How this calculator works
Absence percentage divides all days absent by every employee-day that was scheduled, then shows the result as a percentage. It answers how much of the available workforce time was lost, rather than how many people were away. The period should match: use the same start and end dates for the absence total, the headcount and the scheduled days. Part-time staff and partial days can be entered as fractions of a day if your records support that.
Formula
Absence percentage = days absent / (employees × scheduled workdays per employee) × 100. Average days absent per employee = days absent / employees.
Worked example
Fifty employees with 250 scheduled workdays each provide 12,500 scheduled employee-days. If 120 days are lost, the absence percentage is 120 / 12,500 = 0.96%. Each employee averages 2.4 days absent.
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Frequently asked questions
Is this the same as the Bradford factor?
No. The absence percentage measures total time lost. The Bradford factor weights the number of separate absence spells, so many short absences score higher than one long absence of the same total length.
Which absences should I count?
Use the definition in your own policy. Many employers exclude vacation, statutory holidays, parental leave and approved unpaid leave, and count only unplanned absence. State the rule alongside the result so periods stay comparable.
Can the percentage exceed 100%?
Not for a consistent period, because each employee cannot be absent more days than were scheduled. The calculator rejects a days-absent total above the scheduled employee-days.