Are employers obligated to pay employees for jury duty?

Yes, employers in Mississippi are obligated to pay their employees for jury duty. Employers are prohibited from discriminating or retaliating against an employee due to their jury service. This means employers must pay employees for days missed from work while serving on jury duty, and may not reduce an employee’s pay or benefits because of jury duty. Mississippi Code Annotated § 13-5-29 states that any employer who violates the provisions of the law is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, may be fined up to $500. Furthermore, employers are not allowed to make employees take vacation time to cover the days of jury service. Employers must also allow employees to use sick leave, personal leave, or other leave benefits to cover the time missed while on jury duty. Employees should be aware that while they are paid for the days missed, they may be required to reimburse their employers for the paid time off benefits they used to cover their jury duty. All of these regulations are in place to ensure that employees are not penalized financially or professionally for performing their civic duty. Jury service is an important part of our democracy and it is essential to ensure that all citizens have the opportunity to participate without fear of negative consequences at their workplace.

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