Bradford Factor calculator
The Bradford Factor scores absence so that many short absences weigh more than one long one. Enter the number of absence spells and the total days absent to get the score, then read the cautions before you act on it.
Calculator
Separate absences in the period
All days absent across those spells
The formula
B = S² × D, that is S × S × D.
- S is the number of separate absence spells in the period. A spell is one continuous absence, however many days it lasts.
- D is the total number of days absent in the same period, across all spells.
- The period is often a rolling 52 weeks. Use the same period for everyone you compare.
Squaring S is the point of the formula. A single long illness is easy to plan around once it starts; frequent short absences each need cover arranged at short notice, so the score rises fastest with the number of spells.
Worked example
Three people were each absent for 6 days in the last 52 weeks, in different patterns:
| Pattern | S | D | B = S × S × D |
|---|---|---|---|
| One absence of 6 days | 1 | 6 | 1 × 1 × 6 = 6 |
| Three absences of 2 days | 3 | 6 | 3 × 3 × 6 = 54 |
| Six single days | 6 | 6 | 6 × 6 × 6 = 216 |
The same 6 days produce scores of 6, 54 and 216. The calculator above starts on the middle row.
Before you use the score
Read this first
- It ignores reasons. The score cannot tell a long-term condition from a run of colds, or a carer's emergencies from avoidance. It points at a pattern worth a conversation, not at a conclusion.
- Leave protected absence out. Absence linked to disability, pregnancy or maternity, and any other absence the law protects where you work, should not count. In the UK and the EU, equality law protects disabled and pregnant workers, and counting that absence against them can be discrimination.
- Thresholds are your policy, not the law. No law sets a Bradford score that triggers a warning. If you use trigger points, write them into a policy, apply them the same way to everyone, and keep a person's judgement in every decision.
- Talk before you act. A return-to-work conversation tells you more than the number does.
This page explains a common HR metric. It is not legal advice.
The Bradford report in SquadBear
If your leave is recorded in SquadBear, you do not count spells by hand.
- Managers and admins open Reports and pick Bradford. Each person gets their spells, days and factor (S²×D) for the date range you choose, up to 366 days, highest first.
- It counts approved leave of types that need no approval, typically sick leave. Each approved request is one spell, and only the days inside the range count towards D.
- Managers see the people they manage; admins see the whole workspace. The rows export to CSV.
- It shows the number and stops: no threshold, no alert, nothing triggered by the score. It does not know why someone was absent, so the cautions above still apply.
- Assistants connected over MCP can read the same report with the
bradford_factortool, under the same role rules. It is not in the ChatGPT app's tool set.
More detail: Leave reports in the docs and the article The Bradford Factor: formula, calculation and when to use it.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good Bradford Factor score?
There is no universal good or bad score. Bands quoted in HR guides come from practice, not from law or a standard. If you use trigger points, they are your organisation's policy: write them down, apply them consistently, and leave the decision to a person who knows the context.
Should holidays and planned leave count?
Usually not. The factor is meant for unplanned absence such as sickness. Booked holiday and other leave agreed in advance gave you notice to plan cover, so it is normally left out.
Is it legal to use the Bradford Factor?
Using it is not unlawful in itself, but how you use it can be. Absence linked to disability or pregnancy, and other absence the law protects, should be left out of the count. Take local advice: this page is not legal advice.
More free tools: bridge day finder, all tools.
Bradford scores from your real leave records
SquadBear computes the Bradford report from approved leave, on every plan. Free for up to 5 people.
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