{"id":8348,"date":"2021-10-27T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-27T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/?p=8348"},"modified":"2026-07-15T10:40:04","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T08:40:04","slug":"calculate-employee-absence-rate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/calculate-employee-absence-rate","title":{"rendered":"How to calculate employee absence rate and why you should do it"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Absence days in the workplace are prevalent regardless of schedule, sector, or level. It&#8217;s just another moving piece of HR and the working world. That&#8217;s why it&#8217;s essential to understand your <strong>employee absence rate<\/strong> and know how to calculate it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Are you aware of the impact that absence days have in the workplace? <strong>Is your company or HR department calculating the employee absence rate correctly?<\/strong> Do you know how to <a href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/absenteeism-kpis-executive-hr-dashboard\/\">tackle absenteeism<\/a> effectively? We&#8217;re going to dive into some of those questions and provide formulas to help you begin optimizing your business.<\/p>\n\n\n<div  class=\"position-relative bbl-summarize-w-ai-block\">\n    <div class=\"bbl-swa-inner \">\n        <div class=\"bbl-swa-inner-top\">\n                            <div class=\"bbl-swa-title\">\n                    TL;DR: What you&#8217;ll learn                <\/div>\n            \n                            <div class=\"bbl-swa-quote montserrat-font\">\n                    <p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\">Employee absence rates reveal patterns in burnout, morale, and productivity. But that&#8217;s only if you&#8217;re calculating them the right way.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\">We&#8217;ll cover:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"[li_&amp;]:mb-0 [li_&amp;]:mt-1 [li_&amp;]:gap-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3\">\n<li class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"><strong>What counts as an absence<\/strong>, how definitions vary by country, and why vacation days don&#8217;t count<\/li>\n<li class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"><strong>The standard absence rate formula<\/strong>, plus a worked example showing what a &#8220;normal&#8221; rate looks like<\/li>\n<li class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"><strong>Lost time, frequency, severity, and the Bradford factor, <\/strong>plus four extra formulas for spotting patterns beyond the headline number<\/li>\n<li class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"><strong>Why hybrid work is changing the numbers <\/strong>and the data behind reduced short-term absences for remote and hybrid teams<\/li>\n<li class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"><strong>How to build an absence management strategy<\/strong> including practical steps for setting expectations and reducing absenteeism before it starts<\/li>\n<li class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"><strong>How Beebole fits in<\/strong> to log absences, calculate costs, and report on trends automatically<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n                <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n\n        <div class=\"bbl-swa-actions d-flex justify-content-between\">\n                                                <div\n                        class=\"bbl-swa-actions-label montserrat-font bbl-wider-label\"\n                    >Explore your team&#8217;s absence rates:<\/div>\n                            \n            <div class=\"bbl-swa-logos-outer d-flex\">\n                                <div class=\"bbl-swa-logos\">\n                                            <a\n            class=\"bbl-summarize-w-chatgpt\"\n            href=\"https:\/\/chat.openai.com\/?q=Based%20only%20on%20the%20information%20in%20this%20article%20https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/calculate-employee-absence-rate%20(and%20no%20outside%20sources),%20help%20me%20calculate%20my%20own%20team&#039;s%20absence%20rate,%20lost%20time%20rate,%20frequency%20rate,%20and%20severity%20rate.%20Ask%20me%20for%20my%20headcount,%20number%20of%20absent%20days,%20and%20available%20workdays,%20then%20walk%20through%20each%20formula%20from%20the%20article%20using%20my%20numbers.%20Once%20you&#039;ve%20calculated%20the%20results,%20tell%20me%20what%20they%20might%20indicate%20based%20on%20the%20benchmarks%20in%20the%20article%20(e.g.