Are employers required to give employees unpaid leave for jury duty?

Yes, employers in Washington, as well as other states, are required to give employees unpaid leave for jury duty. This requirement comes from the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which is a federal law that was passed in 1993. The law requires employers to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to eligible employees for certain family and medical reasons. This includes jury duty, meaning that employees cannot be fired, demoted, or otherwise retaliated against for taking jury duty. Additionally, the federal law prevents employers from retaliating against employees for taking time off to vote or serve on a jury. Employers are also prohibited from requiring employees to use their paid time off, vacation, or sick time for jury duty. Therefore, it is important for employers to understand the rules for jury duty leave and provide employees with the protections they deserve under the law. Although unpaid jury duty leave is provided, employees should be aware that they may not be eligible for certain benefits while they are away on jury duty. For example, employees may not be able to accrue paid time off for the duration of their jury duty leave, and they may not receive company paid health insurance either. Additionally, in most cases, jury duty pay comes directly from the court and not the employer. While jury duty can be a major inconvenience, it is an important civic duty and employers should comply with the protections provided under the FMLA. This ensures that employees can take necessary time off without fear of retaliation or a negative effect on their job status.

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Are employers required to give employees unpaid leave for jury duty?

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