What is a good or bad Bradford Factor score?

There is no single good or bad Bradford Factor score, because every employer sets its own trigger points in its absence policy. As a rough guide, scores under 50 rarely cause concern, and scores over 200 often lead to a formal review. What actually happens at any score depends on your employer’s policy, not the number alone.

The short version

The Bradford Factor score is S² × D, where S is the number of separate absences and D is the total days absent, usually over the last 52 weeks. Because the number of absences is squared, frequent short absences score far higher than one long one. Five single days off scores 125; one five-day absence scores 5.

Use the calculator below to work out a score, then read on for what it means and why it should never be the only thing a decision rests on.

Go to the calculator

Last reviewed

Bradford Factor calculator

Enter the absences for one employee over the period your policy uses, usually the last 52 weeks. Count each continuous spell of absence once, however many days it lasted.

The bands are examples of review points some UK employers use. There are no legal rules on when absence should be reviewed, and Acas advises that reaching a review point should start a conversation, not automatic disciplinary action. Your own absence policy decides what happens at any score.

How a Bradford Factor score is worked out

The formula is S² × D = B:

  • S is the number of separate absences, sometimes called spells
  • D is the total number of days absent across all of them
  • B is the Bradford Factor score

Squaring the number of absences is what makes the Bradford Factor different from simply counting days off. These three employees were each absent for five days in the same 52 weeks:

Three employees, five days absent each
Pattern of absence Working Score
One absence lasting five days 1² × 5 5
Two absences of two and a half days 2² × 5 20
Five separate single days 5² × 5 125

The same five days produce scores from 5 to 125, purely because of how often the employee was off. The Bradford Factor treats frequent short absences as more disruptive than one longer absence, because they are harder to plan cover for.

Three things that change the score

The period. Most employers use a rolling 52 weeks, but some use the calendar or financial year. Whichever your policy uses, it needs to be the same for everyone.

What counts as one absence. A continuous spell of absence counts once, however long it lasts. Many policies treat absence either side of a weekend or a day the person was not due to work as a single spell, but check what yours says.

Half days. They count towards the total days, so two half days is one day in D but two absences in S.

Counting spells by hand is where most scoring mistakes happen. Most time and attendance systems and absence management software work the score out automatically from absence records.

For the full background, including where the Bradford Factor came from and how trigger points work, see what is the Bradford Factor.

What counts as a good, bad or high Bradford Factor score?

A score under 50 is generally treated as good, and a score over 200 is generally treated as high, because that is where many employers set their first formal absence review. There is no official scale, though. The only thresholds that apply to anyone are the ones in their employer’s absence policy.

Example Bradford Factor review points used by UK employers
Score How many employers treat it
0 to 50 Usually no review
51 to 200 An informal conversation at some employers, to check on wellbeing and the reasons for the absences
201 to 400 An absence review at many employers, to understand what is behind the absences and what support might help
401 to 650 A formal absence review at many employers, which may include a referral to occupational health
651 and over Further formal steps at some employers, but only after a fair process and a proper look at the reasons for the absence

Is there an official or acceptable Bradford score?

No. There are no legal rules about how or when absence should be reviewed, and neither the law nor Acas sets a Bradford Factor score. Employers choose their own review points, and Acas advises that they set them out clearly in their absence policy, along with how staff will be told when they reach one. Some employers set their first review point as low as 50; others much higher.

What a high score should lead to

A conversation, not a sanction. Acas advises that reaching a review point should start an absence review rather than automatic disciplinary action. A good review checks on the person’s wellbeing, finds out what is behind the absences, and looks at what support might help, including an occupational health referral where it makes sense.

Treating a score as a punishment can backfire. People may come back to work before they are well, just to stay under a threshold, which usually means more absence later.

How employers choose and apply their own trigger points is covered in more detail in what is the Bradford Factor.

Why a Bradford score alone is not enough

The Bradford Factor measures the pattern of someone’s absence, not the reason for it. Two people with the same score can have completely different stories, and some reasons should not count towards a score at all.

Disability

Someone with a disability may need more time off, for example for regular treatment, and so reach a review point sooner. Employers have a duty to consider reasonable adjustments, which can include discounting disability-related absence or setting different review points.

