TL;DR
A jury duty auto-reply is straightforward: state that you're serving, when you expect to return, and who covers urgent items. Phones are typically not allowed in courtrooms, so your availability is genuinely limited even on days you're called. Most employers can't penalize you for jury service — both US federal and state law and most other countries protect against retaliation. The auto-reply should reflect real unavailability, not minimize it.
Set up a jury duty auto-reply on days you're scheduled to appear, even if you might be released. Phones being banned in courtrooms means you genuinely can't check email during the day, which senders should know. For multi-day service, run the auto-reply through your last expected day with a buffer.
Scenario 1
Subject
On jury duty today — replies tomorrow
Body
Hi, Thanks for your email. I'm on jury duty today and unable to check messages while at the courthouse (phones aren't allowed in courtrooms). If I'm released early, I'll catch up on email in the evening. Otherwise, I'll respond tomorrow. For anything urgent today, please contact [colleague] at [email]. Thanks, [Your name]
Scenario 2
Subject
On jury duty this week — limited availability
Body
Hi, I'm currently serving jury duty this week. The exact duration is uncertain — could be 1-2 days, could be longer depending on the trial. Phones aren't allowed in courtrooms, so email access during the day is essentially zero. I'll check messages in the evening. For urgent items during the day, please contact [colleague] at [email]. I'll update this auto-reply when I have a clearer picture of when I'll be back to normal availability. Best, [Your name]
Scenario 3
Subject
On extended jury duty — out through approximately [date]
Body
Hi, Thanks for reaching out. I've been empaneled for a trial expected to run through approximately [date]. During the trial, I'm at the courthouse most of the day with no phone access. For urgent matters, please contact [colleague] at [email]. I'll respond to non-urgent emails in the evenings or when the trial concludes. Appreciate your patience, [Your name]
Aeralis writes jury duty auto-reply emails — and every other type — directly in your Gmail inbox. It learns your writing style from your sent emails, so drafts sound like you wrote them, not like a template.
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Most jurors in the US complete service in 1-3 days — either not selected for a trial after the initial summons, or selected for a short trial. Extended trials are rare. The UK and Australia follow similar patterns (Crown Court trials can run weeks, but most jurors are released after a few days). Plan for 1-3 days; prepare contingencies for longer.
No. In the US, federal law and every state explicitly prohibit retaliation against employees for serving. The UK, EU, Canada, and Australia have equivalent protections. If your employer is pressuring you to be excused or skip service, that's actionable. Document the conversations and contact your country's labor authority if needed.
Depends on your employer and country. The court pays a small daily stipend (typically $15-50/day in US states; varies elsewhere). Some employers pay full salary during jury service — particularly larger employers. Some pay the difference between salary and stipend. Some don't pay anything. Check your employee handbook before you go.
Set up an out-of-office (auto-reply) email when you'll be away from work for a full day or longer — vacations, parental leave, business trips, extended PTO, or personal leave. Most email clients let you schedule the start and end dates.
Use this template when you're calling in sick — for one day, a few days, or extended leave. Send it to your manager (and team if your workflow expects that), not just an auto-reply. Auto-reply variants below handle the public-facing message separately.
Use an apology email when you or your company have missed a deadline, delivered something wrong, experienced a service outage, or caused a customer problem. The goal is to restore trust through clear ownership and a specific fix.