Time off work for public duties

Employees can get time off work for certain public duties as well as their normal holiday entitlement. Employers can choose to pay them for this time, but they don’t have to.

Who qualifies for time off

Employees must be allowed to take time off for jury service.

An employee can also get a ‘reasonable’ amount of time off if they’re:

a magistrate (also known as a justice of the peace)
a local councillor
a school governor
a member of any statutory tribunal (eg an employment tribunal)
a member of the managing or governing body of an educational establishment
a member of a health authority
a member of a school council or board in Scotland
a member of the General Teaching Councils for England and Wales
a member of the Environment Agency or the Scottish Environment Protection agency
a member of the prison independent monitoring boards (England or Wales) or a member of the prison visiting committees (Scotland)
a member of Scottish Water or a Water Customer Consultation Panel
a trade union member (for trade union duties)

Reasonable time off

The amount of time off should be agreed between the employee and employer beforehand, based on:

how long the duties might take
the amount of time the employee has already had off for public duties
how the time off will affect the business

The employer can refuse a request for time off if they think it’s unreasonable.

Who doesn’t qualify for time off

Staff can’t ask for time off work for public duties if they’re:

agency workers
members of the police service or armed forces
employed on a fishing vessel or a gas or oil rig at sea
merchant seamen
civil servants, if their public duties are connected to political activities restricted under their terms of their employment

Disputes about time off

Employees can raise a grievance if they feel that employers aren’t allowing them to take enough time off for public duties.

Time off and pay

Employers can choose to pay staff for time taken off, but they don’t have to.

Employees in the reserve forces

Employees in the Army Reserves or other reserve forces have certain protections under employment law if they’re called up for service.

Employers of reservists also have particular rights and obligations in this situation - eg they may be able to claim financial assistance or apply for an exemption.

Helpline

Contact the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) if you have any questions about time off work for public duties.

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Without the Growth Hubs help and assistance, we would never have been able to increase our sales & output and also grow our local business. With this help in purchasing new equipment we have expanded our operations and gained a new and increased customer base.

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Armstrongs Accountancy LTD,

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MES Systems Limited,

I have had an excellent experience working with Laura from the Growth Hub, from day one, she was taking detailed attention to my concerns and ideas. She was able to put me in contact with different organisations and people to find out answers to my questions and help me to solve some inquiries I was having. I feel this support definitely had a positive impact in my plans.

PALACIOS LTD,

It’s been a fantastic inaugural eight months for the TalentTech Recruitment team and, although the reality of setting up and running a company can be a somewhat daunting experience, we have been extremely grateful for the superb help, advice and guidance given to us along our journey by Gavin Barnett and the team at CW Growth Hub. Gavin’s introductions to both Warwick & Coventry Universities and his wider business network have been absolutely invaluable.

TalentTech Recruitment LTD,

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King of Saffron LTD,

This grant [which we received with the help of the Growth Hub and Coventry City Council] will really help us get on track for business growth and succeed with our vision. Personally, I would also like to thank the team for supporting me through the grant application process. You have been very approachable and attentive throughout.

Exeter Analytical (UK) Limited,

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Burbidge & Son Ltd,

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Marchantcain Design Limited,

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Comrie Leisure Limited,