In Re: Jury Venire for the Week of July 24, 2017

**What Happened** This case involved a dispute over whether an employer had to pay a worker for their full 12-hour shift when the employee was excused from work to serve on a jury. The trial court initially ruled that the employer must pay the employee for the entire work shift they missed due to jury duty. **What the Court Decided** The appellate court overturned the lower court's decision and dismissed the case entirely. This means the employer was not required to pay the employee for the missed work shift during jury service. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling clarifies that employers in Tennessee generally are not required to pay employees for time missed while serving on a jury, even if it covers an entire work shift. Workers should understand that jury duty compensation typically comes from the court system, not their employer, unless their company has a specific policy providing paid time off for jury service. Employees called for jury duty should check their employee handbook or ask HR about their company's jury duty policies, as some employers voluntarily provide paid leave even when not legally required to do so.