Worked examples
1 spell, 10 days1 x 1 x 10 = 10
3 spells, 6 days3 x 3 x 6 = 54
5 spells, 8 days5 x 5 x 8 = 200
8 spells, 8 days8 x 8 x 8 = 512
Common trigger bands51 informal / 201 formal / 401 escalation
How does the Bradford factor formula work?
Count the separate spells of absence in a rolling 52-week window (S) and the total days absent (D), then calculate S x S x D. Squaring the spells is the point of the formula: five separate one-day absences score 5 x 5 x 5 = 125, while one five-day illness scores 1 x 1 x 5 = 5. Same days lost, twenty-five times the score, because the disruption of unplanned single days is far higher.
What score triggers action?
There is no statutory threshold; the commonly used bands are 51 for an informal check-in, 201 for a formal review and 401 for escalation. Organisations that use the tool well treat these as prompts for a conversation, not automatic disciplinary steps. The score is a flag that a pattern exists; it says nothing about the reason for it.
How should the Bradford factor be used fairly?
Carefully, and never on autopilot. The formula originated in the UK and has no special status in Australian law, and absences connected to disability, pregnancy, workers' compensation or carer's responsibilities carry legal protections that a raw score ignores. A high score is equally consistent with disengagement, an unmanaged health condition or a psychosocial hazard at work, and only a conversation can tell you which.
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