Leave of Absence Meaning​

A leave of absence is a period of time that an employee is authorized to be away from work while maintaining their employment status. They are usually granted for a fixed set of reasons specified by company policy or employment contracts, such as illness and disability, family emergencies, military service, or continuing education.

Some types of leave of absence from work are required by law (depending on the country and state), such as FMLA, jury duty, and military service. Others are created by unfortunate situations such as short-term disability.

However, sometimes employers will offer a leave of absence to valuable employees so they can seek special opportunities such as attending graduate school, studying as a renowned industry expert, or taking a sabbatical.