The absenteeism rate formula
Absenteeism rate is the share of scheduled working time lost to unplanned absence. Divide total absent days by the total available days, which is headcount multiplied by working days in the period, and multiply by 100. A 60-person unit with 26 working days has 1,560 available days; 47 absent days gives a rate of 3.01%. Count only unplanned absences such as sick leave without notice, no-shows and LOP; approved planned leave is a scheduling input, not absenteeism.
The cost estimate multiplies absent days by the average daily wage and adds any replacement premium, such as overtime paid to the colleague who covered the post. Security and facility management companies feel this immediately because a vacant post is either a client penalty or double wages for the reliever.
- Absenteeism % = Absent days ÷ (Headcount × Working days) × 100
- Exclude approved planned leave and weekly offs from absent days
- Cost = Absent days × Average daily wage × (1 + replacement premium %)
- Track by site and shift; a company average hides the problem posts
Bradford Factor for frequent short absences
The Bradford Factor scores an individual as S² × D, where S is the number of separate absence spells and D the total days absent in the period. Ten single days scattered across a year score 10² × 10 = 1,000, while one ten-day spell scores 1² × 10 = 10. The formula reflects that frequent short absences are far harder to roster around than one long, predictable leave. Use it as a trigger for a conversation, never as an automatic penalty, and never for absences protected by law such as maternity leave.