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Free Bradford Factor Calculator
Enter absence spells and total days absent to instantly see your Bradford Factor score, risk level, and the appropriate HR action — completely free.
Separate absences in the last 52 weeks
Total days across all spells
Low concern
Often set in policy: informal discussion; a verbal warning may be appropriate.
A prompt, not a verdict. These bands are a common starting point, not a legal standard: your absence policy sets the triggers. Leave out disability-related and pregnancy-related absence before you act on a score.
Same days off, more spells
Your 9 days off came in 3 separate spells, so they score 81. The same 9 days as one absence would score 9; as 9 single days, 729. Squaring the spells is what makes frequent short absence count for more than one long one.
Same 9 days: 9 to 729
One absence
9
1² × 9
No concern
3 spellsYou
81
3² × 9
Low concern
6 spells
324
6² × 9
Moderate concern
9 single days
729
9² × 9
Serious concern
Each square is a day off; a gap is a return to work, and the next absence starts a new spell.
From one score to your whole team
This calculator gives you the numbers. TimeTally tracks absence records, leave requests, and approvals automatically, and its Bradford Factor software scores every employee from the sickness you record — so you have the full picture without manual calculation. From £3/employee/month.
Bradford Factor in TimeTally
Every approved leave request and absence sits on one calendar. Spot patterns and cover gaps before they become a problem — no more cross-referencing spreadsheets.
Staff submit leave requests and log sick days via the iPhone or Android app. Absence records update automatically. No emails, no forms, no back-and-forth.
All leave requests land in your dashboard. Approve or reject with a single tap, with a reason when you turn one down. Every decision is timestamped — no more disputes about who approved what.
Approved paid leave is included in your payroll export automatically: in the Xero or QuickBooks payroll journal, or a CSV for any other payroll software. No manual adjustments.
The score is spells × spells × days (S² × D), so the same ten days off scores very differently depending on how many separate absences they came in.
| Pattern over 52 weeks | Spells (S) | Days (D) | Score (S² × D) |
|---|---|---|---|
| One 10-day absence | 1 | 10 | 10 |
| Two absences of 5 days | 2 | 10 | 40 |
| Three absences, 10 days in all | 3 | 10 | 90 |
| Five absences of 2 days | 5 | 10 | 250 |
| Ten single days | 10 | 10 | 1,000 |
| Score | Level of concern | Action often set in policy |
|---|---|---|
| 0–50 | None | No action |
| 51–124 | Low | Informal discussion; a verbal warning may be appropriate |
| 125–399 | Moderate | A written warning may be appropriate |
| 400–649 | High | A final written warning may be appropriate |
| 650+ | Serious | Review, which may include dismissal |
These bands are a widely used starting point, not a legal standard. Your own triggers belong in your absence policy and should be applied the same way to everyone, with disability-related and pregnancy-related absence handled separately so the score does not discriminate.
There is no single NHS Bradford score either: trusts that use the Bradford Factor set their own triggers in their local sickness absence policies, often alongside other measures. If you want the score kept up to date for everyone rather than worked out by hand, TimeTally calculates it from recorded unplanned absence in its absence management reports.
A widely-used absence metric — but one with legal pitfalls if misapplied. Here's how to use it correctly.
The Bradford Factor is calculated as S² × D, where S is the number of separate absence spells in a rolling 52-week period and D is the total number of days absent. Because the number of spells is squared, frequent short absences produce a disproportionately high score compared to a single long absence of the same total duration. For example: 10 single-day absences (10 spells, 10 days) = 10² × 10 = 1,000. One 10-day absence (1 spell, 10 days) = 1² × 10 = 10. The formula emphasises disruption over duration.
There are no statutory Bradford Factor thresholds — employers set their own. Common benchmarks used in published absence policies include: below 50 (acceptable, no action), 50–99 (informal discussion), 100–199 (first formal absence review), 200–299 (second formal review), 300+ (final warning or dismissal consideration). Some organisations use lower thresholds for customer-facing or safety-critical roles. Whatever thresholds are used, they must be applied consistently across all employees to avoid discrimination claims.
Applying Bradford Factor triggers mechanically to disability-related absence is one of the most common sources of discrimination claims in absence management. Under the Equality Act 2010, if the absences are connected to a disability, triggering formal proceedings without first considering whether the policy places the employee at a substantial disadvantage is likely indirect discrimination. Best practice is to either exclude confirmed disability-related absences from the Bradford calculation entirely, or to set materially higher thresholds for employees with disclosed disabilities.
