Jury Duty Frequently Asked Questions

If I am called to serve on an extended trial will my job be in jeopardy?

No, your job is protected during the time you serve on jury duty.

Do I have to report to work when I am not on standby for jury duty?

Yes, you are expected to work your normal schedule until you are required to report to jury duty.

If I am on jury duty and court is not in session during work hours, do i have to report to work?

You are not expected to return to work during your lunch break. If you are required to report later than your normal work shift, or are released early, you should contact your supervisor regarding whether you should report to work. If you are excused for an extended time or Court is not in session on a given day you are expected to report to work.

If I work swing or grave-yard shift, do i have to report to work before or after jury duty?

Your time at jury duty is equivalent to your time at work, therefore you are not required to work a swing or grave-yard shift during your jury duty service. It is important that you communicate with your supervisor regarding your requirement to report, as well as how to post your jury duty time.

Example A: If you normally work a 5:00 p.m. To 1:00 a.m. Shift, you may not be aware of your requirement to report to jury duty until your shift ends. You should immediately notify your supervisor via your unit’s call-in policy, but will be required to report to jury duty. You would not be expected to work the shift immediately following your day of jury duty service.

Example B: If you normally work an 11:00 p.m. To 7:00 a.m. Shift, and are instructed to report to jury duty at 8:00 a.m. following the end of your scheduled shift, typically you would not be expected to work the shift immediately before reporting for jury duty.

If I work an extended shift (e.g. 12 hours), do I have to report to work before or after jury duty?

If you are required to report to jury duty later than your normal work shift, or are released from jury duty early, you should contact your supervisor regarding whether you should report to work. 

How much notice do I need to provide my superviosrt when I receive jury summons?

You should provide your supervisor with a copy of your jury summons immediately upon receiving it.

If I an on Standby Jury Service and I am notified after hours to report on the following work day, how do I notify my supervisor?

If you receive the information after hours you should follow your unit or division’s call-in policy.

Does my supervisor have to approve my time off for jury duty?

By law, when you are summoned to jury duty, you are required to attend; however, you are required to provide your supervisor with a copy of your jury summons upon receipt. Your legal requirement to appear for jury duty does not negate your esponsibility to appropriately notify your Supervisor of your status per your unit or divisions procedures. You should remain in contact with your Supervisor during your jury duty. In addition, your jury duty pay will not be approved without the equired documentation.

I am a part-time employee. Will I get paid for jury Duty?

You will be compensated for the hours you would normally be at work.

I am a temporary employee. Will the county writ a letter to the courts advising I do not get paid for jury duty, and it would be a hardship to serve?

The County will write a letter to the Courts advising of your pay status, but cannot make the decision regarding hardship, because that is up to the Courts.

If I am called to jury duty on my regular day off (9/80, 4/10, etc.) , how do I record my time for that day?

You do not record any time on your timesheet for jury duty served on your regular day off.

If I'm called to jury duty whil I'm on an unpaid leave of absence, will I receive jury duty pay?

No, you are in unpaid status and are not entitled to jury duty pay from the County, but may be entitled to juror pay from the Courts.

If I'm a a temporary employee and required to report to jury duty am I required to use my availalbe balances during my jury duty?

No, the use of your balances is solely at your discretion during jury duty

If I am a temporary employee and use vacation duting jury duty am I entitled to keep the jury duty fees issued by the court?

Yes, since you are using your leave balances rather than receiving pay you are entitled to keep the jury duty fees issued by the Court.

If I am a permanente employee am I entitled to keep the jury duty feew issued by the court?

At the time you are summoned to California Superior Court you should advise the Jury Commissioner’s office that you are a County employee and they should not issue juror pay to you. However, if you do receive juror pay in error, you should cash the check received from the Courts, then write a personal check to the County of Sacramento for the amount received less mileage, and turn it in to your payroll contact with the Department of Personnel Services. 

While jury duty fees for regular County employees have been eliminated for regular California State Superior Court jury duty, they have not been eliminated for the following purposes:

• County Grand Jury Duty 
• Federal Grand Jury Duty
• Juries of Inquest Jury Duty 
• Federal Criminal or Civil Jury Duty

Any jury fees received from the above courts must be remitted to the County (with the exception of any mileage fees). 

Subject to the provisions of Section 7.2 of this policy, temporary employees are entitled to keep all jury duty fees.

Does the county pay for my parking while on jury duty?

The County is required to provide notice to its employees of the right to request PDL, reasonable accommodation, or transfer to a less strenuous or hazardous position. This notice should be posted in a conspicuous place where employees tend to congregate. 

When must the County notify me that my PDL request is approved?

The County must respond to your leave or transfer request as soon as practicable but not later than 10 calendar days after receiving the request. Once given, approval is retroactive to the date of the first day of the leave. If your PDL also qualifies as FMLA the County will also advise you of your rights under FMLA.

What verification do I need to show that I attented jury duty?

For each day of service the Courts will provide you with a slip showing that you appeared. These slips should be attached to your time sheet, or given to your Supervisor, when recording your time.

Can the County temporarily transfer me while I am taking intermittent or reduced work schedule leave?

If your health care provider indicates that intermittent leave or a reduced work schedule is medically advisable because of pregnancy, the County may require you to temporarily transfer to an available alternative position that meets your needs. The alternative position must be one that better accommodates your leave requirements than your regular job. Although the alternative position need not have equivalent duties, it must have an equivalent rate of pay and benefits and you must be qualified for the position. The County must increase the pay and benefits of an alternative position, so as to make them equivalent to the pay and benefits of your regular job. Transfer to an alternative position may include altering an existing position to accommodate your need for intermittent leave or a reduced work schedule.

