You must have worked for some awful companies. Everywhere I've worked the sabbatical was highly encouraged and the people came back refreshed and often got promoted soon afterwards.
I have never worked for a company that offers sabbaticals and I'm fairly certain I don't even know anyone that works for a company that offers them. I've never met anyone who has mentioned taking one either. AFAIC, they aren't even real.
The list I posted is certainly not exhaustive. Many companies offer them for the exact reason I stated above -- so they don't come to rely on a single worker.
