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Bradford Factor Calculator

The Bradford Factor calculator is for calculating employee absence and assigning a weighted employee attendance score. A high Bradford score indicates a poor attendance record. A low Bradford factor indicates a good employee attendance record.

Bradford Factor Calculator
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Bradford Factor Calculations

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An employee with a Bradford factor of zero has had no unplanned absences. The Bradford factor is a useful tool for managers to assess individuals within their teams and compare relative attendance scores.

Simple to use Bradford factor calculator that provides the specific measured rating of absence using the Bradford Factoring absence scoring mechanism

How to use the Bradford Factor Calculator

The online Bradford Factor calculator is very simple to use. You simply need to know the number of occasions a person was absent and the total days absent. Step by step guides to using the calculator are below.

  1. Enter the number of occasions you (the person measured) has been absent in Absent Count
  2. Enter the total amount of days absent in Absent Count. So if 2 days, then 1, then half day, then 4 enter 7.5 [2+1+0.5+4 = 7.5]
  3. Press Calculate or use the enter key on your keyboard

Add and edit to get a full Bradford factor count for all your staff. Press reset to calculate a new Bradford Factor score.

What is the Bradford Factor?

The Bradford factor is a simple formula that allows companies to apply a relatively weighting to employee unplanned absence (sickness, poor health etc). The Bradford factor is designed around the principal that repeat absence has a greater operational impact than long term sick. The Brandford Factor is a popular Human Resources tool for benchmarking attendance.

Frequent short terms absences often occur at short notice and can be disruptive for companies. Backfilling key positions can be impossible, particularly when the person sick is a SME (Subject Matter Expert) in a specific field, activity or function. Longer term absence can normally be filled more effectively by temporary transfer of staff, contractors, agency workers etc.

The Bradford factor has its limitations but does provide a useful benchmark for staff managers.  The Bradford Factor is used by numerous companies across the globe, originally conceived at the Bradford University School of Management in the early 1980s.  Most companies utilise the factor as a guide rather than scientific fact as the Bradford factor does not take into account specific health factors such as disability or the same illness causing sporadic absenteeism over a period of weeks etc.

How do I calculate my Bradford Factor?

The Bradford factor is calculated using the Bradford Formula S2 x D = B

  • S is the total number separate absences
  • D is the total number of days of absence of that individual over the same set period(normally a running year)
  • B is the Bradford Factor score

Example Bradford factor calculations are below.

AbsencesDays AbsentBradford FactorComments
412192.004 x 4 x 12 = 192 (Bradford Factor 192)
228.002 x 2 x 2 = 8 (Bradford Factor 8)
2416.002 x 2 x 4 = 16 (Bradford Factor 16)
144.001 x 1 x 4 = 4 (Bradford Factor 4)
111.001 x 1 x 1 = 1 (Bradford Factor 1)

Why do companies use the Bradford Factor?

Companies use the the Bradford factor to provide a weighted measure of employee absence that balances repetition and duration of absence.

Will my Bradford Factor Stop me being paid?

Possibly, it depends on how your company uses the Bradford factor and interprets the score. Most companies have a threshold beyond which they take disciplinary action or/and stop paying you. Companies vary on how they use this management tool.