Your employee has been summoned to jury duty in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Jurors are obligated to remain on call for jury service for a two-week period in Chicago. Jurors in Rockford are given up to 4 separate dates over a 2 month period for possible jury service. The average time a juror will serve in Rockford is 3-5 days. During that time, they will be called for specific cases and are usually released for the day by 4:30 p.m. In the two-week period, the average time a juror will serve is 3-5 days in Chicago.
 
In most instances, the burden of Federal Court jury service is not so overwhelming that it could not be absorbed by business or other establishments with relative ease. You may not know that in order to insure that the serious need for federal jurors is met, in 1978 the "Protection of Juror's Employment Statute" (Title 28, United States Code, Section 1875) was enacted. The statute demonstrates the attitude of the United States Congress toward assuring adequate representation and the corresponding duty of employers to their employees and to the justice system.
 
Financial hardship claimed as an excuse by an individual summoned for jury duty is not usually a valid reason for the Court to grant release especially if the individual is working regularly in a permanent position with a salary or set hourly rate. Unless there are some compelling reasons for that excuse, it will not be granted. If your employment policy is against paying employees while they are on jury duty, you are now asked to reconsider that policy. As you may know federal jurors are paid $40.00 per day for their services, paying the difference between your employee's salary should not be overly burdensome.