> Would they be forced to rehire you The employees aren't unhired, they are on leave. And yes, the employer is required to return you to your old position, or

> Would they be forced to rehire you The employees aren't unhired, they are on leave. And yes, the employer is required to return you to your old position, or a very similar one. > What if the position ... is no longer needed or has been replaced by automation? Then they return you to a similar position and/or run less efficiently than they may have done otherwise. I don't see this as particularly different from similar issues you get with parental or education leave arrangements. There are sometimes edge cases that complicate things a bit but any reasonably sizeable organisation can usually deal with them without too much bother.