What to do if you are a self-employed worker
If you are self-employed and you can show that jury service would seriously impact your business, you can apply to to be excused. The Juries Act 1976 does not provide for compensation to self-employed persons who are called for jury service.
What to do if you are an employee
If you are an employee, you can only be excused if your employer believes you are essential to the running of their business.
You will need to provide supporting documents from your employer that you are essential to the running of the business. However, your employer may not apply on your behalf for you to be excused.
Find out more about asking to be excused from jury service.
Telling your employer about jury service
When you receive a jury summons, you should tell your employer immediately that you have been called for jury service. At this point, you will not be able to tell them how long you might be absent for.
The length of your jury service will vary depending on whether or not you are selected for a jury panel for a specific trial. The trial length will depend on the case in question, and the judge will let you know what to expect.
Getting paid while on jury service
The law protects people who are on jury service. By law, employers must pay employees who are undertaking jury service.
During any time that you are absent from your job to comply with a summons, you are considered employed or apprenticed. Your employer cannot dismiss you or disadvantage you in any way because of attending for jury service.
You are considered to be employed or apprenticed during any time when you are absent from your job in order to fulfil your jury service.
After your jury service is over, you can ask for a certificate of attendance from the court staff (or if you replied to your jury summons online, then you will have access to your certificate of attendance available online for six weeks). You can then give this to your employer.