The Bradford formula (also called the Bradford Factor) scores one employee’s absence record as S x S x D, where S is the number of separate absence spells and D is the total days absent, usually over a rolling 52 weeks. Squaring the spells means frequent short absences score far higher than one long absence of the same length, which is why it complements the team-level absenteeism rate.

A worked example

Four employees in the same team each missed 10 days of unplanned work in the last 52 weeks:

Same days lost, scores from 10 to 1,000. Employee D is the pattern supervisors struggle with: each unplanned day means rearranging a shift roster at short notice. You can run the numbers for any employee in the Bradford Factor mode of our absenteeism calculator.

Origin, trigger points and the Indian context

The name is usually linked to research at the University of Bradford School of Management in the 1980s, but that link is folklore: the university has not confirmed it, and some accounts trace it to a company that attended a Bradford seminar.

No Indian law mentions the Bradford formula. Trigger points (say, a return-to-work talk above one score and a formal review above a higher one) are purely employer policy, and they belong in a written leave policy or attendance policy that employees have seen. Indian practice needs a few adjustments:

• Count only unplanned absence. Approved earned or casual leave, maternity leave, holidays and certified hospitalisation should be excluded, and that needs clean data from your attendance system including regularised punches.
• Treat the score as a prompt for a conversation, not a penalty. Absence linked to a disability or chronic condition such as epilepsy or asthma can produce many short spells; employees covered by the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 may need reasonable accommodation, not a warning.
• Any disciplinary step for habitual absence must still follow your standing orders and a fair inquiry process. A score alone is not evidence of misconduct.

Frequently asked questions

What is a “high” Bradford score?

There is no standard. Employers set their own bands, often after looking at their own score distribution; a threshold copied from a UK template may flag half of a busy Indian plant. Our absence management guide covers how to design the wider policy around it.

Why is the Bradford formula criticised?

Unions and disability groups argue that it penalises people with genuine recurring illness and pushes staff to come to work sick. As one input to a manager’s judgement rather than an automatic trigger, it is far less contentious.

Should unpaid days be counted?

If the day was an unplanned absence, yes, even if it was later processed as loss of pay. The formula measures disruption, not pay status.

For the team-level view alongside individual scores, track the absenteeism rate monthly.