%20is%20my%20rate%20a%20sign%20of%20burnout,%20or%20presenteeism?).%20Then%20point%20out%20which%20of%20these%20calculations%20I&#039;d%20need%20to%20redo%20by%20hand%20every%20month%20if%20I%20weren&#039;t%20tracking%20hours%20and%20absences%20in%20one%20system.\"\n            rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\n        >\n            <svg width=\"28\" height=\"26\" viewBox=\"0 0 28 26\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                <mask id=\"mask0_1578_5676\" style=\"mask-type:luminance\" maskUnits=\"userSpaceOnUse\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\" width=\"28\" height=\"26\">\n                    <path d=\"M27.1171 0H0.882935V26H27.1171V0Z\" fill=\"white\"\/>\n                <\/mask>\n                <g mask=\"url(#mask0_1578_5676)\">\n                    <path d=\"M10.9449 9.46396V6.99394C10.9449 6.78592 11.023 6.62986 11.2049 6.52598L16.171 3.66598C16.847 3.276 17.6531 3.09409 18.4849 3.09409C21.6049 3.09409 23.581 5.51214 23.581 8.08603C23.581 8.26799 23.581 8.47602 23.555 8.68404L18.4069 5.66798C18.095 5.48608 17.7828 5.48608 17.4709 5.66798L10.9449 9.46396ZM22.5409 19.084V13.1819C22.5409 12.8178 22.3848 12.5578 22.0729 12.3759L15.5469 8.57989L17.6789 7.35781C17.8609 7.25393 18.0169 7.25393 18.1989 7.35781L23.165 10.2178C24.5951 11.0499 25.557 12.8178 25.557 14.5337C25.557 16.5097 24.3871 18.3297 22.5409 19.0838V19.084ZM9.41092 13.8841L7.27892 12.6361C7.09702 12.5323 7.01893 12.3761 7.01893 12.1681V6.44817C7.01893 3.66625 9.15093 1.5601 12.037 1.5601C13.1291 1.5601 14.1429 1.92419 15.0011 2.57416L9.87915 5.53826C9.56725 5.72016 9.41119 5.98015 9.41119 6.34429V13.8843L9.41092 13.8841ZM14 16.536L10.9449 14.82V11.1802L14 9.46423L17.0548 11.1802V14.82L14 16.536ZM15.963 24.4401C14.8709 24.4401 13.8571 24.076 12.9989 23.4261L18.1208 20.462C18.4328 20.2801 18.5888 20.0201 18.5888 19.6559V12.1159L20.7469 13.3639C20.9288 13.4677 21.0069 13.6238 21.0069 13.8319V19.5518C21.0069 22.3337 18.8488 24.4399 15.963 24.4399V24.4401ZM9.8009 18.6421L4.83475 15.7822C3.40464 14.95 2.44277 13.1822 2.44277 11.4662C2.44277 9.46423 3.63879 7.67025 5.48467 6.91618V12.8442C5.48467 13.2082 5.64079 13.4682 5.95269 13.6502L12.4528 17.4201L10.3208 18.6421C10.1389 18.746 9.98281 18.746 9.8009 18.6421ZM9.51507 22.9061C6.57704 22.9061 4.41898 20.6961 4.41898 17.9661C4.41898 17.7581 4.44504 17.55 4.47089 17.342L9.59288 20.3061C9.90478 20.4881 10.217 20.4881 10.5289 20.3061L17.0548 16.5363V19.0063C17.0548 19.2143 16.9768 19.3704 16.7948 19.4742L11.8288 22.3342C11.1527 22.7242 10.3467 22.9061 9.51479 22.9061H9.51507ZM15.963 26C19.109 26 21.7349 23.7641 22.3331 20.8C25.2451 20.0459 27.1171 17.3159 27.1171 14.534C27.1171 12.7139 26.3372 10.946 24.9331 9.67198C25.0631 9.12594 25.1411 8.57989 25.1411 8.03412C25.1411 4.31617 22.1251 1.53399 18.641 1.53399C17.9392 1.53399 17.2631 1.63786 16.5871 1.87201C15.4169 0.727951 13.8049 0 12.037 0C8.89099 0 6.26513 2.23587 5.66691 5.19997C2.75494 5.95404 0.882935 8.68404 0.882935 11.466C0.882935 13.2861 1.66285 15.0539 3.0669 16.328C2.9369 16.874 2.85887 17.4201 2.85887 17.9659C2.85887 21.6838 5.87493 24.466 9.35895 24.466C10.0608 24.466 10.7369 24.3621 11.4129 24.1279C12.5828 25.272 14.1948 26 15.963 26Z\" fill=\"#313358\"\/>\n                <\/g>\n            <\/svg>\n        <\/a>\n                                                                    <a\n            class=\"bbl-summarize-w-perplexity\"\n            href=\"https:\/\/www.perplexity.ai\/search\/new?q=Based%20only%20on%20the%20information%20in%20this%20article%20https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/calculate-employee-absence-rate%20(and%20no%20outside%20sources),%20help%20me%20calculate%20my%20own%20team&#039;s%20absence%20rate,%20lost%20time%20rate,%20frequency%20rate,%20and%20severity%20rate.%20Ask%20me%20for%20my%20headcount,%20number%20of%20absent%20days,%20and%20available%20workdays,%20then%20walk%20through%20each%20formula%20from%20the%20article%20using%20my%20numbers.%20Once%20you&#039;ve%20calculated%20the%20results,%20tell%20me%20what%20they%20might%20indicate%20based%20on%20the%20benchmarks%20in%20the%20article%20(e.g.%20is%20my%20rate%20a%20sign%20of%20burnout,%20or%20presenteeism?).%20Then%20point%20out%20which%20of%20these%20calculations%20I&#039;d%20need%20to%20redo%20by%20hand%20every%20month%20if%20I%20weren&#039;t%20tracking%20hours%20and%20absences%20in%20one%20system.