Massachusetts law about employment leave for jury duty

Laws and web sources on leave from your job to serve on a trial jury or grand jury.

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Massachusetts laws

up to 3 days  regular pay

MGL c. 234A, § 48 Payment of regularly employed jurors
Regularly employed trial or grand juror shall be paid regular wages by his employer for the first three days, or part thereof, of juror service.

MGL c. 234A, § 49 Employers or self-employed jurors excused from payment
The court may excuse an employer from paying their employee for jury duty if doing so would cause extreme financial hardship for the employer.

MGL c. 234A, § 51 Payment of trial juror by commonwealth
After 3 days, the state will pay jurors $50 per day.

MGL c. 234A, § 57 and § 58 Juror Service Certificates required for compensation from employer

MGL c. 234A, § 60 and § 61 Employer liability for failure to pay juror-employee

MGL c. 268, § 14A Juror discharged from employment
Employer cannot discharge employee because employee served as juror.

Federal laws

28 U.S. Code § 1875 Protection of juror employment

Web sources

Massachusetts jury service

Trial juror’s handbook, Office of Jury Commissioner.

Grand juror’s handbook, Office of Jury Commissioner.

Learn about compensation for jury duty, Office of Jury Commissioner.
Whether you've served one day of jury duty or have been seated as a juror, learn about what your options are for compensation and reimbursement.

Learn about employment obligations during jury duty, Office of Jury Commissioner. 
Serving jury duty is your primary obligation over your job. Find out what your employer can and can't ask of you and find out what you should do if your service is canceled or you're released early.

Postpone your jury service, Office of Jury Commissioner.
You can postpone your jury service to any available business day within 12 months of your original service date for any reason. If you’ve been summoned for grand jury service, you have more limited postponement options and must defer instead.

Federal jury service

Juror pay, United States Courts.
Discusses pay for service on federal jury.

Jurors, U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
Discusses job protection, compensation, and more general juror information as well as a message to employers about their responsibilities to their employees who have been called for jury duty.

Print sources

Employment law (Mass Practice v.45) Thomson Reuters, 2022.
Section 16:17 Jury Duty Leave.

Labor and employment in Massachusetts by Jeffrey L. Hirsch, 2^nd ed., LexisNexis, loose-leaf. (eBook available with library card)
Section 2-2[g]: Court appearances.

Massachusetts proof of cases, Thomson Reuters, 2023-2024.
Volume 2, Section 58:7 Employer Discharging juror or witness.

Last updated:	February 24, 2025