Maine - Jury Duty Employer Obligations

In Maine, employers are required to provide you with unpaid time off for reporting to jury selection or jury duty. You may have to show your employer your jury summons in order to be given the necessary leave.

Your employer can never punish you for missing work to attend jury duty. However, if missing work would cause your employer undue hardship, it may be considered as an acceptable jury duty excuse.

Maine law does not require employers to pay employees for absences due to jury duty.

You will receive a nominal jury duty payment from the State of Maine for each day you serve on a jury, as well as potential reimbursements for travel expenses. However, jury duty pay tends to be a token amount rather than actual compensation.

An employer may not deprive, or threaten or otherwise coerce an employee with discharge or loss of health insurance coverage, because the employee receives a summons for jury service, responds to a summons for jury service, serves as a juror or attends court for prospective jury service.

You should be sure to show your employer your Maine jury duty summons letter when you receive it, and update them with your jury duty dates if you are assigned to a trial, to ensure that you receive your mandatory time off.

Guilty of a Class E crime, punishable by up to 6 months in the county jail or a fine of up to $1,000.

Discharged employee may bring a civil action within 90 days for recovery of wages or health insurance and for a reinstatement order.

Damages recoverable may not exceed the amount of lost wages for 6 weeks. Successful employee will be allowed a reasonable attorney's fee as fixed by the court.

If you have been punished for missing work due to jury duty, contact the joror office of the court that summoned you, and they will assist in ensuring that your rights are protected.