Work · Jury Duty
Jury Duty Pay in Pennsylvania
Whether your employer must pay you during jury duty in Pennsylvania, whether your job is protected for serving, the notice rules, and the remedies. Cited to the statute.
How jury-duty pay works in Pennsylvania
Whether the employer must pay, whether your job is protected, and the notice and remedies.
| How it works | What it means |
|---|---|
| No wage mandate | Section 4563 expressly does not require the employer to compensate the employee for employment time lost to jury service. |
| Job, seniority, and benefits protected | The statute bars an employer from depriving an employee of employment, seniority position, or benefits, or threatening or coercing them, for receiving a summons, responding, or serving as a petit or grand juror. |
| Small-employer carve-out | The protection does not apply to a retail or service employer with fewer than 15 employees, or a manufacturing employer with fewer than 40 employees. Pennsylvania is the one state of this group where small employers are exempt from the anti-retaliation rule itself. |
| Exceptions and remedies | What it means |
|---|---|
| Remedies | A violation is a summary offense, and the employee may bring a civil action for lost wages and benefits and for reinstatement. |
| Employer policy | Voluntary paid jury leave is permitted but not required. |
What you can do right now
Concrete, neutral steps if you are summoned for jury duty in Pennsylvania. This is legal information, not legal advice.
- Do not expect wages during jury service
Pennsylvania imposes no employer pay duty for jury time. The time is unpaid unless your employer chooses to pay.
- Check your employer’s size
The job protection does not apply to a retail or service employer with fewer than 15 employees, or a manufacturer with fewer than 40. Know where your employer falls.
- Keep your summons and records
If your employer is covered and takes your job, seniority, or benefits over jury service, documentation supports a claim.
- Pursue a civil action for a violation
A covered employer’s violation is a summary offense, and you can sue for lost wages and benefits and reinstatement. An attorney can assess it.
If you are punished for serving, or owed jury pay, a state labor agency can take your claim. This resource points to the right office.
→ Pennsylvania Bar Association · Find a LawyerThis is general legal information, not legal advice. Employer size, notice rules, and remedies can change the answer, so confirm your situation against the statute or with a licensed attorney.
What Pennsylvania workers get wrong about jury duty
Pennsylvania follows the usual pattern on pay, no employer duty to pay wages for jury service, but it is unusual on job protection, because that protection is not universal. Under 42 Pa.C.S. §4563, an employer generally may not deprive an employee of employment, seniority, or benefits, or threaten or coerce them, for receiving a summons, responding, or serving as a petit or grand juror. The statute expressly does not require the employer to pay for the time lost. The distinctive trap is the small-employer carve-out: the protection does not apply to a retail or service employer with fewer than 15 employees, or a manufacturing employer with fewer than 40. That makes Pennsylvania the one state of this group where the flat statement "you cannot be fired for jury duty" is not always true, because a small enough employer in those sectors is simply not bound by the rule. Where the employer is covered, a violation is a summary offense and the employee can sue for lost wages, benefits, and reinstatement. Check your employer’s size and sector before assuming you are protected.
Common questions
Does my employer have to pay me for jury duty in Pennsylvania?
No. Section 4563 expressly does not require the employer to compensate the employee for time lost to jury service, so the time is unpaid unless the employer chooses to pay.
Can I be fired for jury duty in Pennsylvania?
Usually not, but not always. Section 4563 protects most employees, but it does not apply to a retail or service employer with fewer than 15 employees, or a manufacturer with fewer than 40.
Which Pennsylvania employers are exempt from jury-duty protection?
Retail or service employers with fewer than 15 employees, and manufacturing employers with fewer than 40. Employees of those small employers are not covered by §4563’s anti-retaliation rule.
What can I do if a covered Pennsylvania employer punishes me for serving?
A violation is a summary offense, and you can bring a civil action for lost wages and benefits and for reinstatement. Keep your summons and records to support the claim.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.