On Your Own; Your Legal Right @ Eighteen On Your Own formatted final version | Page 11

At work, all employees must be allowed unpaid time off for jury service.
Your employer may choose, but is not required, to pay you for the duration
of your leave. Your employer should not make any attempt to have your
service on a jury postponed, unless business conditions truly necessitate
such action. If you receive a jury summons, you should let your employer
know as soon as possible.
MILITARY SERVICE
Enlisting in the Armed Forces
You must be 18 to enlist, but with the written consent of your parent or
guardian, you may enlist at the age of 17.
Employees called to active military duty, Reserve or National Guard
service may be eligible to receive time off under the Uniformed Services
Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994. Military leave is
typically granted on an unpaid basis. Upon return with an honorable
discharge, employees may be entitled to reinstatement and any applicable
job benefits they would have received if present.
Selective Service
Federal law requires all males between 18 and 26 years of age to register
with the federal government’s Selective Service System. This system is
responsible for providing men to the country’s armed forces in the event
of a war or other national crisis. Registering with the system makes you
eligible for the draft if it should be reinstated. But registering with
Selective Service does not mean that you are joining the military.
If you do not register, you can be prosecuted and fined up to $250,000
and/or be put in jail for up to five years. Registration is also a requirement
to qualify for Federal student aid, job training benefits, and most Federal
employment. Men born after December 31, 1959, who aren’t registered
with Selective Service, won’t qualify for Federal student loans or grant
programs. This includes Pell Grants, College Work Study, Guaranteed
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