\"\n            rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\n        >\n            <svg width=\"24\" height=\"26\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 26\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                <path d=\"M3.93943 0.132141L11.2677 6.8839V0.147583H12.6947V6.91478L20.0551 0.132141V7.83097H23.0778V18.9346H20.0641V25.7893L12.6947 19.3142V25.864H11.2664V19.421L3.94844 25.8678V18.9346H0.925781V7.82968H3.93943V0.132141ZM10.1932 9.24H2.35025V17.5256H3.94586V14.9121L10.1932 9.24ZM5.37419 15.5375V22.7242L11.2677 17.5333V10.1819L5.37419 15.5375ZM12.7346 17.4638L18.6384 22.6496V18.9346H18.6306V15.5298L12.7346 10.1768V17.4638ZM20.0641 17.5256H21.652V9.23871H13.8708L20.0654 14.8529L20.0641 17.5256ZM18.6294 7.83097V3.37355L13.791 7.83097H18.6294ZM10.2035 7.83097L5.36519 3.37355V7.83097H10.2035Z\" fill=\"#262C54\"\/>\n            <\/svg>\n        <\/a>\n                                                                    <a\n            class=\"bbl-summarize-w-gemini\"\n            href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?aep=11&#038;udm=50&#038;q=Based%20only%20on%20the%20information%20in%20this%20article%20https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/calculate-employee-absence-rate%20(and%20no%20outside%20sources),%20help%20me%20calculate%20my%20own%20team&#039;s%20absence%20rate,%20lost%20time%20rate,%20frequency%20rate,%20and%20severity%20rate.%20Ask%20me%20for%20my%20headcount,%20number%20of%20absent%20days,%20and%20available%20workdays,%20then%20walk%20through%20each%20formula%20from%20the%20article%20using%20my%20numbers.%20Once%20you&#039;ve%20calculated%20the%20results,%20tell%20me%20what%20they%20might%20indicate%20based%20on%20the%20benchmarks%20in%20the%20article%20(e.g.%20is%20my%20rate%20a%20sign%20of%20burnout,%20or%20presenteeism?).%20Then%20point%20out%20which%20of%20these%20calculations%20I&#039;d%20need%20to%20redo%20by%20hand%20every%20month%20if%20I%20weren&#039;t%20tracking%20hours%20and%20absences%20in%20one%20system.\"\n            rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\n        >\n            <svg width=\"29\" height=\"29\" viewBox=\"0 0 29 29\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                <path d=\"M28.8828 14.4703C21.1362 14.9372 14.9348 21.1362 14.4691 28.8828H14.4125C13.9456 21.1362 7.74541 14.9372 0 14.4703V14.4137C7.74661 13.9456 13.9456 7.74661 14.4125 0H14.4691C14.936 7.74661 21.1362 13.9456 28.8828 14.4137V14.4703Z\" fill=\"#262C54\"\/>\n            <\/svg>\n        <\/a>\n                                                                    <a\n            class=\"bbl-summarize-w-grok\"\n            href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/i\/grok?q=Based%20only%20on%20the%20information%20in%20this%20article%20https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/calculate-employee-absence-rate%20(and%20no%20outside%20sources),%20help%20me%20calculate%20my%20own%20team&#039;s%20absence%20rate,%20lost%20time%20rate,%20frequency%20rate,%20and%20severity%20rate.%20Ask%20me%20for%20my%20headcount,%20number%20of%20absent%20days,%20and%20available%20workdays,%20then%20walk%20through%20each%20formula%20from%20the%20article%20using%20my%20numbers.%20Once%20you&#039;ve%20calculated%20the%20results,%20tell%20me%20what%20they%20might%20indicate%20based%20on%20the%20benchmarks%20in%20the%20article%20(e.g.%20is%20my%20rate%20a%20sign%20of%20burnout,%20or%20presenteeism?).%20Then%20point%20out%20which%20of%20these%20calculations%20I&#039;d%20need%20to%20redo%20by%20hand%20every%20month%20if%20I%20weren&#039;t%20tracking%20hours%20and%20absences%20in%20one%20system.\"\n            rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\n        >\n            <svg width=\"32\" height=\"32\" viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                <path d=\"M12.3998 19.784L21.6343 12.9589C22.0871 12.6243 22.7342 12.7548 22.9499 13.2745C24.0853 16.0155 23.578 19.3094 21.3191 21.571C19.0603 23.8325 15.9173 24.3285 13.0445 23.1989L9.90625 24.6536C14.4074 27.7339 19.8733 26.9721 23.2888 23.5501C25.9981 20.8376 26.8372 17.1403 26.0526 13.8061L26.0597 13.8132C24.9219 8.91511 26.3394 6.9573 29.243 2.95385C29.3117 2.85892 29.3804 2.764 29.4492 2.6667L25.6283 6.49216V6.4803L12.3974 19.7864\" fill=\"#262C54\"\/>\n                <path d=\"M10.4902 21.4428C7.25946 18.3529 7.81648 13.5711 10.5731 10.8136C12.6115 8.77269 15.9513 7.93973 18.8667 9.16426L21.9979 7.71666C21.4338 7.30848 20.7108 6.86946 19.8812 6.56095C16.1314 5.01605 11.6421 5.78494 8.59393 8.83439C5.6619 11.7699 4.73985 16.2836 6.3232 20.1352C7.50597 23.0138 5.56708 25.0498 3.61397 27.105C2.92184 27.8335 2.22735 28.5621 1.66797 29.3333L10.4878 21.4451\" fill=\"#262C54\"\/>\n            <\/svg>\n        <\/a>\n                                                                    <a\n            class=\"bbl-summarize-w-claude\"\n            href=\"https:\/\/claude.ai\/new?q=Based%20only%20on%20the%20information%20in%20this%20article%20https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/calculate-employee-absence-rate%20(and%20no%20outside%20sources),%20help%20me%20calculate%20my%20own%20team&#039;s%20absence%20rate,%20lost%20time%20rate,%20frequency%20rate,%20and%20severity%20rate.