Bradford Factor

The Bradford Factor was developed in the 1980s to measure short-term absences from work (known as absenteeism). The underlying principle is that short, unplanned absences are more disruptive to a business than longer, pre-arranged periods of leave.

How to calculate the Bradford Factor?

The Bradford Factor is calculated using the formula

B = S × S × D

where:

B is the Bradford Factor,

S is the total number of periods of absence taken by an employee within a given timeframe,

D is the total number of days of absence taken by an employee within a given timeframe.

The Bradford Factor is also linked to the costs of absence, which include:

• Costs associated with a drop in work efficiency
• Costs of a manager's additional working hours
• Payment of sick pay
• Costs of a manager's additional working hours

Learn more about how to analyse and interpret the Bradford Factor.