Employee gets called up for jury duty, boss forbids them from taking a week of unpaid leave: 'You have 2-3 days max'

Author image for Ally Perry
Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Feb 6, 2026 9:00 AM EST

What matters more: your duty to the society that you live in, or your job?

It is a question that some would find difficult to answer. Surely, it should be a no-brainer for us all to do our bit in trying to make society as positive and fair a place as possible, but the stress of finding and maintaining the employment that allows us the money to live can easily cloud that judgment. In different ways, they are both very important things to most working-age people at this point in time.

Although even the strictest of employers should recognize that there are situations where employees have no choice but to make serving the system their priority, it doesn't always work that way. Something like jury duty is not that easy to get out of, no matter how snowed under an employee happens to be in the office. 

Bosses have to be aware that they are not always going to be the person who has the final say on what a worker is doing during normal working hours. Unfortunately, not all of them are willing to accept that and are more interested in their power trip, or their inability to cover the schedule. It makes an experience that is already stressful into something that is even worse.

Add as a preferred
source on Google
Advertisement
  • the view from behind of several empty rows of seats, with a large window and the view of a tree to the side
    via lilixxxxxxxxxxx

  • One employee found themselves in an impossible situation when they were called up for jury duty, as it clashed with their work. They requested a week of unpaid leave in order to be able to do what had been asked of them.

    Despite explaining their reasons for this vacation time request, their boss insisted that he was unable to give them a full week and that two or three days was the maximum that he was willing to allow. Despite protesting that they did not want to be served a bench warrant for the sake of their low-paid job, he stood firm in his reasoning. The employee looked for advice.

  • My boss is trying to get me to skip going to jury duty

    boss came up to me angry asking why I asked for up to a week (unpaid off) for jury duty, told me i should just skip out on it.
    via Fickle_fackle99
  • i told him I didn't want to served a bench warrant and serve time in jail over this lower end job he ended the conversation saying, I can't give you a full week figure out how to get out of it, you have 2- 3 days max isn't this illegal?
    via Fickle_fackle99
  • a woman wearing a suit writes on some papers while sat at a desk, a judge's gavel next to her
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • busy_monster If I were op, it'd make my day, too. Oh, suddenly I get written up? Look at that, retaliation. I'd have a fucking boner for so long I'd have to see the ER for priapism.
    via busy_monster
  • Fickle_fackle99 Original Poster's Reply Probably just get yelled at again and fired honestly
    via Fickle_fackle99
  • Whohead12 Are you trying to take off for a week before you are even selected? You don't "take off" for anything. You don't even know what kind of case it is yet. You let him know you have to report and then he sits around and wonders if you're selected that day. Often you aren't. If you're selected he deals. If you're selected and it's a few days you go back to work when you're done. Many times you're selected, the defendant freaks out, and they settle or plea out the morning of before you get t
    via Whohead12
  • Fickle_fackle99 Original Poster's Reply I said "hey by the way I have to report for jury duty next week, no idea if I'll be selected or how many days off I'll need but just a heads up to the HR person" Then the owner/my boss came up very upset with me
    via Fickle_fackle99
  • swisssf Why would you ask for a week off? All you need to do when you get the notice is bring it in or a copy is say "I have jury duty on X day - just wanted to let you know." As a manager I'd think it sort of out-there for an employee to announce they'd need a week off for jury duty.
    via swisssf
  • Fickle_fackle99 Original Poster's Reply California doesn't give you a day, the Simmons says week of then the dates I told my hr lady that she said sure unpaid time off Boss comes up shortly after pissed off and mentioned that I had to get out of it why I needed the week or even day off I make fast food money I don't understand why he specifically needs me to work seems odd
    via Fickle_fackle99
  • vintagevagabond208 How much notice were you given? I got my summons earlier than 1 week notice for my employer. If so, you should have told him ASAP to allow to him to cover you.
    via vintagevagabond208
  • Fickle_fackle99 Original Poster's Reply If I tell him I'm taking time off early it creates problems here so I tend to do it last minute, nobody at work can cover me as I'm the only one with a skillset there but it's low level so it just stops operating until I come back
    via Fickle_fackle99
  • Lawyer_Lady3080 I am deadly serious, call the court and tell them. I am sure they will be happy to help clarify the legal position with your boss.
    via Lawyer_Lady3080
  • NewLeave2007 Yep. Call the courthouse and report it.
    via NewLeave2007
  • Edgar_Brown Tell the court during jury selection. Don't be surprised if the judge sends a police officer to drag your boss into the court to "gently inform him" about his obligations regarding your jury duty. It would quite likely make the judge's day.
    via Edgar_Brown
  • DoTheRightThing 1953 You got a summons. You have to go. Record your boss saying that you should skip out on it.
    via DoTheRightThing1953
  • LunarMoon2001 Inform the court, start making records of every interaction at work, start looking for another job. Court will "politely" bring your boss in to inform him of the law, boss will begin to retaliate, eventually find a reason to let you go, then you'll have to litigate. Keep records of your work, bcc emails to a personal email, make a paper list of times and subjects of conversations, etc.
    via LunarMoon2001
  • Timbar76 Definitely call the court and tell them my boss is being an idiot who wants me to try to skip out on jury duty.
    via Timbar76

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

boss employee manager workplace jury duty unpaid vacation
Scroll Down For The Next Article