Human Resource Blog

Rhode Island JSIA

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Does the JSIA cover all employees in Rhode Island?

The Jury Systems Improvement Act is a federal Act that is in place to cover employers and employees in states across the country, including the state of Rhode Island. The Act covers all employees that have been summoned to serve on a jury. When an employee receives a jury duty notice, the employee should notify the employer immediately of the upcoming jury duty. Then, the employer is prohibited from discriminating against an employee that needs to take time away from work in order to serve on a jury.

Employers must not only avoid discriminating against an employee that serves on a jury, but employers also cannot terminate an employee that serves on a jury. If an employer is found guilty of either offense, the employer could be fined up to $1,000 per instance, per employee. Also, the employer could have to pay for lost wages and benefits to the employee that was terminated.

There are some cases in which an employee will be able to postpone jury duty service. For example, if an employee has a planned vacation or an illness, the employee should be able to postpone the service. However, the postponement must not be forced by the employer.

Employers should continue to provide employees with their normal benefits during the jury duty leave period. Normal benefits may include health care, dental care, and seniority. Also, when the employee returns from work after the jury duty period, the employee should be able to have the same job or an equivalent job as well as the same salary and benefits that the employee had prior to taking the time off of work.

Employees may be required to provide evidence of the jury duty. For example, the employee could provide a cop of the jury duty summons. Alternatively, the employee could provide the employer with a letter from the clerk of the court confirming the jury duty service. CB