Reply to: Slightly different jury service question

[GillsMan]

I choose not to leave my children with strangers, registered childminders or not, we do have both sets of grandparents close as well as aunties, if it came to it though I would take the time off if there was no alternative, my kids come first!

My wife happens to be a childminder, so I guess you and I have different experiences of childminders. Having met some of the other childminders in her group when they've had to look after our children when my wife's been ill/away, I have absolutely no qualms having them look after my children.

Yes kids come first, but so does putting bread on the table.

[kal]

PCG+ cover gives you £300 quid a day (for 10 days max I think) as Jury Service Compo, does anyone know if this is treated as income and has to be paid into the company account (and is subject to CT etc) or whether its paid directly to the individual who can then trouser the lot?

[SarahL2012]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/p...jury-duty.html

[SarahL2012]

I think you can claim for any additional childcare costs when you are doing Jury service - but personally I'd just phone them up and say you can't organise the child care and see what happens

[kal]

Wow. No way would my partner's jury service cause me to need to take time off of work, and we also have children. Maybe I just see a lot of potential solutions instead of barriers to get things done though...

I choose not to leave my children with strangers, registered childminders or not, we do have both sets of grandparents close as well as aunties, if it came to it though I would take the time off if there was no alternative, my kids come first!

[Bellona]

If that is the case, then I can't see the court forcing your family to do anything.

Your wife can simply say "I cannot find anyone to look after my children", and I'm 99.9% positive that she would be excused.

WJMS
For now - Contact the jury coordinator. You can do this simply by telephoning the clerk of the court for which you are summoned. The clerk can direct you to the jury coordinator. If this is the first time you are called for jury service, it is possible that you will be able to request to be excused from serving at this time with very little effort. Most courts allow a one-time rescheduling with little effort. You will be placed back into the "pool" for selection at a future time.

Worry about what will happen next time if and when it happens. If the children are primary school age and below lack of childcare is, in a lot of circumstances taken as a valid reason up to and until they are older.

You just have to accept that you do not have any ground for exemption so all you can do is defer until such time as you can make it more manageable

[psychocandy]

What would/do you do if the person who cares for the child is ill? Do that.

Long term - be shagged. As mentioned wife has been ill so it has restricted location for me.

One day. Take day off as i had to last week when her and baby both ill.

[d000hg]

What would/do you do if the person who cares for the child is ill? Do that.

[jmo21]

Gills,

Take it from me - its not that easy. Childminders can't take £20 cash off you and do you a favour. Its all tightly controlled. They're restricted by numbers of kids so can't 'do a backhander' and go and pick someones kid up for a bit of cash. If they did they'd lose their licence.

Also, I think the limit is 6 kids or something. Even if they've got a 7 seater then its not so easy to fit them all in the car. Some childminders dont even offer a school pickup service.

Might be different in other parts of the country but near me its not easy to get someone. Like I said, we're on one half day a week and on waiting list for another half day.

Also, like I said no-one will be interested in a two week gig looking after the baby or £20 cash. Why would they? They've got plenty of people currently paying 40 hrsx £4 for a full week plus a number waiting on their list. (Not so bad an earner for 6 kids at £4 hr each).

I hear what you're saying but money doesn't solve everything. We're not helped by the fact that we've no family in the area where we live and son goes to school outside area (so none of his friends live near).

My current client is 90 mins travel. Flexibility with hours to certain extent but it would be lot easier with local client.

If that is the case, then I can't see the court forcing your family to do anything.

Your wife can simply say "I cannot find anyone to look after my children", and I'm 99.9% positive that she would be excused.

[psychocandy]

Wow. No way would my partner's jury service cause me to need to take time off of work, and we also have children. Maybe I just see a lot of potential solutions instead of barriers to get things done though...

Yeh fair enough. But everyones situation is different.

"No way" is a bit of a strange way to phrase it though. If you've got to do whats best for you kids you've got to do it. Not cool maybe but thats the way it is. Hoping I dont have to take time off of course but then I aint gonna dump them on a stranger either. And forgive me if I'm wrong but you specifically quote partners jury service as if its they're problem not yours?

[DirtyDog]

Wow. No way would my partner's jury service cause me to need to take time off of work, and we also have children. Maybe I just see a lot of potential solutions instead of barriers to get things done though...

Step 1 - try to get her excused, either temporarily or permanently

Step 2 - try to get someone else to look after the kids

Step 3 - work around it

Step 4 - take the time off

Those are the ways I can see here. I'd be doing everything in the first three to avoid the last.

[GillsMan]

That's exactly what I would do.

Wow. No way would my partner's jury service cause me to need to take time off of work, and we also have children. Maybe I just see a lot of potential solutions instead of barriers to get things done though...

[kal]

Fine. Then take two weeks off work then. That's your solution.

That's exactly what I would do.

[GillsMan]

Fine. Then take two weeks off work then. That's your solution.

[kal]

Gills,

Take it from me - its not that easy. Childminders can't take £20 cash off you and do you a favour. Its all tightly controlled. They're restricted by numbers of kids so can't 'do a backhander' and go and pick someones kid up for a bit of cash. If they did they'd lose their licence.

Also, I think the limit is 6 kids or something. Even if they've got a 7 seater then its not so easy to fit them all in the car. Some childminders dont even offer a school pickup service.

Might be different in other parts of the country but near me its not easy to get someone. Like I said, we're on one half day a week and on waiting list for another half day.

Also, like I said no-one will be interested in a two week gig looking after the baby or £20 cash. Why would they? They've got plenty of people currently paying 40 hrsx £4 for a full week plus a number waiting on their list. (Not so bad an earner for 6 kids at £4 hr each).

I hear what you're saying but money doesn't solve everything. We're not helped by the fact that we've no family in the area where we live and son goes to school outside area (so none of his friends live near).

My current client is 90 mins travel. Flexibility with hours to certain extent but it would be lot easier with local client.

Agree, also there's the issue of vetting, I certainly wouldn't leave my children with the first random person that accepted 20 quid I bunged them, trust of this kind takes time...