%20Ask%20me%20for%20my%20headcount,%20number%20of%20absent%20days,%20and%20available%20workdays,%20then%20walk%20through%20each%20formula%20from%20the%20article%20using%20my%20numbers.%20Once%20you&#039;ve%20calculated%20the%20results,%20tell%20me%20what%20they%20might%20indicate%20based%20on%20the%20benchmarks%20in%20the%20article%20(e.g.%20is%20my%20rate%20a%20sign%20of%20burnout,%20or%20presenteeism?).%20Then%20point%20out%20which%20of%20these%20calculations%20I&#039;d%20need%20to%20redo%20by%20hand%20every%20month%20if%20I%20weren&#039;t%20tracking%20hours%20and%20absences%20in%20one%20system.\"\n            rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\n        >\n            <svg width=\"32\" height=\"32\" viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                <path d=\"M7.66688 21.2213L13.3509 18.0321L13.4465 17.7551L13.3509 17.601H13.074L12.124 17.5425L8.87626 17.4547L6.05958 17.3376L3.33068 17.1913L2.64407 17.045L2.00037 16.1965L2.06669 15.7733L2.64407 15.3851L3.47112 15.4573L5.29884 15.5821L8.0414 15.7713L10.031 15.8883L12.9784 16.1946H13.4465L13.5128 16.0054L13.3529 15.8883L13.2281 15.7713L10.3899 13.848L7.31772 11.8155L5.70847 10.6451L4.8385 10.0521L4.39961 9.4962L4.2104 8.28292L5.0004 7.41295L6.06153 7.48512L6.33266 7.5573L7.40745 8.38435L9.70331 10.1614L12.7014 12.3694L13.1403 12.7342L13.3158 12.6094L13.3373 12.5216L13.1403 12.1919L11.5096 9.24457L9.76963 6.24649L8.99524 5.00395L8.79043 4.25882C8.71826 3.95257 8.66559 3.69509 8.66559 3.38105L9.56482 2.15997L10.0622 2.00002L11.2618 2.15997L11.7671 2.59885L12.5122 4.30368L13.7196 6.98772L15.5922 10.6373L16.1403 11.7199L16.4329 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class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite the dramatic evidence that exists regarding the <a href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/cost-absenteeism-presenteeism\/\">large-scale costs of absenteeism and presenteeism<\/a> in the workplace, many companies still misunderstand and neglect these costs. Moreover, this attitude has almost nothing to do with using tools or software. Then, why are so many businesses lost when it comes to absence management?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are a couple of reasons for this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">First, a lot of companies, especially small ones, don&#8217;t understand how to deal with absence days. As explained by HR consultant <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fitzgeraldhr.co.uk\/absence-management\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Lucy Fitzgerald<\/a>, this &#8220;is probably due to competing priorities and a lack of knowledge in dealing with such situations, especially if the business owner knows the employee well.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Second, many companies simply fear change. Having high levels of absenteeism is an open invitation to change your work culture. The problem with that is that many companies are not willing to challenge their ways of doing business as usual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If your company or HR department isn&#8217;t doing anything regarding absence management, it&#8217;s quite likely one of the two reasons above resonated with you. But two critical questions remain\u2014<strong>why should you monitor your absence rates, and how can you do it?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div\n    class=\"montserrat-font my-5 mx-auto p-4 p-lg-5 bbl_customer_story_blurb\"\n  style=\"background-image:url('https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/sage\/public\/images\/block-csb-bk.18ecf3.png')\"\n>\n  <div class=\"position-relative\">\n    \n    <div class=\"bbl-csb-text\">\n      <p data-start=\"112\" data-end=\"514\"><strong>Navteca<\/strong>, a technology services company working with NASA and other federal agencies, needed a time tracking solution that went beyond just logging hours. For them, staying compliant with government requirements meant being able to <strong data-start=\"339\" data-end=\"434\">track, report, and justify every absence, project allocation, and labor cost with precision<\/strong>. Spreadsheets simply couldn\u2019t provide the visibility or audit trail required.