UK Jury Service and Your Job: A Practical Guide for 2026/27
Jury service is a compulsory civic duty for most UK adults on the electoral roll, and it can arrive with little notice, raising immediate questions about pay, your job security and how the process interacts with your employer. This pillar guide explains what your employer must (and does not have to) do, how the court’s loss-of-earnings allowance works and how to claim it, the process for deferring or being excused, the strong legal protection against dismissal or detriment for doing jury service, and how any payments you receive are taxed.
Employers must allow employees and workers to take time off for jury service. Refusing time off, or penalising someone for attending, can amount to contempt of court and is separately unlawful under employment protections against detriment for jury service. This applies regardless of length of service, contract type, or whether the individual works full-time or part-time — there is no minimum qualifying period, unlike many other statutory employment rights.
Is Jury Service Paid
There is no statutory requirement for employers to continue paying salary during jury service. Many employers, particularly larger organisations and the public sector, choose to do so as a matter of policy, sometimes requiring the employee to pass on the court’s loss-of-earnings allowance in exchange and sometimes not. Practice varies enormously, so always check your contract and staff handbook, and confirm the specific arrangement with HR before your jury service begins.
The Loss-of-Earnings Allowance
Where your employer does not pay you in full during jury service, the court pays a loss-of-earnings and benefits allowance, subject to daily maximum rates that vary depending on how long you have attended court (higher caps typically apply after the first 10 days of a long trial). These figures are reviewed periodically by HM Courts & Tribunals Service; always check the current maximums on gov.uk rather than relying on a historic figure. Even where paid in full, the allowance may not fully replace higher salaries above the daily cap.
How to Claim
You need a certificate of loss of earnings, completed and signed by your employer, confirming your normal earnings and any amount your employer continues to pay during jury service. This is submitted to the jury central summoning bureau or the court, usually alongside a claim covering travel and subsistence expenses. Keep copies of everything submitted and claim promptly, since reimbursement can otherwise take time to process.
Deferral and Excusal
You can apply to defer jury service to a more convenient date (usually within the next 12 months) or, in more limited circumstances, apply to be excused entirely. This decision rests with the jury central summoning bureau, not your employer — an employer cannot unilaterally excuse you or instruct a deferral, though a genuine, specific business reason can support a deferral application. Simply being busy at work, without more specific justification, is unlikely to succeed on its own.
Protection from Dismissal
Dismissing, or selecting for redundancy, an employee because they have been called for jury service is automatically unfair dismissal, with no minimum length of service required to claim — one of the categories exempt from the usual two-year qualifying period for unfair dismissal claims. Any other form of detriment linked to jury service — being overlooked for promotion or treated unfavourably — is also unlawful and can be challenged through an employment tribunal.
How Long Jury Service Lasts
A standard summons typically covers around 10 working days (two working weeks), though the actual trial could finish sooner or, for complex or serious criminal cases, run considerably longer, sometimes for several weeks or, rarely, months. You must generally remain available for the full summons period, and if assigned to a trial extending beyond it, you are usually required to see that trial through to conclusion.
Genuine Financial Hardship
If you believe the loss-of-earnings allowance will not adequately cover your circumstances — for example, if you are self-employed with significant fixed business costs — raise this with the jury central summoning bureau when responding to your summons; it can support a deferral or, in genuinely exceptional cases, an excusal application. Self-employed people can also claim the loss-of- earnings allowance based on their usual self-employed earnings, typically evidenced by recent accounts or tax returns.
Is the Allowance Taxable
The court’s loss-of-earnings and benefits allowance is not taxed at source, but because it replaces what would otherwise have been taxable employment or self-employment income, HMRC in principle expects it to be reported and it may be taxable depending on your overall circumstances for the tax year. Travel and subsistence expense reimbursements are generally not taxable, since they compensate for costs actually incurred rather than lost income. If in doubt, check with HMRC or a tax adviser, particularly if you are self-employed and need to reflect the allowance in your Self Assessment return.
What Happens If You Ignore a Summons
Ignoring a jury summons without a valid reason, or failing to respond at all, is a criminal offence and can result in a fine of up to £1,000. If you genuinely cannot attend — for medical reasons, a pre-booked event, caring responsibilities or specific hardship — you must formally apply for deferral or excusal through the correct channel rather than simply not responding, since non-attendance without explanation is treated far more seriously than a properly submitted request, even one that is ultimately refused.
Does my employer have to give me time off for jury service?
Yes. Employers must allow employees and workers to take time off for jury service — refusing to do so, or subjecting someone to detriment for attending, can amount to contempt of court and is separately unlawful under employment law protections against detriment for performing jury service. This applies regardless of length of service or whether the individual is full-time, part-time or on a fixed-term contract; there is no minimum qualifying period, unlike many other statutory employment rights.