A high Bradford Factor score does not, by itself, justify dismissal — or even formal disciplinary action. It is a management alert: a signal that absence patterns warrant a conversation. Employment Tribunals have consistently held that dismissal based solely on a numeric score, without investigation of the underlying reasons, is unfair. The score should trigger a return-to-work interview, an absence review meeting, and consideration of the employee's personal circumstances before any formal action is taken.
For a Bradford Factor policy to be legally defensible, it should: be documented in the employee handbook or absence policy; clearly explain how scores are calculated and what thresholds trigger which interventions; confirm that disability-related absence will be considered separately; provide a right of appeal at each formal stage; and be communicated to all employees at induction. Employees subject to a trigger should be shown their current score and given the opportunity to explain the absences before any formal step is taken.
Inconsistent application of Bradford Factor thresholds is a significant legal risk. If one manager triggers a formal review at a score of 100 while another ignores a score of 400, employees treated more strictly can argue they have been singled out. In gender, race, or age discrimination claims, claimants may use inconsistency as evidence of pretext. Centralised absence management software that automatically flags scores at defined thresholds removes the discretion that creates inconsistency.
The Bradford Factor is typically calculated on a rolling 52-week basis, meaning old absences drop out of the calculation as new weeks are added. An employee with a score of 300 in January may see that score fall significantly by December if they have had no further absences. This decay is an important feature — it allows employees to 'recover' their score through sustained attendance and prevents old absences from affecting current decisions indefinitely. Policies should specify the calculation window to avoid disputes.
Pregnancy-related sickness absence must never be included in a Bradford Factor calculation. Including it is direct sex discrimination under the Equality Act 2010 — there is no justification defence available. The protection runs from the point the employer is aware of the pregnancy, whether or not the employee has formally announced it. Any absence attributed to pregnancy — including morning sickness, pregnancy-related conditions, or antenatal appointments — should be coded separately and excluded from the absence score calculation entirely.
Real reviews from TimeTally customers
TimeTally has been excellent for our business. The app is simple to use, reliable, and makes managing holidays, absences, and staff records straightforward. The system has saved us a significant amount of administration time and gives both managers and employees clear visibility of leave balances and requests. Highly recommended for any business looking for an easy-to-use workforce management solution.
Jordan IngoeCLI ManchesterSetup was dead simple and the team just got on with it. Got everyone up and running in an afternoon with no help needed. Does everything we need for timesheets and holidays without the faff.
Has completely changed how I handle timesheets. Used to dread it every week — now it takes me minutes. Really easy to get around and my staff picked it up straight away.
Started using it just for rotas but quickly realised it does loads more. The timesheets and leave management are great, and it even handles TOIL and overtime which I wasn't expecting. Use it for everything now.
Meet TimeTally
TimeTally automatically calculates, tracks, and manages absence and leave for your entire team. Explore all features or see how it works.
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Select any feature for the detail.
Employees see their current balance and their projected future balance — accounting for leave already booked but not yet taken. Optionally let staff see who else in their department has booked time off, so they can plan around colleagues. Managers can manually adjust any employee's balance at any time — ideal when setting up mid-year from a previous system.
Pick the accrual method that fits each employee: upfront (full entitlement from day one), monthly accrual (earned gradually each month), daily accrual (builds day by day), or hours worked (earned per hour worked at a rate you set, 12.07% by default). All calculations are handled automatically — no spreadsheets needed.
TimeTally comes with annual leave, sick leave, maternity, paternity and bank holidays set up. Need something else, like compassionate leave? Create unlimited custom leave types with any name. For each type you control: whether it's paid or unpaid, whether it deducts from the annual leave balance or has its own separate pot, and who it's turned off for.
Decide exactly what happens at year end: toggle carryover on or off, set a maximum number of days that can carry, and optionally add an expiry date so carried-over days must be used within e.g. 3 months. You can also allow employees to book leave before they've earned it (negative balance), with an optional cap to limit exposure.
Set each employee's contracted hours per day of the week (or use a company default). TimeTally uses this to deduct the right amount of leave — a half-day Tuesday only costs half a Tuesday's hours — and to pay the correct amount for each day taken. Pro-rata entitlements for new starters and leavers are calculated automatically from their start date.
Employees can request leave in hours, half days, or full days from the app or website — no training required. Managers can book leave on behalf of any employee. Public holidays are added automatically for the country you choose. Set a custom leave year start date (e.g. 7th April) and balances reset automatically. Easy to set up even when migrating from another system mid-year.
Managers can approve any leave request in one tap. Rejections include an optional reason so employees know why, and they can send a new request. Employees can also ask to change or cancel approved leave, and you approve or turn it down. Any booked leave can be deleted if plans change, and the days go back on the balance — all with a full audit trail.