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"516\" data-end=\"610\">With Beebole\u2019s customizable tracking and reporting, Navteca gained the tools they needed to:<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"612\" data-end=\"868\">\ud83d\ude80 Monitor employee time off and project hours in real time<br data-start=\"671\" data-end=\"674\" \/>\ud83d\ude80 Generate audit-ready reports for government compliance<br data-start=\"795\" data-end=\"798\" \/>\ud83d\ude80 Centralize data for accurate labor cost tracking across contracts<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"870\" data-end=\"1067\"><em data-start=\"870\" data-end=\"1034\">\u201cBeebole provides the compliance and visibility we need. If we\u2019re ever audited, we know we can easily pull the reports to show exactly where time and costs went.\u201d<\/em> \u2014 Ram\u00f3n Ramirez-Linan, CTO, Navteca<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n\n          <a class=\"d-inline-block bbl-csb-link mt-2\" href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/regulatory-compliance-emerging-it-companies\/\">\n        Read the case study\n        <svg width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n          <path d=\"M5.25 10.5L8.75 7L5.25 3.5\" stroke=\"#424240\" stroke-width=\"1.16667\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"\/>\n        <\/svg>\n      <\/a>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 id=\"how-to-calculate\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to calculate employee absence rate<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before we move into the math and numbers of how to calculate your employee absence rate, it is essential to understand the framework surrounding the concept of absence. Let&#8217;s start with a straightforward definition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to the report <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurofound.europa.eu\/sites\/default\/files\/ef_files\/docs\/ewco\/tn0911039s\/tn0911039s.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&#8220;Absence from Work<\/a>&#8221; published by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, <strong>absence is non-attendance at work when attendance was scheduled or expected<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Along those lines, absences are those instances that prevent someone from going to work, such as health-related issues, childcare problems, or civic duty. That means that <strong>absences don&#8217;t include vacation time, personal days, holidays, or labor disputes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While all this sounds pretty straightforward, the reality is that absences are recorded in different ways across countries. For example, in a country like Norway, the definition of absence doesn&#8217;t include caring for family members. While in Poland, this is specifically included. In other words, <strong>calculating your absence rate will depend on where you live<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Keeping that in mind, let&#8217;s move on to the concept of absence rate, also known as absenteeism rate or absence percentage. Absence rate is the rate of unplanned absence resulting from various causes such as sickness, childcare, and the like. This rate can be calculated for individual employees, for teams, and for the organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"standard-formula\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">A standard formula for calculating absence rate<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although the definition of absence changes across countries, we can still use a standard formula to calculate the employee absence rate. The following is the standard measure used by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div  class=\"montserrat-font my-5 mx-auto bbl_definition_snippet\">\n  <div class=\"mb-4\">\n    <div class=\"bbl-ds-item question mb-3\">\n      <h2 class=\"h4 mb-0 mt-0\">How do you calculate absence rate?<\/h2>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"bbl-ds-item answer\">\n      <p><strong>Absence rate<\/strong> = (number of absent days \/ number of available workdays in a given period) x 100<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As you can see, this formula includes two variables:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Number of absent days.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Number of available workdays in a given period.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the first variable, you just need to track the absence days of your employees. For the second one, you need to follow your country&#8217;s guidelines regarding absence tracking and do your math.