Bradford factor

The Bradford Factor or Bradford Formula is used in human resource management as a means of measuring absenteeism. The theory is that short, frequent, and usually unplanned absences are more disruptive than longer absences. However short sighted management and unrealistically small trigger scores can lead to staff grievance. The Bradford Factor is calculated as follows:


 * $$B = S^2 \times D$$

where:


 * B is the Bradford Factor score
 * S is the number of continuous occasions of absence during the last 52 weeks
 * D is the total number of days absence during the last 52 weeks

For example:


 * One single absence of 10 days is 10 points (1 x 1 x 10)
 * Five absences of 2 days each is 250 points (5 x 5 x 10)
 * 10 absences of 1 day each is 1000 points (10 x 10 x 10)

In May 2001, the UK Prison Service began using the Bradford Formula to identify staff with high absenteeism due to illness. The Bradford Formula is used to calculate an "attendance score".