North Dakota - Jury Duty Employer Obligations

In North Dakota, 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.

There are no North Dakota laws that require private employers to pay employees for jury duty leave. Many employers do choose to pay wages to their employees; or their work provisions include wages during this type of leave.

You will receive a nominal jury duty payment from the State of North Dakota 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, lay off, penalize, threaten, or otherwise coerce an employee with respect to their employment due to the employee performing jury duty obligations.

You should be sure to show your employer your North Dakota 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.

Employer may be found guilty of a class B misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $1,500 or imprisonment or up to 30 days, or both.

A discharged employee may, within ninety days, bring a civil action for recovery of wages lost and a reinstatement order. Damages

recoverable may not exceed lost wages for six weeks. Successful employee 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.