In my experience companies offer may offer sabbaticals, HR may promote them, the documentation may be shiny; but it is career suicide for anoyone who hasnt already made it to the top.
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.
