Bradford factor calculator

Score absence as spells squared, multiplied by the total days absent.

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How the formula works

Bradford factor = spells² × days. Spells are separate absences. Days are the working days absent across those spells. Three days off in a row is one spell. Three separate Mondays are three spells.

What the number means

The square on spells makes frequent short absences score higher than one long absence with the same number of days. There is no official trigger. A company chooses the score that starts a conversation and writes it in the absence policy. This page does not recommend a warning, and it does not decide which absences to leave out.

Worked examples

Three short absences

3 spells and 6 days in total. 3² × 6 = 9 × 6.

54

The same six days, once

1 spell of 6 days. 1² × 6 = 1 × 6. Six separate one-day absences would be 6² × 6 = 216.

6, against 216 for six single days

Questions

What counts as one spell?

One continuous absence is one spell, even when it lasts several days. A new spell starts when the person has been back at work and is absent again. Your policy decides whether a weekend between two absences joins them.

Is there an official Bradford factor score that triggers a warning?

No. Employers set their own thresholds. The calculator returns the score only. It does not assign a warning level.

Which period should I use?

Use the window in your absence policy, often a rolling 12 months. Add up the spells and days inside that window, then enter those two totals. The calculator does not read dates or a personnel file.

See also

A higher score means frequent short absences. Companies set their own trigger points.