Jury Duty Leave and Pay Requirements in Iowa
At a glance
| Governing law | Iowa Code § 607A.45 |
|---|---|
| Jury service covered | Receiving or responding to a notice to report, serving as a juror, and attending court for prospective juror service (§ 607A.45(1)) |
| Employers and employees covered | Employers and employees generally; no employer-size, tenure, full-time, or permanent-worker limit stated (§ 607A.45) |
| Time-off entitlement | No affirmative leave-duration sentence; employer cannot deprive employee of employment, threaten, or coerce employee because of covered notice or jury activity (§ 607A.45(1)) |
| Employer-paid wages | No general employer wage-continuation requirement stated in § 607A.45; lost-wage remedy after unlawful discharge does not make ordinary jury leave paid |
| PTO and juror-fee treatment | No express rule on required or voluntary use of vacation, sick leave, or other PTO, and no employer offset for juror fees stated in § 607A.45 |
| Employee notice and proof | No employee-to-employer notice deadline, notice-copy requirement, or attendance-proof rule stated in § 607A.45 |
| Scheduling and return-to-work rules | No night-shift rest window, same-day return requirement, or long-trial scheduling rule stated in § 607A.45 |
| Job protection and remedies | No employment deprivation, threat, or coercion for covered activity; violation is contempt. Discharged employee has 60 days to sue for reinstatement and up to six weeks' lost wages; prevailing employee receives reasonable attorney fees (§ 607A.45) |
Protection begins with the notice to report
Iowa protects an employee who receives or responds to a notice to report, serves as a juror, or attends court for prospective juror service. An employer may not deprive the employee of employment, threaten the employee, or otherwise coerce the employee about employment because of that activity.
The section states no employer-size, tenure, or full-time threshold. It also states no employee-to-employer notice deadline or proof procedure.
Pay, PTO, and scheduling are not addressed
Section 607A.45 does not generally require an employer to continue wages during jury service. It does not regulate required or voluntary use of vacation, sick leave, or another PTO balance, and it does not coordinate employer wages with court-paid juror fees.
The section also states no night-shift, same-day-return, or long-trial scheduling rule. The lost-wage remedy for an unlawful discharge is different from ordinary jury-leave pay.
Contempt and a 60-day civil action
An employer that violates the employment-protection subsection commits contempt. Section 607A.45 does not state a separate fine or jail range in the employment provision itself.
If the employer discharges the employee, the employee has 60 days after the discharge to bring the express civil action. The court may order reinstatement and award lost wages, but recoverable wage damages may not exceed six weeks. A prevailing employee is allowed reasonable attorney fees determined by the court.
What trips people up
Iowa's protection covers prospective service and response to the notice; it does not wait until the employee is selected for a jury.
The civil filing period is short: 60 days. The express damages and reinstatement remedy is written for discharge, while contempt applies to a violation of the broader protection against deprivation, threats, and coercion.
Common questions
Must an Iowa employer pay wages during jury duty?
No general wage-continuation requirement appears in § 607A.45. An employer policy or agreement may provide paid jury leave.
Can an employer threaten an employee over a notice to report?
No. The statute expressly prohibits threats or other coercion about employment because the employee receives or responds to the notice or performs the other covered activity.
How long does a discharged employee have to sue?
Sixty days after discharge under the express civil-action provision.
What can the court award?
Up to six weeks of lost wages, reinstatement, and reasonable attorney fees for a prevailing employee.
Statutes and sources
- Iowa Code § 607A.45(1)-(2): protected activity, contempt, and the 60-day discharge action — official text (accessed July 13, 2026).
Source links
Every statute quoted above, linked, with the date we checked it.
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