If you've been selected for jury service you will receive a summons. Your summons will state when your jury service will take place.

See Gov.uk for more information on jury service in England and Wales.
In Scotland, see scotcourts.gov.uk.
In Northern Ireland, see nidirect.

An employer must allow an employee time off to attend but the employer can ask the employee to defer the jury service if their absence would have a serious effect on the business. The employer should provide the employee with a letter explaining the business impact which the employee should submit when responding to the jury summons.

You can request to change the date of your jury duty until a more convenient time.

You can only do this once, so when you respond to the jury summons you should provide three possible dates over the next 12 months when you will be available. Your jury service can then be arranged around your available dates.

If your request to change the date is refused, you can appeal the decision. If unsuccessful, you are obliged to serve as a juror. Once your jury service is confirmed, you must turn up on the agreed start date, and if you fail to attend you could be fined.

See Gov.uk for more information on asking to change the date of your jury service in England and Wales. In Scotland, see scotcourts.gov.uk. In Northern Ireland, see nidirect.

Nursing students

If you are a student and are summonsed for jury service during the academic term, which will interfere with your studies and/or impact your assessments, you can request to change the date of your jury service.

You can only request to change the date once and the alternative date must be within the next 12 months. When you reply you should suggest three possible dates in the next 12 months that work for you. It is recommended that you offer dates outside of term dates and assessment periods (for example, vacation periods).

If your request is turned down, you will need to discuss with your university what can be done to limit the effect that this will have on your studies.

Your employer doesn’t have to pay you while you're on jury service, unless this is specified in your contract of employment. You should check whether any pay should include any enhancements that you would have earned. If your employer doesn't pay, you can claim for loss of earnings from the court. In all four countries there are daily maximum limits so there would not necessarily be reimbursement of the full amount of an employee's loss. 

Your employer must fill out a certificate of loss of earnings which you get with the letter confirming your jury service. Once you’ve completed jury service you should submit the certificate as part of your expenses claim.

You can be reimbursed subject to a maximum daily amount if absence from work causes you to:

• lose earnings
• pay a substitute to do your job 
• incur any other necessary expense, for example, a childminder.

You are also entitled to claim travelling expenses, a subsistence allowance for food and drink and for any loss of national insurance contributions you may have incurred. If you have attended the court but not been selected, you are entitled to claim expenses subject to the specified limits. You can either claim expenses before leaving the court or submit your form within 12 months. 

See Gov.uk for more information on claiming expenses in England and Wales. In Scotland, see scotcourts.gov.uk. In Northern Ireland, see nidirect.

Delays and disputes

If the court has delayed paying your jury service claim, or you believe the claim has been assessed incorrectly, you should contact the following organisation depending on where you served and ask for an update or an explanation of the decision.

• For England and Wales contact the court where you carried out the jury service• In Northern Ireland, claims should be directed to jurorexpenses@courtsni.gov.uk
• In Scotland- Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service  

If the dispute is as a result of the employer providing an incorrect loss of earnings figure, the member should ask the employer to reconsider its calculation, then contact us if it can't be resolved. A formal grievance may be the appropriate route.

Keep copies of:

• your claim form
• receipts for travel, parking, food, or care costs
• any loss-of-earnings certificates completed by your employer.

In Scotland and Northern Ireland, practising registered nurses and midwives have the right to be excused from jury service. You will only be excused once you have provided evidence to the court that you satisfy the conditions for exclusion. See Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunal Service or scotcourts.gov.uk for further information.

In England and Wales, you can ask to be excused if you can’t do jury service in the next 12 months. This will only be allowed in exceptional circumstances, for example: 

• you have a serious illness or disability that prevents you from doing jury service 
• you’re a full-time carer of someone with an illness or disability 
• you’re a new parent and will not be able to serve at any other time in the next 12 months 
• you have done jury service in the last two years. 

See Jury Service: Ask to change the date or be excused at Gov.uk.

If you're not needed by the court on a particular day, your employer may expect you to work, if it's reasonable for you to attend. 

• If you are told the day before not to attend court, you would normally be expected to attend work.
• If you are released early during the day, it would depend on factors such as travel time, how much of your working day remains, your normal working pattern, and any agreement with your employer. 

Check your employer's policy and speak with your manager as soon as the court informs you that you're not needed. You should also keep any messages from the court in case there's a query later.