Bradford Factor Calculator

How the Bradford Factor calculator works

1. 1

   Count the separate absence spells

   A spell is one continuous period of absence, however long. Two days off in one go is a single spell, whereas two individual days in different weeks counts as two spells and has a much larger effect on the score.

2. 2

   Add up the total days absent

   Total the working days lost across all the spells in the review period. The days figure scales the score linearly, so it matters much less than the number of spells.

3. 3

   Set the review period

   Most policies score absence over a rolling 12-month window. A shorter window produces lower scores from the same pattern, so the period has to be consistent for the score to mean anything across a team.

4. 4

   Read the score against the trigger bands

   The calculator shows the score and the example band it falls into. Trigger points are set by each employer's own absence policy, so treat the bands as illustrative rather than as legal thresholds.

The Bradford Factor formula

Bradford Factor = S squared x D S = number of separate absence spells in the review period D = total days absent in the review period

• •Squaring the number of spells is what makes the measure sensitive to frequent short absences rather than to total time lost.
• •Ten single days off produce a score of 1,000, while one continuous ten-day absence produces a score of 10, from exactly the same number of days lost.
• •The formula has no statutory standing in the UK. Any trigger points, bands and consequences come from an employer's own absence policy.
• •A score on its own explains nothing about why someone was absent, which is why it should never be applied mechanically.

Worked example: three absences totalling six days

An employee has had three separate absences in the last twelve months, totalling six working days: two days in March, one day in June and three days in November.

Separate absence spells (S)

3

Total days absent (D)

6

S squared

9

Bradford Factor score

54

Example band

Review (50 to 199)

The score is 54, which falls into the example Review band and would typically prompt a supportive conversation rather than formal action.

What a Bradford Factor score does and does not mean

The thresholds are employer policy, not law

There is no statutory Bradford Factor and no legally defined trigger point. The bands shown in this calculator are illustrative, and the only thresholds that apply to you are the ones written into your employer's absence policy.

Disability-related absence needs care

Applying a score mechanically to absence connected to a disability risks discrimination. Employers are generally expected to consider discounting or adjusting such absence as a reasonable adjustment before any trigger is applied.

Some absence should usually be excluded entirely

Pregnancy-related absence, and absence for reasons such as statutory family leave, is normally kept outside absence-management scoring. Check the policy for what it excludes before relying on a score.

A score is a prompt to look, not a decision

The measure only counts spells and days. It knows nothing about the cause, the employee's circumstances or whether the pattern is already being managed, so it should trigger a conversation rather than an outcome.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good or bad Bradford Factor score?

There is no universal answer because trigger points are set by each employer. Many policies start paying attention somewhere between 50 and 100, treat scores in the low hundreds as a formal review point, and reserve several hundred or more for the most serious cases. Because the number is so sensitive to the number of spells, comparing scores across organisations with different policies is not meaningful.

Is the Bradford Factor a legal requirement in the UK?

No. It is an HR management tool with no statutory basis, and no law requires an employer to use it or sets the thresholds it should apply. Employers that do use it usually set out the formula, the review period and the trigger points in a written absence policy, and they remain bound by employment law and the Equality Act however they score absence.

Why does the Bradford Factor penalise short frequent absences?

Because the number of spells is squared before being multiplied by the days. The design assumes that frequent short absences are more disruptive to an employer than one longer planned absence, since each spell causes fresh cover and handover costs. Ten separate single days score 1,000 while one ten-day absence scores 10, which shows how strongly the weighting works.

Should disability-related absence count towards the score?

Applying a score to disability-related absence without adjustment carries real legal risk. Discounting some or all of that absence, or raising the trigger point for the individual, is commonly treated as a reasonable adjustment. Any employer using absence scoring should take advice on how its policy handles disability, pregnancy and other protected reasons before acting on a number.

What review period should I use?

A rolling twelve-month window is the most common choice and is the default in this calculator. Shorter windows produce lower scores from the same behaviour and make the measure more volatile, while longer windows keep old absence in play for a long time. Whichever you choose, it needs to be applied consistently across everyone for the scores to be comparable.