Try this one on for size. Let's say someone looks at his employee handbook and it says "You are eligible for a pension after 30 years of employment ("with jury duty and maternity leave included in this time")".
If the employee never had jury duty or maternity leave, would you conclude he is ineligible for a pension after 30 years of employment?
LOL!
When an employee has to report, by law, to Jury Duty or takes Maternity Leave. Then they are away from the company, but in most cases paid.
Pensions barely exist for new employees today. They began to cut it out in 1998. Oh and good grief 30 years at one job! Most Pensions start at 20 years. That’s a long time at one place, and not be eligible.
You gave me an analogy of a fake Corporation with a fake corporate book that requires all their employees (men and women to serve jury duty and take maternity leave even though men cannot get pregnant).
Read what the law says, and not what you wish it would say. The good news is we can always change the laws, but until then this is the law.