UK employees have the statutory right to reasonable time off for certain public duties, including jury service, as members of local authorities, and as school governors.

Key Takeaways

  • Employees have statutory right to time off for specific public duties
  • Jury service has specific legal protections and pay rules
  • Local authority members have right to reasonable time off
  • School governors may be entitled to time off depending on role
  • Employers must allow time off but can request evidence

Eligible Public Duties

Jury Service

  • Statutory right — Time off for jury service
  • Pay — Jury service pay plus potential employer top-up
  • Duration — As required by the court
  • Notice — Employer must be notified promptly

Local Authority Members

  • Councillors — Time off for council duties
  • Magistrates — Time off for court duties
  • School governors — Time off for governor meetings
  • NHS trust members — Time off for trust duties

Other Public Duties

  • Parish councillors — Local governance duties
  • Charity trustees — Time off for trustee duties
  • Police authority members — Time off for authority meetings
  • Fire authority members — Time off for authority duties

Employer Obligations

Must Allow Time Off

  • Statutory right — Cannot refuse reasonable requests
  • Paid time off — Normal pay continues (except jury service)
  • Reasonable notice — Employee should notify promptly
  • No detriment — Cannot treat employee less favorably

What Employers Can Do

  • Request evidence — Proof of public duty
  • Discuss timing — When time off is taken
  • Monitor usage — Track time off for public duties
  • Consider business impact — Plan for employee absence

What Employers Cannot Do

  • Refuse reasonable requests — Must permit time off
  • Deduct pay — For reasonable public duty time off
  • Discriminate — Due to public duty involvement
  • Penalize employees — For taking time off

Jury Service Rules

Employee Responsibilities

  • Notify employer — As soon as summons received
  • Provide evidence — Copy of summons if requested
  • Minimize impact — Request deferral if critical timing
  • Return to work — If excused from service

Employer Responsibilities

  • Allow time off — Cannot refuse jury service
  • Pay normal wages — For duration of service (statutory right)
  • Jury service pay — Employee keeps court payments
  • Top-up pay — Some employers offer top-up to full salary

Jury Service Pay

  • First 10 days — £64.60 per day
  • Day 11-220 — £132.86 per day
  • Employer may top up — Check employment contract
  • Loss of earnings — Court may reimburse employer

Time Off for Local Authority Members

What Counts as Reasonable

  • Council meetings — Full council and committee meetings
  • Training — Induction and ongoing training
  • Conferences — National and regional conferences
  • Casework — Supporting constituents
  • Inspections — Visiting council facilities

Factors Affecting “Reasonable”

  • Frequency of meetings — How often duty is required
  • Duration — How long each meeting lasts
  • Notice — How much advance notice is given
  • Business impact — Effect on operations
  • Employee’s role — Importance of their work

Time Off for School Governors

When Entitled

  • Maintained schools — Statutory right for maintained school governors
  • Academies — May be contractual, not statutory
  • Meetings — Governor meetings and committee meetings
  • Training — Governor training and development

What Is Reasonable

  • Regular meetings — Monthly or termly meetings
  • Extraordinary meetings — When required
  • Training sessions — Induction and ongoing training
  • School visits — Inspections and visits

Managing Public Duty Leave

For HR Teams

  1. Develop clear policy — Document procedure for public duty requests
  2. Track usage — Monitor time off for public duties
  3. Verify duties — Request evidence where appropriate
  4. Plan coverage — Arrange work cover during absences

For Managers

  • Allow reasonable requests — Cannot refuse without good reason
  • Discuss timing — When time off is taken
  • Document decisions — Record reasoning for any discussions
  • Plan for absence — Arrange work coverage

Leave Management for Public Duties

Effective management requires:

  • Dedicated absence category — Track public duty time off separately
  • Flexible scheduling — Accommodate court and meeting times
  • Evidence tracking — Record proof of public duties
  • Manager guidance — Clear process for requests
  • Policy integration — Connect with absence policies

Compliance Checklist

  • Policy for public duty time off in place
  • Managers trained on statutory obligations
  • Process for verifying public duties established
  • Absence tracking system configured
  • Pay procedures for jury service documented
  • Communication with employees about entitlements
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