Is my employer required to pay me during jury service?
No — there is no statutory obligation on employers to continue paying salary during jury service, though many employers, particularly larger organisations and the public sector, choose to do so as a matter of policy (sometimes requiring the employee to hand over the court's loss-of-earnings allowance in exchange, sometimes not). Always check your employment contract and staff handbook, since practice varies enormously between employers, and confirm the arrangement with HR before your jury service begins so you know what income to expect.
What is the loss-of-earnings allowance and how much is it?
If your employer does not pay you during jury service (or only pays in part), the court will pay a loss-of-earnings and benefits allowance to compensate for lost income, subject to daily maximum rates that vary depending on how long you have been attending court (higher caps typically apply after the first 10 days of a long trial) and are reviewed periodically by HM Courts & Tribunals Service — always check the current daily maximum figures on gov.uk before assuming a specific amount, as they are adjusted from time to time and were not materially uprated for several years before a review. Even where the allowance is paid, it may not fully replace your normal salary if your earnings exceed the daily cap.
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How do I claim the loss-of-earnings allowance?
You need a certificate of loss of earnings completed and signed by your employer, confirming your normal earnings and any amount your employer is continuing to pay during your jury service. This is submitted to the jury central summoning bureau or the court, usually alongside a claim form covering travel and subsistence expenses as well. Keep a copy of the certificate and any correspondence, and submit claims promptly, as court reimbursement processes can otherwise take time to process.
Can I ask my employer to be excused or have jury service deferred?
You can apply to defer jury service to a more convenient date (usually within the next 12 months) or, in more limited circumstances, apply to be excused entirely, but this is decided by the jury central summoning bureau, not your employer — your employer cannot unilaterally excuse you or instruct you to defer on their own authority, though a genuine business reason (a critical, pre-booked event with no realistic cover) can be cited as supporting evidence in a deferral request. Simply being "busy at work" without more specific justification is unlikely to succeed as grounds for excusal.
Can my employer dismiss or penalise me for doing jury service?
No. Dismissing an employee, or selecting them for redundancy, because they have been called for jury service is automatically unfair dismissal, with no minimum length of service required to bring a claim — one of the categories of dismissal exempted from the usual two-year qualifying period. Subjecting a worker to any other detriment (unfavourable treatment short of dismissal, such as being overlooked for promotion or given worse duties) because of jury service is also unlawful and can be challenged through an employment tribunal claim.
How long does jury service typically last?
A standard jury service summons is usually for a period of around 10 working days (two working weeks), though the actual trial you are assigned to could finish sooner or, particularly for complex or serious criminal trials, run considerably longer — sometimes several weeks or, in rare cases, months. You are generally required to remain available for the full period you have been summoned for, and if assigned to a trial that runs past your original summons period, you must usually see that specific trial through to its conclusion.
What if jury service creates a genuine financial hardship?
If you believe the loss-of-earnings allowance will not adequately cover your financial situation — for example, if you are self-employed with significant fixed business costs, or facing a specific hardship — you can raise this with the jury central summoning bureau when responding to your summons, and in some circumstances this can support a deferral or, in genuinely exceptional cases, an excusal application. Self-employed people can also claim the loss-of-earnings allowance in the same way as employees, based on their usual self-employed earnings, though this typically requires supporting evidence such as recent accounts or tax returns.
Is the jury loss-of-earnings allowance taxable?
The loss-of-earnings and benefits allowance paid by the court is designed to compensate you for lost income and is not itself taxed at source by the court — but because it replaces what would otherwise have been taxable employment or self-employment income, HMRC in principle expects it to be reported and may be taxable depending on your overall circumstances for the tax year. Travel and subsistence expense reimbursements, in contrast, are generally not taxable since they compensate for costs actually incurred rather than replacing income. If in doubt about your specific position, check with HMRC or a tax adviser, particularly if you are self-employed and need to include the allowance in your Self Assessment return.
What happens if I ignore a jury summons?
Ignoring a jury summons without a valid reason, or failing to respond to it at all, is a criminal offence and can result in a fine of up to £1,000, imposed by the court. If you have a genuine reason you cannot attend — medical grounds, a pre-booked event, caring responsibilities, or a specific hardship — you must formally apply for deferral or excusal through the correct channel rather than simply not responding, since silence or non-attendance without explanation is treated far more seriously by the court than a properly submitted request, even if that request is ultimately refused.
Disclaimer: Jury service allowance rates are reviewed periodically. Figures here reflect the position in 2026/27. Always check gov.uk/jury-service for the current position and seek advice from ACAS or a qualified employment specialist for your specific circumstances.
