Jury Duty Leave and Pay Requirements in Utah
At a glance
| Governing law | Utah Code § 78B-1-116 |
|---|---|
| Jury service covered | Receiving or responding to a summons, serving as juror or grand juror, and attending court for prospective jury or grand-jury service (§ 78B-1-116(1)) |
| Employers and employees covered | Employers and employees generally; no employer-size, tenure, full-time, or permanent-worker limit stated (§ 78B-1-116) |
| Time-off entitlement | No defined leave-duration sentence; employer cannot deprive employee of employment, threaten, take adverse action, or coerce employee because of covered jury activity (§ 78B-1-116(1)) |
| Employer-paid wages | No general employer wage-continuation requirement stated in § 78B-1-116; lost-wage remedy after unlawful discharge does not make ordinary jury leave paid |
| PTO and juror-fee treatment | Employer may not require or request annual, vacation, or sick leave for summons response, selection, or service. Statute does not address voluntary PTO use or employer offset for juror fees (§ 78B-1-116(2)) |
| Employee notice and proof | No employee notice deadline, summons-copy requirement, or attendance-proof rule stated in § 78B-1-116 |
| Scheduling and return-to-work rules | No night-shift rest window, same-day return requirement, or long-trial scheduling rule stated in § 78B-1-116 |
| Job protection and remedies | No employment deprivation, threat, adverse action, or coercion for covered activity. Violation is criminal contempt punishable by up to $500, six months, or both. Discharged employee has 30 days to sue for reinstatement and up to six weeks' lost wages; prevailing employee receives reasonable attorney fees (§ 78B-1-116(1), (3)-(4)) |
Protection begins with the summons
Utah protects an employee who receives or responds to a summons, serves as a juror or grand juror, or attends court for prospective jury or grand-jury service. An employer may not deprive the employee of employment, threaten the employee, take an adverse employment action, 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 notice deadline or required proof procedure.
No forced annual, vacation, or sick leave
An employer may not require or request annual, vacation, or sick leave for time spent responding to a summons, participating in jury selection, or serving on a jury. The statute does not require an employer to create those benefits for an employee who is not otherwise entitled to them.
Section 78B-1-116 does not generally require wage continuation and does not address voluntary PTO use or an employer offset for court-paid juror fees.
Criminal contempt and a 30-day civil action
An employer that violates the section is guilty of criminal contempt and, upon conviction, may be fined up to $500, imprisoned for up to six months, or both.
If the employer discharges the employee, the employee has 30 days 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 fixed by the court.
What trips people up
Utah protects prospective service and grand-jury activity expressly; protection does not wait until the employee is selected for a trial jury.
The civil filing window is only 30 days. The civil remedy is written for discharge, while the criminal-contempt provision reaches any employer violation of the section.
Common questions
Must a Utah employer pay wages during jury duty?
No general wage-continuation duty appears in § 78B-1-116. An employer policy or agreement may provide paid jury leave.
Can the employer make the employee use vacation or sick leave?
No. The employer may not require or request annual, vacation, or sick leave for the covered jury activity.
Does the protection cover a grand-jury summons?
Yes. The statute expressly names service and prospective service as a grand juror.
How long does a discharged employee have to sue?
Thirty days under the express civil-action provision.
Statutes and sources
- Utah Code § 78B-1-116(1)-(4): covered activity, no forced leave, criminal contempt, and discharge remedies — official text (accessed July 13, 2026).
Source links
Every statute quoted above, linked, with the date we checked it.
What does Utah law mean for your facts?
You just read the general rule. Ask your own question and see which parts of current Utah law apply to your situation, with citations you can check.
Opens in Ezel Pro.
- Starts from the statutes this survey is built on
- Cites every source it relies on, so you can verify it
- Chat, drafting and research in one workspace