The Bradford Factor

It is accepted that frequent, short term sick leave has a detremental effect on an organisation. Staff cover can be difficult to arrange in such circumstances, and the workload of other employees is often dramatically effected, as they struggle to cope with the added work and pressure.

This frequent sick leave, if not promptly handled, can cause a knock on effect throughout an organisation, with employees noting others having time off and thinking - "If they can, why can't I?"

The Bradford Factor is a simple calulation that can be used to highlight frequent, short-term employee sick leave. The score returned by the Bradford Factor calculation can help to identify those individuals within your organisation who may have sickness records worthy of further investigation. It can also act as a deterent as employees realise that sick leave is being monitored. Many organisations have noticed a reduction in sick leave once the Bradford Factor is implemented.

LeavePlanner.com incorporates the Bradford Factor, allowing you to view the Bradford Factor Scores for your employees, and run Bradford Factor reports, all at the click of a button.

The formula for the Bradford Factor is:

E x E x D = Bradford Factor Score

Where E is the number of episodes of absence and D is the total number of days absent in a rolling 52 week period.

So, for employees with a total of 10 days absence in one year, the Bradford Factor score can vary enormously, depending on the number of episodes of absence involved. For example:

One absence episode of 10 days is 10 points (i.e. 1 x 1 x 10)

Five absence episodes of two days each is 250 points (i.e. 5 x 5 x 10)

Ten absence episodes of one day each is 1,000 points (i.e. 10 x 10 x 10)

 
LeavePlanner and the Bradford Factor
Bradford Factor

LeavePlanner automatically calculates the Bradford Factor. By implementing LeavePlanner to streamline your absence management LeavePlanner will know exactly when employees are away from work, if it should count to their Bradford Factor and calculate their Bradford Factor on an ongoing basis.

LeavePlanner produces an irrefutable record that is calculated in the same way for every employee. It can be accessed in an instant and is updated in real time. LeavePlanner allows you to choose whether or not to show the Bradford Factor to your staff or managers.

Implementing an automatic system to calculate and verify the Bradford Factor is the easiest and most accurate way to utilise this formula. The time intensive calculation of the formula, in addition to the high potential for error and abuse, means that any successful application of the Bradford Factor requires an integrated and automatic absence management system.

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How do organisations use the Bradford Factor?

There are no set rules for using the Bradford Factor; it is down to each organisation to determine the ways in which it uses the score.

However, used effectively, the Bradford Factor can reduce absenteeism dramatically, serving as a deterrent and a method for tackling persistent absenteeism.

Studies have shown that by educating staff about the Bradford Factor, and then showing them their score on a regular basis, absenteeism can be reduced by over 20%. This is largely down to staff understanding that taking the odd day off here and there will quickly multiply their Bradford Factor score. The Bradford Factor places a value on the absence which an employee can clearly see. Where the absence is not absolutely necessary, this can serve to deter absenteeism.

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