Bradford Factor calculator

Bradford Factor Calculator: Work Out Your Score

Get a Bradford Factor score from the dates of each absence or simply from the number of spells and days. See where it sits on a typical trigger scale, what one more day off would do, and when each absence drops out of the 52-week window.

Quick answer

The Bradford Factor is S² × D: the number of separate absences (spells) in the last 52 weeks, squared, times the total days absent. Three one-day absences score 3² × 3 = 27, but six score 6² × 6 = 216, so frequent short absences count far more than one long one. A common policy reviews at 51 and gives a written warning at 201.

Count absences that started in the last 52 weeks. A spell is one continuous absence, however long.
Bradford Factor score
128
51–200 Typically an informal review or first stage
Spells (S)
4
Days (D)
8
One more 1-day absence
225
1-day absences left before 201
—
The Bradford Factor is a management tool, not a legal standard. Each employer sets its own trigger points in its absence policy, and disability-related absence may need to be discounted as a reasonable adjustment under the Equality Act 2010.

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Bradford Factor score chart

Scores for common combinations of spells (rows) and total days absent (columns). Colours follow the example trigger scale below.

Spells \ Days123456810121520
1123456810121520
2–8121620243240486080
3––273645547290108135180
4–––648096128160192240320
5––––125150200250300375500
6–––––216288360432540720
7––––––392490588735980
8––––––5126407689601,280
9–––––––8109721,2151,620
10–––––––1,0001,2001,5002,000

Typical Bradford Factor trigger points

There is no official scale. Many UK absence policies use something close to this example; check your own employer's policy, which is what actually applies.

ScoreTypical action in an example policy
0–50No action
51–200Informal review or first-stage meeting / verbal warning
201–400Formal meeting and first written warning
401–600Final written warning
601+Considered for dismissal on capability grounds

How to calculate a Bradford Factor score

  1. Pick the period. Most employers use a rolling 52 weeks back from today.
  2. Count the spells (S). Each separate, continuous absence is one spell. Monday to Wednesday off sick is one spell of three days.
  3. Count the days (D). Add up all days absent across those spells, usually working days.
  4. Square S and multiply by D. Four spells totalling 8 days: 4 × 4 × 8 = 128. One spell of 8 days: 1 × 1 × 8 = 8.

Because the number of spells is squared, the score rises fastest with frequency. That is the point of the measure, developed at Bradford University in the 1980s: frequent unplanned absences are harder to cover than a single planned-for one.

Using the Bradford Factor fairly

Sickness also has a direct cost: from 6 April 2026 Statutory Sick Pay is paid from the first day of absence at £123.25 a week. The SSP calculator works out what each absence costs.

Bradford Factor questions

How do you calculate the Bradford Factor?
Multiply the number of separate absences (spells) in the last 52 weeks by itself, then by the total days absent: S × S × D. Four absences totalling 8 days score 4 × 4 × 8 = 128.
What is a bad Bradford Factor score?
It depends on the employer's policy, as there is no legal scale. A widely used example reviews at 51, gives a first written warning at 201, a final written warning at 401 and considers dismissal from 601.
How long does an absence count towards the Bradford Factor?
Most employers use a rolling 52-week period, so each absence stops counting 52 weeks after it ended. The calculator's absence-dates mode shows the date each one drops out.
Do weekends count in the Bradford Factor?
Usually not. Most policies count working days the employee was due to work, so a Friday-to-Monday absence for someone working Monday to Friday is two days. Some employers count calendar days; the calculator supports both.
Does the NHS use the Bradford Factor?
Some NHS trusts and other public bodies have used it, but many NHS sickness absence policies use their own triggers based on the number of episodes or days in a rolling period instead. Check your trust's own policy.
Should disability-related absence count in the Bradford Factor?
Counting it in the same way can amount to disability discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. Employers commonly discount disability-related absence or raise trigger points as a reasonable adjustment. Pregnancy-related sickness must not be counted.
Statutory Sick Pay calculator£123.25 a week from day one Holiday entitlement calculatorStatutory leave and accrual Employer cost calculatorSalary, NI and pension

Sources: Acas: managing staff absences; GOV.UK: Statutory Sick Pay; Equality Act 2010. Reviewed October 2026.

Written and reviewed by James Whitfield and the editorial team.

Every figure is checked against current HMRC and GOV.UK guidance and reviewed for the 2026/27 tax year. We explain the numbers in plain English with worked examples. Editorial standards · About us