Those not paid can claim a loss of earnings allowance from the court. However, for jurors serving for four hours a day for 10 days the maximum amount they can receive is £32.47, which falls significantly short of minimum wage (roughly £48.75 per day).
More than a third (34%) of UK employers said they would not pay an employee’s salary for more than five days if they were called up for jury service. One in 10 (11%) staff would be paid their usual salary for only one day. There is no legal obligation for firms to pay employees while on jury service.
Martin Scott, head of Churchill Home Insurance, explained that employers must allow workers time off for jury service. “If you’re worried about the impact on your business or their work, you can ask them to request a delay, but bear in mind this can only be done once in a 12-month period and won’t always be granted," he said.
Scott added that it is important to give staff the right level of support. “At its most basic level this means they must not be treated unfavourably as a result of their service, so changes such as promotions or redundancies must not be skewed by their time out of the workplace for civic duties,” he said.
“Jury service tends to last for up to 10 days but can go on much longer, so there is the potential for it to have a significant impact on an employee’s income. It’s therefore vital that whatever the company policy it is clearly communicated to all employees.”
