adambiser: Yes, I'm pretty sure sabbatical has to be approved just about everywhere. I didn't mention that, so I can see how I unintentionally implied "automatic".

I believe there is usually the requirement of six years of service between sabbaticals (hence the name) and from what I know, they can have up to a full year for their sabbatical (based on approval of course).

I base it on the only person I know who took sabbatical. While my wife was getting her master's degree, one professor was either gone for her first year or first semester. I forget which, but I know he was gone from his classes and had to have a temporary replacement for them. The other professors mentioned taking sabbaticals as well, but we did not know them then.

HereForTheBeer: My wife will get a mandatory sabbatical period after something like 20 years, and the company also has a vacation schedule that increases with time at the company. They're very flexible with other time off as needed. My last employer also had the increasing vacation time, with a schedule I felt was pretty generous.

Working for my, I sort of get vacation and sort of don't; I didn't take an actual "vacation" until my fourth year, and that was just a Friday off. Even then, that Friday I was out on a lake with my brother and a couple friends, fishing for whatever was biting, and talking to a customer in South Dakota. So it might not be an on-site visit but they'll get parts if I can ship them out, and I'll give whatever phone support possible without pissing off the wife. Sabbatical will come when I decide to hang it up for good. And that's fine - I love the work and get bored on long vacations, anyway. With my old job I'd sometimes come in on vacation and shoot the bull with the guys, and end up on phone support. "What did you do on your day off, honey?" "Went to the office, took some calls." <WTF? look>