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"absence-rate\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Example of how to calculate absence rate<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let&#8217;s see an absenteeism rate example to understand this better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let&#8217;s say that Peter, one of your full-time employees, was absent 10 days in 2019. Since we already know the number of missing days (10), you need to calculate the number of available workdays during that year. Start with the total number of days (365) in a year. Then, subtract the following: weekends (102), public holidays (11), and voluntary days off (20). So, it&#8217;ll look something like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Number of available workdays: 365 &#8211; (102 + 11 + 20) = 232<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, you can calculate Peter\u2019s absence rate: (10 \/ 232) x 100 = 4.3%<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But what does Peter&#8217;s 4.3% rate say to you? This could be high, as an absence rate greater than 1.5% could be an indication of burnout, conflict at work, or any non-physical cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, if Peter had a terrible flu and was forced to stay in bed for two weeks, that doesn&#8217;t necessarily fall under absenteeism. It&#8217;s also important to note that you shouldn&#8217;t be too happy if Peter&#8217;s absentee rate were below 1.5%, as that could be a sign of presenteeism. Workplace presenteeism can be even worse for your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most important thing about calculating the employee absenteeism rate is that you can quickly identify patterns and trends that can lead to absenteeism. Identifying those patterns and trends more effectively is possible. You can use additional absenteeism rate formulas to assess absenteeism within your organization better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"other-methods\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other methods to measure &amp; assess employee absences<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Besides the employee absenteeism rate, some additional measurements will help you deal with the frequency and severity of the absences that occur in your company. Let&#8217;s take a look at the following methods and examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Lost time rate<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As explained by Fitzgerald, lost time rate &#8220;<strong>shows the percentage of the total time available that has been lost due to any type of absence during a certain period.<\/strong>&#8221; Use the following formula to calculate that percentage:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div  class=\"montserrat-font my-5 mx-auto bbl_definition_snippet\">\n  <div class=\"mb-4\">\n    <div class=\"bbl-ds-item question mb-3\">\n      <h2 class=\"h4 mb-0 mt-0\">How do you calculate lost time rate?<\/h2>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"bbl-ds-item answer\">\n      <p><strong>Lost time rate<\/strong> = (total absence [hours or days] \/ total hours or days of the period analyzed) x 100<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let&#8217;s go back to Peter. Let&#8217;s start by saying that Peter was supposed to work 150 hours during January. However, he missed 10 hours of work. If that&#8217;s the case, his lost time rate for that month would be the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Peter\u2019s lost time rate = (10 \/ 150) x 100 = 7%<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A high lost time rate can indicate a problematic absenteeism rate. Still, it&#8217;s essential to keep in mind that this rate is not accurate, as it can be distorted by particular combinations of absence duration and the number of absent employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Frequency rate<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>This rate expresses the average number of absence days per worker during a given period<\/strong>. To calculate this rate, use the following formula:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div  class=\"montserrat-font my-5 mx-auto bbl_definition_snippet\">\n  <div class=\"mb-4\">\n    <div class=\"bbl-ds-item question mb-3\">\n      <h2 class=\"h4 mb-0 mt-0\">How do you calculate frequency rate?