Learn about employment obligations during jury duty

Find out what obligations you have to your employer during jury duty.

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.  

Employment obligations

You should notify your employer when you receive your summons so that your employer knows you are scheduled to appear for jury service, and can make any necessary arrangements.

If you’re impaneled on a jury, you should always let your employer know and give your employer an estimate of how long you expect your term of service to last. The court will let jurors know how long they might be expected to serve and what the trial or grand jury schedule will be.

While you're serving jury duty, your employer can't: 

• Give you any mandatory work assignments that would interfere with jury duty
• Force you to reschedule your jury duty or use your vacation or personal days for jury duty
• Make you reschedule your jury service for a day that you wouldn't normally work if you work part-time
• Harass or coerce you or deny you benefits because of your jury duty obligation 

If you believe your employer is treating you differently because of your jury service, you may contact the Legal Department at [phone] or write to us at:

Office of Jury Commissioner

ATTN: Legal Dept. / RE: Compensation

560 Harrison Ave., Suite 600

Boston, MA 02118

Special employment considerations

There are certain considerations that are taken for employees who work night shifts or are essential employees or business owners.

• Night shifts — If you work a night shift, you aren't required to work beyond midnight on the night before your first day of jury service. You may not work while you're impaneled on a trial. You aren't required to work on your last day of service if you're released by the court after 4:00 pm. 
• Essential employees and small business owners — If you're an essential employee or a small business owner, you still need to report for jury duty. If performing jury service is a true hardship, you or your employer can request a judicial discretion hearing before a judge to ask that you be excused from juror service based on your personal circumstances. Ask the jury pool officer for assistance when you report for jury service.

Canceled service and early release

If your jury service is canceled or you're released from jury duty early, you should tell your employer and return to work if you have enough time to get there. Time required to return home to change into a uniform or other required work attire can be factored into your time calculation. If your employer has made arrangements for someone else to cover your shift and won't let you to report to work, you can contact the Legal Department at [phone] or write to us at:

Office of Jury Commissioner

ATTN: Legal Dept. / RE: Compensation

560 Harrison Ave., Suite 600

Boston, MA 02118