You go to your employer, tell them you are going to apply for another job, but you would like to take a leave of absence in case things don't work out so you can come back to your current job like nothing ever happened.

They tell you no, but you apply for the new job anyway to see if you have a chance to get it. The other job says its between you and another guy so you ask your employer if they would reconsider the leave of absence.

You get a call that you got the job and after that your current employer says you cannot have the leave of absence and have to make a decision on where you want to work. You decide to take the new job. Then you ask all of your friends to pressure your current employer to change their minds.

What should your employer do?

Try this at your job and see what happens.

#26: Get real - What are we saying here?

This is not a "new" Job.  Read the constitution - they designed it to have Citizen Legislators!!!  A citizen who takes a leave from their job, to SERVE the people!!  And YES, companies like Boening DO ALLOW THIS FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES.  Try that on for size!!!