What is the Bradford Factor?

The Bradford Factor is a measure that combines absence frequency and duration measures to identify an employee’s irregularity of attendance. It is a way of illustrating how frequent short-term absences may cause more disruption to an organisation than occasional long-term absences: the higher the ‘score’, the worse the disruption. It is calculated using the following formula:

How to calculate the Bradford Factor:

S x S x D=Bradford Factor S is the number of spells of absence of an individual over a given period; and D is the total number of days of absence of the individual over the same period.

 It is widely accepted that, used effectively, the Bradford Factor can reduce absenteeism by serving as a deterrent and a method for tackling persistent absenteeism: Studies have shown that by educating staff about the Bradford Factor, and then showing them their score on a regular basis, absenteeism can be reduced by over 20%.

This is largely down to staff understanding that taking the ‘odd’ day off here and there will quickly multiply their Bradford Factor score. The Bradford Factor places a value on the impact of the absence which an employee can clearly see, this can serve to deter absenteeism.

To see how the Bradford Factor is automatically calculated within Activ Absence Control why not book your no obligation online demonstration below...