Jury duty is an obligation for US citizens. If the court calls you to serve, you have to do it. It is not optional. Unless the court dismisses you, you must show up or you could face legal issues.
However, many people may fear losing their job or suffering some other issue if they go to jury duty. The law offers you protection against this type of retaliation.
Employer requirements
Your employer must give you time off to serve on a jury. Your employer cannot harass you or tell you that you must get out of service. They cannot impose any type of punishment on you for serving, or prevent you from serving. Your employer cannot fire you or reassign you because of jury duty service.
Do note that your employer does not have to pay you for the time you are serving jury duty. The law does not require this, so you may lose money. Some employers will offer pay, but the law does not require them to do so. You may use sick or vacation time if you would like pay, but your employer cannot force you to do this.
Options for reporting
If your employer punishes you or retaliates against you for serving jury duty, you can report them. You should make a report with the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. The agency will investigate and could bring criminal charges against the employer.
Remember that you are legally obligated to serve on a jury if the court calls you to do so. Your employer cannot stop this from happening and cannot punish you because of it. You have the right to report your employer for any retaliation.
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