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Deferral of jury service request letter

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Our Deferral of Jury Service Request Letter Template eases the burden of jury service, enabling employees to manage work commitments effectively.

Use this model letter to write to the court in support of an employee's application for the deferral of jury service where the reasons for the application are work related.

Reading time
How long to understand and implement this letter?
10 mins
Word count
How many words in this letter?
420
We also have budget-friendly bundles featuring this template:

What is a Deferral of jury service request letter?

The purpose of the Deferral of Jury Service Request Letter Template is to allow an employee to formally request a deferral of their jury service to a later date.

Jury service is a civic duty, but it can create challenges for individuals who have work commitments that cannot be easily rescheduled. The template provides a formal and professional way for employees to request a postponement of their jury duty, allowing them to manage their work responsibilities and personal commitments more effectively.

Best practice timescale for this to be issued
When should this letter be issued?
As soon as it is understood that attendance will not be possible
Issued by who, to whom
Who should issue this letter, and to whom?
The Company (you) to the Company (you)
Applicable legal jurisdictions
In which jurisdictions can this letter be used?
Great Britain & NI (United Kingdom), Worldwide

How can I ensure that this letteris executed effectively?

Step Description Responsible Party Timing (Days from Decision)
1 Jury Service Notification: The employee notifies the employer of their selection for jury service and provides relevant details. Employee N/A
2 Review Company Policies: Review company policies related to jury service and deferral options. HR / Management Team Day 1
3 Employee Meeting: Schedule a meeting with the employee to discuss their situation and determine the need for deferral. HR / Management Team Day 3
4 Prepare Deferral Request Letter: Create a comprehensive Deferral of Jury Service Request Letter, including the reason for the deferral and requested new dates. HR / Management Team Day 5
5 Issue the Request Letter: After confirming the deferral request details, issue the Deferral of Jury Service Request Letter to the appropriate authorities, requesting approval for the deferral. HR / Management Team Day 7 (Or as deemed appropriate)

What legislation and best practice guidelines have been taken into account in the development of this template?

United Kingdom

Employees who have been summoned for jury service can apply to be excused or to have the service deferred in certain circumstances.

A Company cannot apply for deferral on the employee's behalf, but it can write a letter supporting the employee's application, for example if their absence would cause difficulty to the organisation.

  • Employment Rights Act 1996: Employees have the right to request time off for certain public duties, including jury service.

  • Jury Act 1974: This legislation governs the rules and procedures for jury service in the UK.

  • Equality Act 2010: Employers must ensure that they do not discriminate against employees based on their jury service obligations.

  • Working Time Regulations 1998: Employees' working hours and rest breaks may need to be adjusted to accommodate jury service.

  • The Civil Procedure Rules: This sets out the legal procedures for requesting deferral or exemption from jury service.


Other territories

Consult your jurisdiction's employment legislation or labor laws to ensure compliance with the template. Review the language for local precision.

Deferral of jury service request [Delete this line]

[Company name]

[Sender address]

 

[date]

[Recipient name]

[Recipient address]

 

Dear [Recipient first name],

 

Request for deferral of Jury Service

As [name of employee's employer, we are writing in support of their application to [have their jury service deferred to a later date] OR [be excused from jury service].

We have seen a copy of their Jury Summons and we note that their jury service is scheduled to start on [date] and is likely to last for up to [number - usually two] weeks.

At this time, [name]'s current work commitments are such that their absence from the workplace would cause undue hardship and potentially substantial harm to the business.  In particular (specify reason from list below, providing further detail as necessary):

  • [Name] works in a small team of only [number] staff and, at this time, another member of that team will be absent on [annual leave/maternity leave/adoption leave/parental leave/paternity leave] OR
  • [Name] works in a small team of only [number] staff and currently another member of that team is absent on long-term sick leave and has not been replaced OR
  • [Name] is currently working on an important business project, their input into that project is key and therefore their absence from the workplace would have a significant detrimental impact on our ability to progress that project and to complete it on time OR
  • This is our busiest time of the year and [name]'s absence from the workplace will mean that we are unable to [deliver on our service standards to our customers and clients/complete customer and client orders on time]. This may, in turn, result in a future loss of business OR
  • [Name]'s role as a [job title] is of a very specialist, highly skilled nature and therefore we would have real difficulty hiring a temporary worker to cover their absence OR
  • [Name] is currently heavily involved in training other members of staff and this would be disrupted by their absence which would, in turn, have a detrimental impact on the training and development of other employees OR
  • [Name] is currently undergoing important internal training and missing time in that training would interfere with, and possibly delay, completion of it OR
  • [Name] is currently on secondment to another employer for training purposes and missing time on that placement would interfere with, and possibly delay, completion of their training
  • [Name] has to attend an important client meeting on [date] and this cannot be postponed OR
  • The business would suffer severe financial loss as a result of [name]'s absence because [insert reason] OR
  • [Specify other reason].

Please contact [name] if you have any questions or require any further information.

Yours [faithfully | sincerely],

 

 

[Sender name]

[Sender job title]

[Sender telephone]
[Sender email]

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deferral of jury service request letter