often don't know until you're there. The good news: federal law and every state protect your job while you serve.
Here's what employers have to do, what you get paid, and how to handle it at work. It's general information, not legal advice: your summons and your state's court website have the specifics.
Your employer has to give you the time off
Federal law protects the jobs of people serving on federal juries, and every state protects jurors in state courts. Your employer can't fire you, threaten you or make you use vacation for it. Some states also forbid making you work a night shift after a day in court.
Do you get paid for jury duty?
From the court: a small daily fee, set by each court. Federal courts pay $50 a day. State courts pay anywhere from nothing for the first days to $50 or more, sometimes plus mileage.
From your employer: it depends on your state and the company. Federal law doesn't require private employers to pay you, but several states require some pay for a few days, and many companies pay full salary for a set number of days anyway. Salaried exempt employees often keep their full pay for any week they work part of. Check your employer's policy.
How to tell your manager
Send a copy of the summons as soon as you get it, with the dates. Say you'll call in each evening if your court works that way, and offer a handover in case you're picked for a long trial. You can usually ask the court to postpone once if the date is bad, for example during a launch.
For managers
Treat it like any other leave you can't move: plan cover for the first days, have a backup plan for a long trial, and never make someone feel bad about serving. If the date clashes with something critical, they can ask the court for a postponement, but it's their call.
Make jury duty easy on everyone
Tell the team early
Share the summons date as soon as it arrives.
Mark it as tentative
It might be a day or several weeks.
Hand over on day one
If you're picked for a trial, a short handover saves everyone.
Don't pressure
Asking someone to get out of jury duty is a bad look, and in some places illegal.
Know your pay policy
Check how many days your company pays.
Use a postponement wisely
Courts usually allow one, for a real clash.
Jury duty is open-ended.Show it as a maybe.
A summons doesn't say how long you'll be out. Put it on the team calendar as tentative so it still shows up when someone picks a release date. This board is live.
Tentative time off
A maybe still counts, and the board says who may be away.
Release dates warn you
A key date names everyone who might be out.
Quick to update
Change the bar the day you know how long it is.
- Tentative time off still shows on the board
- The release date warns who may be away
- Everyone's time off on one board
- Drag a bar to change it
Keep surprises like jury duty on the team's calendar.
Forgot shows everyone's time off, confirmed or tentative, on one timeline with your release dates, and warns you when someone may be out on a day that matters.
- Tentative time off that still counts
- A warning when someone may be out on a release date
- Everyone's time off on one timeline
- Your team sends dates without signing up
Sign in with Google, no card. After the trial it's a one-time payment, not a subscription.
Questions
Does my employer have to give me time off for jury duty?
Yes. Federal law and every state protect your job while you serve, and your employer can't fire or punish you for it.
Do you get paid for jury duty?
The court pays a small daily fee: $50 a day in federal courts and varying amounts in state courts. Whether your employer pays you depends on your state and company policy. Many companies pay full salary for a set number of days.
Can my employer make me use PTO for jury duty?
Generally no: jury duty is protected leave, and many states forbid requiring you to use vacation for it.
Can I postpone jury duty for work?
Usually you can ask the court to postpone once, for example during a critical project. The court decides.