Time off for public duties
Employees who hold certain public roles can ask their employer for a reasonable amount of time off to carry out those duties. Plenty of public sector staff serve as councillors, magistrates or school governors alongside their day job, so the rules come up often.
Roles that are covered
GOV.UK says an employee can get a reasonable amount of time off if they are a:
- magistrate
- local councillor
- school governor
- member of a statutory tribunal
- member of a health authority
Other covered roles include membership of the governing body of an educational establishment, a school council or board in Scotland, the Environment Agency or SEPA, prison monitoring boards or visiting committees, Scottish Water or its consultation panel, and trade union duties. Our guide to trade unions covers the union side.
All employees must be allowed time off for jury service. Jury service and work explains how that works.
How much time
There is no fixed amount. GOV.UK says the time off should be agreed between the employee and the employer beforehand. The factors to weigh are how long the duties take, how much public duty time the employee has already used and the effect on the business. The page does not set a notice period.
Pay
Employers can choose to pay staff for time taken off, but they do not have to. If you serve as a councillor or governor, ask your manager whether the time will be paid, unpaid or made up in another way.
If the employer says no
The employer can refuse a request for time off if they think it is unreasonable. They cannot refuse time off for jury service. An employee who feels they are not being given enough time can raise a grievance, and how a grievance works has its own guide.
Who is not covered
GOV.UK lists several groups who do not get this right: agency workers, police and armed forces members, people on fishing vessels or sea-based oil or gas rigs, merchant seamen, and civil servants whose public duties relate to restricted political activities.
Other time off
Sudden family emergencies fall under a different right, described in time off for dependants.
Common questions
Does my employer have to pay me while I am away on public duties?
No. GOV.UK says employers can choose to pay staff for the time taken off, but they do not have to. Check your contract or staff handbook for your own employer's policy.
Can I be refused time off to be a school governor?
The employer can refuse a request they think is unreasonable. The time should be agreed with them beforehand, and if you feel you are not being given enough, you can raise a grievance.
Sources
General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Pay and conditions vary by employer and by nation. Figures checked against these sources on 16 October 2026.