Bradford Factor
Also known as: bradford score, bradford formula
The Bradford Factor is a score that weighs the disruption of absence by giving frequent short absences far more weight than occasional long ones.
The Bradford Factor is a formula used in absence management to quantify how disruptive an employee's absence pattern is. Its key idea is that many short, separate absences are more disruptive to a team than a single long one — so it weights frequency heavily.
The score is calculated over a rolling period (usually 52 weeks) and is often used to set trigger points for review conversations. It should be applied with judgement and context, not as an automatic disciplinary trigger.
Formula
Bradford Factor = S² × D (S = number of separate absence spells, D = total days absent)
Example
One absence of 10 days scores 1² × 10 = 10. But ten separate one-day absences score 10² × 10 = 1,000 — the same total days, a far higher score.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a high Bradford Factor score?
- There's no universal threshold — each employer sets its own trigger points. Many use bands such as 100+ for an informal chat and higher scores for formal review, always considering the context behind the absences. Try our free Bradford Factor calculator to score a pattern.
Related terms
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