"The main reason they might say no is that they’re setting a precedent. If they allow one person to take a sabbatical for whatever reason, others will see this happening and they may ask, too," Heathfield explains. "While one position may work for an employer to allow that person to go on sabbatical, another might not be convenient at all — someone with very scarce skills they can't replace, or that it would take the whole length of the sabbatical to find someone to replace them."