Exception to PR residency obligation

Hello folks,

This forum is a wonderful resource. Been lurking for a while and finally have a question I couldn’t find an answer for.

I wanted to clarify an exception in the PR residency obligation requirement.
According to IRCC when the PR holder is travelling with a sponsoring Canadian citizen spouse the time abroad may be counted towards the PR status.

from here

The language is not clear. If the sponsoring spouse who is a citizen is working abroad, does it count? Or are they are only referring to temporary travel such as vacation, internships, transfers etc.

Thank you for your insights.