'Tell the judge, and let them handle it': Business owner warns employee to do 'whatever it takes' to get out of jury duty

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Jul 5, 2023 11:00 AM EDT

A business owner just wanted his employee to work their normal hours, but jury duty got in the way. 

For every American, jury duty is a right of passage. Once you become an adult, there's a high chance you'll get called to do your civic duty to this country. For lots of us, the process never gets further than an initial letter or phone call to confirm we'll do the jury duty. Others have to go in to a court house for a few days waiting to find out if they'll be called, and still more will proceed to the actual trial. Once you're in the trial, of course, you can't talk about it to anyone, and sometimes you're even sequestered.

As a US citizen, you have to acknowledge a summons for jury duty. You can't just ignore it or lie to get out of it. This person's boss seems to not know this. he was insistent that his employee should do "whatever it takes" to avoid serving jury duty. Why? Because he needed that employee to maintain the hotel they work at. To be fair, the employee did perform crucial maintenance there, such as fixing clogged drains. But any business must be able to function if a single employee is missing, and if they can't, it's just a sign of how poorly the company is managed. 

This boss definitely learned a lesson here, as did the OP, u/ProgressiveBadger. They shared the full tale to r/MaliciousCompliance, and you can read the entire story below. Next up, this frequent flyer had a great arrangement with their company, until their job decided to make things harder for every employee. 

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  • 01
    Cabinetry - лаю с AUTOR T
    via David Veksler on Unsplash
  • 02
    Font - Owner refused to let me do jury duty M OC This was back in the 80's, my first job, working as maintenance man at a local hotel. I'd been working there part time since I was 16 and when I turned 18, I got a notice to attend jury duty. I picked a week and I let my boss know. The owner of the hotel found out (he was always a completely unreasonable jerk to all the employees) and sees me in the hallway and tells me that I need to do "whatever it takes" to get out of jury duty because he needs
    via u/ProgressiveBadger
  • 03
    Font - When I get to jury duty, day 1, I get selected to a week-long trial, and the judge asks jurors if there's any reason we cannot serve on the jury. They go around... When they get to me, I'm nervous, never been in court before and too scared to lie. I tell the judge that the owner of the business I work at will fire me if I'm not back today and said I needed to do everything I can to get out of jury duty or I'm fired, other than that I'm fine serving. The judge looks pissed.
    via u/ProgressiveBadger
  • 04
    Font - The judge has me approach the bench, asks for the name of the owner, location, etc. Then he hands the court officer a paper and says something to the officer. (the judge still looks ped) I'm told to return to the jury box. About an hour later (still selecting a jury), the officer returns with the owner, visibly shaken, in handcuffs and walked to the front of the judges bench. The owner is standing in front of the judge. The judge asks him questions which he apologetically tries to worm ou
    via u/ProgressiveBadger
  • 05
    Font - Then the judge (looking even more pissed) instructs him that I will be here for jury duty, I will serve as long as I need to, and he should NOT do anything to retaliate against me -- and that the judge is filing charges and will be instructing the clerk to check with me regularly and if, for any reason, I am fired or face any disciplinary action at work - he will hold the owner in contempt, violation of a court order, etc (a bunch of legal stuff) and he will spend time behind bars thinkin
    via u/ProgressiveBadger
  • 06
    Font - I made it onto the jury and I served the week. I reported back to work the following week. I expected some blowback, but I never got fired, none of my shifts were changed and I got paid for my time in jury - I didn't ask why I got paid. The clerk did check back a few times and I was told to call the judges clerk direct phone number if anything happened. It was awesome, I was pretty much bullet-proof and worked until I saved enough to go back to school.
    via u/ProgressiveBadger
  • 07
    Font - TexasYankee212 +1. This happened where I live. Some "exec" fired a woman for going to jury duty because it was "important" that the employee stay at work to produce some press release for the company. When the lady went to jury duty and was visibly upset, the judge got the story and sent county deputies who dragged that exec out of the office in handcuffs. The exec got a good lesson in civics, the lady got her job back (but I think she declined), and got another job pretty quickly.
    via u/TexasYankee212
  • 08
    Rectangle - crypticthree This kinda spes off judges in a big way. Do not p off a judge. It will not go well for you.
    via u/crypticthree
  • 09
    Font - MNConcerto +3. Was called to jury duty a few years ago. One poor guy also in the pool worked nights, he couldn't afford to take off. Judge saw him having a hard time staying awake, asked him a few questions and excused from jury duty. The judge called down to the jury room and told the clerk that this jury member had served his week and was marked excused. I enjoyed watching this judge in action. She was firm but kind when needed.
    via u/MNConcerto
  • 10
    Font - greyharettv You did the right thing. Business owners have to realize sooner or later that it is illegal to do what your boss did. Good on ya.
    via u/greyharettv
  • 11
    Font - Ron_Fin_Swanson Nobody enjoyed this entire ordeal more than that judge This is probably a story he tells dinner guests while laughing his a off
    via u/Ron_F***in_Swanson
  • 12
    Font - morgan423 I love when bad business owners and bosses tell you that you won't be serving jury duty. No, dingus, I'm legally compelled to appear in court when summoned there. I'm not getting arrested and charged just to pull some extra shifts for you. See you once it's over.
    via u/morgan423
  • 13
    Font - [deleted] It's your civic duty FFS! A boss doesn't get to determine that, no wonder the judge was so angry. Some people really do not understand their limits.
    via u/deleted
  • 14
    Font - Lizard301 It's actually illegal to retaliatorily fire an employee for serving jury duty. I was a courtroom clerk for 20+ years, and now I'm a judge's admin for 5 judges in chambers. Lots of people would say they couldn't serve because of work, but that was mainly to get out of jury service. When they were pressed, they actually weren't being threatened by any supervisors or owners. I absolutely adore my job now, and I love my judges. But man, do I miss the courtroom.
    via u/Lizard301
  • 15
    Font - Zoreb1 +2. Who paid for your time in the jury? I worked in a big government facility (2,000 people) and the rule was you still got paid for your jury time but had to give your paltry $10/day jury check to the company. Not sure how private firms handled it.
    via u/Zoreb1
  • 16
    Font - Master-Thief IRL lawyer here. OP did exactly what anyone should do if they are summoned for jury duty and their boss threatens to fire them - tell the judge, and let them handle it. The judge's response to the owner is pretty much what any judge will do to such a bad boss.
    via u/Master-Thief
  • 17
    Font - The jury system in the U.S. only works if jury pools are a real cross- section of the community - all races, all genders, rich, poor, blue- collar, white-collar, retired, just starting out. (Yes, even us lawyers, which is why I don't think we should get an automatic exception.) So when you get your summons, show up, tell the truth, and if you get selected, be fair. The legal system can't function without you.
    via u/Master-Thief

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judge jury duty law boss workplace-stories work stories job court workplace Horrible Bosses bad bosses
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