Pregnancy

Counting pregnancy-related sickness towards a score risks pregnancy discrimination. Acas suggests employers decide that absence related to pregnancy, or to disability, will not count towards review points.

Long-term illness

The Bradford Factor works the other way here. One absence of three months scores far lower than a handful of single days, even though it is much harder to cover. Long-term absence needs its own process, usually with occupational health involved, rather than a score.

Mental health

Short, repeated absences are common with some mental health conditions, which is exactly the pattern the Bradford Factor scores highest. A review that starts with a conversation about wellbeing will usually get further than one that starts with the number.

Emergencies involving dependants

Employees have a legal right to reasonable time off for dependants in an emergency. Many policies record it separately from sickness, so it does not push up a Bradford score.

All of this depends on recording the reason for every absence, not just the dates. Time and attendance software that records absence reasons makes it possible to leave these absences out of the score, rather than relying on someone to remember to adjust it by hand.

Whether using the Bradford Factor is lawful at all, and the criticisms made of it, are covered in what is the Bradford Factor.

Bradford Factor score FAQs

Straight answers to the questions employers and employees ask most about Bradford scores.

What is a good Bradford Factor score?
A score under 50 is generally treated as good, because most employers would not review absence at that level. A score of 0 means no absence in the period. What counts as good for any individual depends on their employer’s absence policy, not on a national standard.
What is a bad or high Bradford Factor score?
A score over 200 is generally treated as high, because that is where many employers set their first formal absence review. A high score should lead to a conversation about what is behind the absences, not automatic disciplinary action, which is what Acas advises.
What is an acceptable Bradford score?
There is no official acceptable score. There are no legal rules about when absence should be reviewed, so each employer sets its own review points and should explain them in its absence policy. If you want to know what applies to you, the policy is the place to look.
How do I calculate a Bradford Factor score?
Square the number of separate absences, then multiply by the total days absent: S² × D. Three absences totalling four days scores 3 × 3 × 4 = 36. The calculator on this page does the sum for you and shows where the score sits.
What does a Bradford score of 200 mean?
It almost always means frequent short absences rather than one long one. Five absences totalling eight days scores 5 × 5 × 8 = 200, while someone would need 200 days off in a single absence to reach the same score. It is also where many employers set their first formal absence review.
Does holiday count towards a Bradford score?
No. A Bradford score is normally based only on unplanned absence such as sickness. Booked holiday, maternity and other family leave, and approved time off are usually left out, and many policies also leave out time off for dependants in an emergency. Check your absence policy for exactly what counts.
Should absence caused by a disability or pregnancy count?
Usually not. Counting pregnancy-related sickness risks pregnancy discrimination, and employers have a duty to consider reasonable adjustments for disabled staff, which can mean discounting disability-related absence or setting different review points. Acas suggests employers decide in advance that these absences will not count.
Are there loopholes in the Bradford Factor?
Yes, and the main one works against employers. Because the score punishes separate absences far more than long ones, staying off for a few extra days scores lower than coming back and going off sick again later. Someone who is unsure whether they are well enough to return has a reason not to try. That is one reason a score should prompt a conversation rather than decide anything on its own.
How long does an absence stay on a Bradford score?
Usually 52 weeks. Most employers use a rolling 52 week period, so each absence drops out of the score a year after it happened. Some use the calendar or financial year instead, in which case scores reset on a fixed date.
Can I be disciplined because of my Bradford score?
Not on the score alone, if your employer follows Acas guidance, which says reaching a review point should start an absence review rather than automatic disciplinary action. At a review you should get the chance to explain your absences. If any of them relate to a disability, a long-term condition or pregnancy, say so, because that can change how they are treated.
Why does the Bradford Factor penalise short absences so much?
Because frequent short absences are harder to plan around. A single long absence can be covered once, but repeated one-day absences arrive with no notice and disrupt shifts each time. The criticism is that the formula cannot tell a pattern that needs support from one that needs challenging, which is why the reason for each absence matters as much as the score. More on the method and its critics is in what is the Bradford Factor.
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