Bradford Factor Calculator
The Bradford Factor is B = S x S x D, where S is the number of separate absence spells and D is the total days absent, usually over the last 52 weeks. One 10-day absence scores 10. Ten 1-day absences score 1,000. Enter your figures below to work out a score.
A spell is one continuous period of absence. Three days in a row is one spell.
All working days lost across those spells, in the same 52 weeks.
Moderate concern in a common UK example banding (125 to 399). These bands are employer policy choices, not law.
If the same 8 days had been one continuous absence, the score would be 8. The difference comes from the number of separate spells.
A score is a reason to look at the record and talk to the employee. It is not, on its own, a reason for discipline.
How to calculate the Bradford Factor
The formula has two inputs, both taken from the same period:
- S, spells: the number of separate periods of absence. A run of consecutive days off is one spell.
- D, days: the total working days lost across all those spells.
Square S (multiply it by itself), then multiply by D. The squaring is the point of the formula. It gives more weight to frequent short absences than to one long absence of the same total length, because short unplanned absences are harder to cover. The CIPD describes the Bradford Factor in these terms in its absence measurement and management factsheet.
Three steps for one employee:
- List every unplanned absence that started in the last 52 weeks.
- Count the spells (S) and add up the days (D).
- Calculate S x S x D. Four spells totalling 8 days give 4 x 4 x 8 = 128.
Bradford Factor examples
Each row below has the same 10 days of absence. Only the number of spells changes.
| Pattern | S | D | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 spell of 10 days | 1 | 10 | 1 x 1 x 10 = 10 |
| 2 spells of 5 days | 2 | 10 | 2 x 2 x 10 = 40 |
| 5 spells of 2 days | 5 | 10 | 5 x 5 x 10 = 250 |
| 10 spells of 1 day | 10 | 10 | 10 x 10 x 10 = 1,000 |
A simple day count treats all four employees the same. The Bradford Factor separates them. That is also its main weakness: it cannot tell a recurring medical condition from casual absence. Only a conversation and the facts can.
Which absences should you count?
Count unplanned absence. Most policies include:
- Sick leave, certified or not.
- Unauthorised absence (no leave approved, no contact).
Leave out planned or protected leave:
- Annual leave and other leave approved in advance.
- Family responsibility leave (BCEA s27). Our family responsibility leave guide covers when it applies.
- Maternity and parental leave.
- Absence caused by an injury on duty or an occupational disease (see below).
Write these rules into your absence policy and apply them the same way to everyone.
What is a bad Bradford Factor score?
No law sets Bradford Factor trigger points, in South Africa or in the UK where the formula is most used. Each employer chooses its own and writes them into its absence policy. Published examples come from UK HR providers. They vary:
| Score | Level of concern |
|---|---|
| 0 to 50 | Low concern |
| 51 to 124 | Mild concern |
| 125 to 399 | Moderate concern |
| 400 to 649 | High concern |
| 650 and above | Very high concern |
The bands above are from PeopleHR, which describes them as the bands most commonly used by UK employers as a starting guide, and states that they are not set by law. Another UK example from Findmyshift uses 51, 201, 401 and 601, and notes there are no set guidelines for trigger points. Many UK schemes attach a verbal or written warning to each band. In South Africa that is not a safe approach unless you have first established why the employee was absent (see the next section).
When you set your own trigger points:
- Use the first trigger for a supportive conversation, not a warning.
- Compare scores within similar roles. A score of 150 means more in a role that cannot be covered.
- Review the triggers after a year of data. Check how many employees each one would have caught.
The 52-week rolling window
The Bradford Factor is usually measured over a rolling 52 weeks. On any date you count only the spells that started in the 52 weeks before it. As time passes, older spells drop out and the score falls unless new absences are added.
Three practical points:
- Recalculate often. A score worked out once a year is out of date for most of the year. Monthly is the minimum that is useful.
- New employees have shorter histories. Someone with three months of service has had less time to build a score. Look at their spell count per month instead.
- Shorter windows react faster. Some employers use 26 weeks for an earlier signal. Use the same window for every employee.
Use the "List each absence" option in the calculator to apply a 52-week window to actual dates.
Can you discipline an employee based on a Bradford score in South Africa?
Not on the score alone. The Bradford Factor does not appear in the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA), the Labour Relations Act (LRA) or any sectoral determination. It tells you whose record to look at first. It does not tell you why the person was absent, and the reason decides which procedure applies:
- Genuine ill health is an incapacity matter. The employer must investigate the extent of the incapacity and consider alternatives before dismissal, and the employee must be able to respond. Since 4 September 2025 this guidance is in the Code of Good Practice: Dismissal (2025), which replaced Schedule 8 of the LRA.
