Jury/Witness Duty Policy
Summary
North Harbor Wealth Management recognized the civic obligation of its employees to serve as jurors or witnesses.
Eligibility
All regular full-time and regular part-time employees are eligible for jury duty leave and witness time off.
Policy
Employees who are called for jury duty receive time off from work for as long as they are needed in court. This policy also applies when an employee is summoned to
appear as a witness, unless the case involves the employees own personal interest (e.g., a lawsuit in which the employee is the plaintiff or defendant, etc.) Such absence is
not charged against an employee’s accrued sick time or PTO.
North Harbor Wealth Management believes that an employee who has spent a day on jury duty or appearing as a witness has performed a day’s work. Therefore the
company does not require the employee to report to work that day. However, an employee is expected to work on any scheduled workday the employee is not needed in
court or is excused from court early enough to work at least three hours of a regularly scheduled shift.
Benefits
An employee continues to receive full benefits while on jury duty or appearing as a witness. Company contributions to benefit plan premiums continue, and the employee
is required to pay the usual employee portion of premiums.
Compensation
While on jury duty or appearing as a witness, an employee receives regular salary in addition to any remuneration from the court. Employees are not required to forward
jury duty stipends to the company.
Job Reinstatement
Upon returning from jury duty or appearing as a witness, an employee who has been away from work for 12 weeks or less is reinstated to the employee’s former position
without loss of pay, benefits, or seniority. If an employee is away from work for more than 12 weeks, the employee’s leader has the option of filling the employee’s position.
Upon return from jury duty or appearing as a witness, an employee whose position has been filled is reinstated into an equivalent position, without loss of pay, benefits, or
seniority.
Regardless of the length of absence, if the employee’s position has been eliminated sue to business needs, the individual’s employment status terminates upon return from
jury duty or appearing as a witness, unless the employee obtains another job within the company.
Employee/Leader Responsibilities
An employee must inform the employee’s leader as soon as the employee is summoned for jury duty or to appear as a witness, and must provide the leader with a copy of
the summons or other suitable notification, such as a subpoena. The time off is not granted without appropriate documentation.