Is the County required to transfer me?

If your health care provider certifies that you are unable to perform your current job, but could perform other duties, the County is required to transfer you if the transfer can be reasonably accommodated by the County. The County is not required to create additional employment, discharge another employee, violate the terms of a collective bargaining agreement or promote or transfer an employee who is not qualified to perform the new job.

Can I take PDL intermittently or by working a reduced schedule?

PDL may be taken intermittently or on a reduced work schedule basis if medically advisable, as determined by your health care provider. Only the amount of leave actually taken may be counted toward the four months of PDL.

Example: An employee misses two hours of work because of morning sickness. Only those two hours may be counted against the PDL entitlement.

Must the four months of PDL be taken all at one time?

Leave for PDL does not have to be taken all at one time. Leave can be taken before or after birth or at any period of time you are unable to work because of the pregnancy, childbirth or a related medical condition. Periods of leave will be totaled in computing the four months of leave. Periodic absences for pregnancy-related illness of limited duration will be subtracted from the four months of disability leave for pregnancy. 

Are my accrued leave balances applicable to my PDL? 

You are required to use any of your accrued sick leave during the otherwise unpaid portion of your pregnancy leave. Also, you may request the use of your vacation leave, and/or any other leave balances you have in order to receive compensation during the otherwise unpaid portion of your PDL. 

What if I am disabled by pregnancy for more than four months? 

You are only entitled to up to four months of PDL. If you continue to be disabled for more than four months, you can request the use of any accrued sick leave, vacation leave, and/or other leave balances to extend your leave period. As a reasonable accommodation, the County may allow you to utilize CFRA leave prior to the birth of your child. 

What is the relationship between PDL and CFRA?

Following PDL you have the right to take a CFRA leave of up to 12 weeks for the birth of your child, if your child has been born by this date, so long as you meet the eligibility requirements for a CFRA leave. This means that a woman who is eligible for CFRA leave could take up to four months of PDL, and could also be entitled to up to 12 weeks of CFRA leave to bond with the baby or for another CFRA qualifying event (such as to bond with an adopted child, or to care for a parent, spouse or child with a serious health condition), provided the entire CFRA leave was not taken prior to the PDL.

What if I exhaust PDL prior to the birth of my child?

If you have used all four months of PDL prior to the birth of your child and you remain medically disabled after the birth you may utilize CFRA baby-bonding leave even though you are disabled during that period. If you are disabled for more than four months of PDL prior to the birth of your child, you must use any applicable accrued leave balances or, if none remain, request an unpaid leave of absence. After the birth of the child, you will be entitled to up to 12 weeks of CFRA leave if it has not been previously utilized. 

If you have exhausted all leave entitlements and have no accrued balances, it is at the discretion of your appointing authority as to whether or not any request for an unpaid leave will be granted.

Will my Health Insurance continue while I am on PDL?

Health insurance benefits are continued for a maximum of 4 months per pregnancy within a 12 month period while on PDL. As long as you continue to pay your regular employee portion of the health care premium cost, your health care benefits will continue. FMLA leave runs concurrently with PDL for the first 12 weeks of the PDL if you are eligible and qualify for FMLA. The time that the County maintains and pays for the group health coverage during PDL shall not be used to meet the County’s obligation to pay for 12 weeks of group health coverage during leave taken under CFRA. This is true even when the County designates PDL as FMLA. The entitlements to the County paid group health coverage during PDL and during CFRA are two separate and distinct entitlements.

The County contribution toward your medical, dental and Basic Life insurance will cease once PDL and FMLA benefit entitlements are exhausted and you are on an unpaid leave unless you are entitled to continuing benefit coverage under CRFA. You may then be eligible for COBRA coverage. You should contact the Benefits Office for information and options.

How long do I have to add my new child to my insurance benefits?

To add your new child, you must submit the appropriate benefit enrollment forms to the Department of Personnel Services Employee Benefits Office within 30 calendar days of the date of birth. Important: If you do not submit the appropriate forms to add your new child within the 30-day time frame, it will result in your inability to add your child until the next annual open enrollment period.

When will coverage begin for my new child?

The 30 day enrollment window is for the submission of the enrollment forms to the Benefits Office. Coverage is then effective first of the month following receipt of the enrollment forms in the Benefits Office. 

What documentation do I need to submit to enroll my new child?

Please contact the Employee Benefits Office at 874-2020 to obtain information regarding the required documentation.

Will I be able to return to my job when I return from PDL?

If you take PDL and return immediately after the PDL, you are guaranteed the right to return to your same position or an available comparable position. The County can reinstate you to an available comparable position only if your same position is no longer available as a result of legitimate business reasons unrelated to your PDL. If that is the case, the County should offer you a position that is comparable in terms of pay and job conditions, unless there are no such available comparable positions in the County. 

If you take a CFRA leave, after your PDL, for bonding with the baby, for bonding with an adopted child, or to care for a parent, child or spouse with a serious health condition, youhave the right to return to either your original job or to a comparable job.

Where can I get additional information about PDL?

For additional information, contact your department’s Human Resources staff or refer to your department intranet website, if applicable, and California Civil Rights Department.