Indiana employers can’t punish employees who are summoned to serve as jurors or witnesses in court. Even though you needn’t pay employees for jury duty, you can’t force them to use annual, vacation or sick leave during that time off.

Employers are entitled to prior notice, although the law is silent on how early employees must notify you of the need for such leave. So, it’s a good idea to include jury and witness leave in your company handbook to clarify when and how employees should give notice.

Caution: Employers that punish workers for serving on a jury may find themselves hauled before the court. Violators can be held in criminal contempt of court. And don’t even think about punishing an employee who takes witness leave—that’s a criminal misdemeanor, which could mean jail time.