Leave sits in the main team calendar alongside timesheets and rota shifts — one view of the whole business. If you use time tracking, overtime converts to TOIL automatically at a rate you define. Leave analytics give managers a clear picture of absence patterns, entitlement usage, and remaining balances across the whole team.
Common questions about the Bradford Factor formula, scores, and HR best practice.
The Bradford Factor is calculated using the formula S² × D, where S is the number of separate absence spells in a 52-week rolling period and D is the total number of days absent over the same period. For example, an employee with 3 spells totalling 9 days would have a score of 3² × 9 = 81. The formula intentionally gives much greater weight to the number of separate occasions than to total days absent, because frequent short absences cause more disruption than a single long absence.
Common thresholds used in UK organisations are: 0–50 (no concern, no action), 51–124 (low concern, informal discussion or verbal warning may be appropriate), 125–399 (moderate concern, written warning may be appropriate), 400–649 (high concern, final written warning may be appropriate), 650+ (serious concern, review for dismissal may be appropriate). These are guidelines only — thresholds should be set in your absence management policy and applied consistently across the workforce.
Yes, using the Bradford Factor as an absence management tool is lawful in the UK, provided it is applied consistently and not in a discriminatory way. Employers must be careful not to automatically trigger disciplinary action based on score alone — each case must be considered on its merits. The Bradford Factor cannot be used to punish employees for disability-related absences, which may need to be discounted from the score under the Equality Act 2010.
All separate periods of absence (spells) within the rolling 52-week period count. A spell is any continuous period of absence, regardless of length — even a single day counts as one spell. If an employee returns to work and is then absent again, that is a new spell. Consecutive days of absence for the same illness typically count as one spell. The key is that each return to work followed by another absence triggers a new spell.
Best practice involves: setting clear thresholds in your absence policy and communicating them to all staff; applying the score consistently and fairly; always conducting a return-to-work interview after every absence; considering the reason for absence before taking disciplinary action; excluding disability-related absences from the calculation; reviewing the 52-week rolling window regularly; and never using the Bradford Factor as the sole basis for dismissal — it should inform, not replace, management judgement.
The Bradford Factor is typically calculated over a rolling 52-week period (one year) rather than a fixed calendar or leave year. 'Rolling' means the window moves forward each day, so absences drop out of the calculation when they are more than 52 weeks old. This is fairer than a fixed year because it avoids spikes at the start of a new period and gives a more accurate picture of current absence patterns.
Yes, if applied without adjustment. Employees with a disability under the Equality Act 2010 may have higher absence rates due to their condition. Including disability-related absences in the Bradford Factor calculation could constitute indirect discrimination. HR best practice is to exclude, or separately ring-fence, absences that are related to a recognised disability. Employers should take occupational health advice and make reasonable adjustments before triggering any Bradford Factor-based process for a disabled employee.
Yes. Employees can challenge their score if they believe it has been calculated incorrectly, if disability-related absences have not been excluded, or if the policy has been applied inconsistently. Employees should be given the opportunity to provide context for their absences before any formal action is taken. A return-to-work interview is a good opportunity for this. If an employee believes they have been treated unfairly, they can raise a formal grievance.
Benchmarks vary by sector. A score of 0–50 is generally considered low risk and represents no more than a few short absences in the year. Most organisations set their first trigger point between 100 and 200. Scores above 400 are typically treated as serious in most absence policies. Sectors with higher inherent absence rates (such as healthcare and logistics) may set higher trigger points than office-based environments. It is important to set benchmarks that reflect your specific workforce and sector.
Alternatives include: the Absence Frequency Rate (number of spells divided by the number of employees, expressed as a percentage); the Lost Time Rate (days lost divided by possible days, as a percentage); trigger-point systems based purely on number of occurrences or total days; and qualitative approaches using return-to-work interviews and absence reviews without a numerical score. Many HR professionals advocate using the Bradford Factor alongside qualitative tools rather than as a standalone metric, to ensure context is always considered.
Still have a question? See all FAQs →
Book a DemoA Bradford Factor is only as reliable as the absence records feeding it.
Every spell and duration recorded automatically, so scores stay accurate.
All absence types in one place, with the history to back up any conversation.
Keep unpaid absence distinct from sickness in your reporting.
Track and reduce employee absence
Record and monitor sick leave for every employee
Calculate annual leave for any working pattern
Track and calculate weekly working hours
Manage team holiday requests and approvals
Calculate SSP entitlement for employees
Every absence is recorded once and the score updates itself, with the team calendar showing who is off and why.
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