- Unauthorised absence, abuse of sick leave or breaking notification rules are misconduct matters, with a disciplinary process.
Our guide to incapacity versus misconduct for absenteeism explains how to tell them apart. A return-to-work interview after each spell is the simplest way to find out the reason early.
Absences that need care
- Paid sick leave within the BCEA entitlement. Employees get paid sick leave equal to the days they would normally work in six weeks, per 36-month cycle (BCEA s22(1) and s22(2)). The employer may ask for a medical certificate when an employee is absent for more than two consecutive days, or on more than two occasions in eight weeks (BCEA s23(1)). An employee who is ill and uses this leave correctly is not committing misconduct, even if their score is high. Our sick leave guide covers the rules in full.
- Disability and chronic illness. Unfair discrimination on the grounds of disability is prohibited (Employment Equity Act s6(1)), and a dismissal that unfairly discriminates on that ground is automatically unfair (LRA s187(1)(f)). Some conditions cause frequent short absences by their nature. Exclude disability-related absence from the score, or adjust the trigger for that employee, and record why.
- Pregnancy. Dismissal for pregnancy or any reason related to it is automatically unfair (LRA s187(1)(e)). Do not count pregnancy-related absence towards a trigger.
- Injury on duty and occupational disease. The BCEA sick leave rules do not apply to inability to work caused by an accident or occupational disease as defined in COIDA, except for periods when no compensation is payable (BCEA s24). Handle these absences through a COIDA claim, not your attendance triggers.
Our longer guide, the Bradford Factor in South Africa, covers the limits of the formula and how to build it into an absenteeism policy.
Bradford Factor or absenteeism rate?
They answer different questions. The absenteeism rate measures how much time is lost, as a percentage of scheduled working time. It is the better measure for a team, a site or the whole company. The Bradford Factor measures how disruptive one person's pattern is. Use both. Our absenteeism rate calculator works out the rate, and the cost of absenteeism calculator puts a Rand value on it.
How Appsentia helps
Appsentia does not calculate a Bradford Factor. It works from the same leave records and gives each employee an attendance risk score from 0 to 100. The score combines how often the employee is absent compared with the company average, how many short absences fall on Mondays, Fridays, next to public holidays or around payday, the month-on-month trend, and a comparison with their department. It also shows where absence is concentrated by department. See the full list on our features page.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate the Bradford Factor?
Multiply the number of separate absence spells by itself, then multiply by the total number of days absent: B = S x S x D. Use the same period for both, usually the last 52 weeks. An employee with 4 spells totalling 8 days scores 4 x 4 x 8 = 128.
What is a good Bradford Factor score?
There is no legal or official standard. Lower is better, and a score of 50 or less is treated as low concern in the example bands most often published by UK HR providers. Each employer sets its own trigger points in its absence policy.
What counts as one spell of absence?
One continuous period of absence, however many days it lasts. Three days off in a row is one spell. Three separate single days are three spells. Your policy should say whether a weekend or public holiday in the middle breaks a spell. Most employers treat it as one spell.
Is the Bradford Factor legal in South Africa?
No South African law requires or prohibits it. You can use it to decide which attendance records to look at first. You cannot rely on the score alone to discipline or dismiss someone. The reason for the absence decides whether it is an incapacity or a misconduct matter, and each has its own fair procedure.
Should certified sick leave count towards the Bradford Factor?
Most employers include sick leave, because the score measures how often work is disrupted. But an employee who is genuinely ill and uses paid sick leave within their BCEA entitlement is not committing misconduct. Absence linked to a disability, pregnancy or an occupational injury should be excluded or handled separately.
Over what period is the Bradford Factor measured?
Usually a rolling 52 weeks. On any date you count the spells and days in the 52 weeks before it. Spells older than that drop out. Some employers use 26 weeks for an earlier signal.
Sources
- CIPD (2021). Absence measurement and management factsheet (archived copy).
- PeopleHR. What is the Bradford Factor? Example score bands.
- Findmyshift. Should the Bradford Factor influence your disciplinary procedure? Example trigger points.
- Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997, sections 22, 23, 24 and 27.
- Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995, section 187(1)(e) and (f).
- Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, section 6(1).
- Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act 130 of 1993.
- DLA Piper (September 2025). Recent developments in employment law, on the Code of Good Practice: Dismissal (2025).
This page is general information, not legal advice. Check the current Act, your sectoral determination or bargaining council agreement, and get advice on individual cases.
See attendance risk for every employee
Appsentia scores each employee's attendance risk from 0 to 100 using absence frequency, Monday, Friday, public holiday and payday patterns, and trend, and shows where absence is concentrated by department. Upload a leave export or connect PaySpace. Free for 30 days for up to 10 employees.