Bradford Factor (UK HR)

How it works

The formula is S² × D over a rolling 12-month window, where S is the number of separate absence spells and D is the total days absent. One absence of 10 days scores 1² × 10 = 10. Five absences of 2 days each score 5² × 10 = 250. Ten absences of 1 day each score 10² × 10 = 1,000. The maths is designed so that short, frequent spells score far higher than one long absence, on the basis that frequent interruptions are more disruptive to a team than a single longer one. The Financial Times-cited HR folklore traces the formula to Bradford University School of Management research in the 1980s, though the university has never confirmed the link.

Employers set their own trigger points. In practice many UK employers use a banded system — for example 200 for an informal return-to-work chat, 400 for a formal warning, and 600 for further action — but these are employer policy, not statute. There is no UK law that mandates Bradford Factor scoring or any specific threshold. Acas advises employers to set out whether you use a trigger point system and how it works in a written absence policy so employees know what to expect.

Acas also cautions against over-mechanical use. Its guidance on managing absence frames trigger points as a prompt for a conversation, not an automatic sanction — every case still needs context, a return-to-work discussion, and consideration of the underlying cause.

What it isn't (common confusions)

It is not a statutory test. No Act of Parliament requires UK employers to use the Bradford Factor, and no court will accept a score in isolation as proof of misconduct. Statutory absence law sits elsewhere — for example Statutory Sick Pay rules on gov.uk, which pay up to 28 weeks regardless of any internal score.

It is not a substitute for individual conversations or reasonable-adjustment duties. Under Section 20 of the Equality Act 2010, employers must make reasonable adjustments for disabled workers — and Acas confirms this duty extends to disability-linked absence, including paid time off for medical appointments and treatment. A disabled employee whose absence is linked to their condition should not be racking up Bradford points for time the employer is legally required to accommodate.

It is not discrimination-proof. Applied without care, the formula can disadvantage workers covered by the Equality Act 2010. Acas lists nine protected characteristics — including disability and pregnancy/maternity — and notes that discrimination can happen without intent. Triggering a disciplinary on a high Bradford score driven by disability-related, pregnancy-related, or work-related stress absence (a topic HSE addresses in its workplace stress guidance) exposes the employer to tribunal risk under sections 13, 15, 19 and 20 of the Act.

How WagePerks does this

WagePerks Absence calculates Bradford Factor scores automatically on a rolling 12-month basis, alerts the line manager at thresholds you configure, and lets you exclude statutorily-protected absence categories — such as disability-linked time off, pregnancy-related sickness, and bereavement leave — from the score. Absence is one of the eleven modules included at £4.50 per employee per month, white-label included, rolling monthly.

Related on WagePerks

Absence & leave feature — how WagePerks tracks absence and Bradford scoring
Learn: UK statutory holiday entitlement — the leave half of the same module
Pricing — what's included at £4.50 PEPM

Sources

Absence from work — Acas — what an absence policy should cover, including trigger-point systems
Reasonable adjustments — Acas — duty to make adjustments for disability-linked absence
Discrimination and the law — Acas — the nine protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010
Equality Act 2010, Section 20 — legislation.gov.uk — the statutory duty to make reasonable adjustments
Work-related stress — HSE — employer duties for stress and mental-health absence
Statutory Sick Pay — gov.uk — the statutory absence-pay framework that sits outside any internal score
Bradford Factor — origin and formula — academic origin (Bradford University School of Management, 1980s) and the S² × D calculation

Sources verified 2026-06-10. We re-verify quarterly.

Common questions

Is the Bradford Factor a legal requirement in the UK?

No. No UK statute requires employers to use the Bradford Factor or any specific trigger point. It is an internal HR scoring method that only has effect through a written absence policy, and Acas advises that any trigger-point system should be set out clearly in that policy.

Can I trigger a disciplinary purely on a Bradford Factor score?

Not safely. Acting on the score alone — without a return-to-work conversation and without considering whether the absence is linked to a disability, pregnancy, or work-related stress — risks claims under sections 13, 15, 19 and 20 of the Equality Act 2010. The score should prompt a conversation, not replace one.

What's a sensible Bradford Factor trigger point for an SME?

There is no statutory figure, but a common banded approach is 200 for an informal return-to-work chat, 400 for a formal review, and 600 for further action over a rolling 12 months. Whatever bands you choose, write them into the absence policy, share them with staff, and exclude protected categories of absence before the score is calculated.