Dear Mpratish,
What treatment the LOP days should be given depends on HR/Leave policy of a firm. It's also depends on, in many firms, on the goodwill, a go-getter, enjoyed by the employees concerned and ultimately the deciding factor is HODs' recommendation on such availment from case to case basis. I personally feel "uninformed leave" does not warrant a kind treatment from the point of view of the employer and deserves to be treated as absent (except on valid reasons like sudden illness, accident etc.) which in turn could be amounted to 'break-in-service". So I request all our employee friends never, ever venture for "uninformed LOP" as there is always a danger of losing benefits accruing to all of your past services. This is so 'leave itself cannot be taken as an automatic right to avail' ofcourse except on emergencies. It goes without saying 'an unwanted person' cannot complain of discrimination if 'a break-in-service' is meted out in case of LOP, of course sometimes no.of days also matters. In these situations it's good for them to sort them out immediately on rejoining duty after the LOP and see it did not result in break-in-service otherwise one has to repent leisurely when they are leaving and face the shock of problem in F & F settlements.