2.2 Jury Service

PURPOSE  

This policy informs all employees covered by the Juries Act 1976 of their rights and entitlements while in this employment. This policy covers all full-time, part-time, and temporary employees.

ENTITLEMENT   

Under our jury service leave, you have the following entitlements and obligations. 

• You are entitled to paid time off to attend jury service, where you have officially been summoned. 

• You must notify your manager of your need for jury service leave. This notification should be given as soon as possible after you have received the jury service summons. Such notice should be accompanied by court documentation evidencing the times and dates you will be required to attend court. 

• Where you are only required to attend court for part of a working day, you must return to work immediately after being released. For each day you attend jury service, you must provide the organisation with a certificate of attendance from the County Registrar evidencing the dates and times of your jury service. 

ANNUAL LEAVE AND PUBLIC HOLIDAY BENEFITS  

While on jury service leave, you will retain your full entitlement to annual leave and public holiday benefits.  

EXCUSAL FROM JURY SERVICE  

Where you feel your work commitments make it impractical to carry out jury service, you may apply to the County Registrar to be excused. If you need to provide evidence from your manager that you must be excused from jury service, don't hesitate to contact your manager, who will give you a letter detailing your current work commitments.  

EMPLOYMENT PROTECTION  

An employee on jury service leave will be treated as if they had not been absent from work. At the end of jury service leave, the employee will be entitled to return to their original job under terms and conditions no less favourable than those which would have applied if they had not been absent.