<\/h2>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"bbl-ds-item answer\">\n      <p><strong>Frequency rate<\/strong> = (total number of periods of absence \/ total number of employees) x 100<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, if you want to focus on the number of individual employees who have been absent during a specific period, you need to use a slightly different formula:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Individual frequency rate = (total number of employees who were absent \/ total number of employees) x 100<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To illustrate the above, let&#8217;s imagine that during a particular period, there were ten periods of absence incurred by five employees out of a total of 30 employees that you have in your staff. If we use the formulas we mentioned before, we will get the following rates:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Frequency rate = (10 \/ 30) x 100 = 33%<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Individual frequency rate = (5 \/ 30) x 100 = 17%<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Severity rate<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With severity rate, you can <strong>find out the average length of time lost per absence<\/strong>. If this rate is high, it may be a warning sign of absenteeism. Apply the following formula to calculate your employees&#8217; severity rate:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div  class=\"montserrat-font my-5 mx-auto bbl_definition_snippet\">\n  <div class=\"mb-4\">\n    <div class=\"bbl-ds-item question mb-3\">\n      <h2 class=\"h4 mb-0 mt-0\">How do you calculate severity rate?<\/h2>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"bbl-ds-item answer\">\n      <p><strong>Severity rate <\/strong>= (total number of days absent during a period \/ total number of times missing during that period) x 100<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Measuring the frequency and severity rates within your organization has its perks. You will be in a much better position to identify trends that may lead to absenteeism. &#8220;High frequency and severity rates indicate that the employee is absent more frequently and for longer durations, each time resulting in high absenteeism even in absolute terms,&#8221; argues an article posted on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.economicsdiscussion.net\/human-resource-management\/employee-absenteeism\/31919\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">EconomicsDiscussion.net<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"bradford-factor\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Bradford factor score<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finally, it is worth mentioning the <strong>Bradford factor score,<\/strong> a useful metric used by HR departments to identify <strong>recurring short-term absences<\/strong>, which are usually considered more disruptive for business than long-term absences. Let&#8217;s see how to calculate the Bradford factor score:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div  class=\"montserrat-font my-5 mx-auto bbl_definition_snippet\">\n  <div class=\"mb-4\">\n    <div class=\"bbl-ds-item question mb-3\">\n      <h2 class=\"h4 mb-0 mt-0\">How do you calculate the Bradford factor score?<\/h2>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"bbl-ds-item answer\">\n      <p><strong>Bradford factor score<\/strong> = (number of occasions of absence)\u00b2 x total number of days of absence<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Keep in mind that the Bradford factor score is calculated annually. Let&#8217;s take a look at one quick example so you can see how useful this score is in terms of monitoring short-term absences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let&#8217;s say that Peter took one absence and was absent for ten days. His Bradford score would be the following: (1)\u00b2 x 10 = 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the other hand, John took five absences and was absent ten days (meaning that each absence lasted about two days). His Bradford score would be the following: (5)\u00b2 x 10 = 250.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As you can see, both Peter and John were absent for the same number of days. However, John&#8217;s score offers an indication that his short-term absences are recurring because the higher the score, the more frequent the absences are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">John&#8217;s score could also be a sign that he is struggling in the current job environment. A secure manager would pinpoint this as a red flag and find an opportunity to address this potential issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rather than running these formulas by hand every reporting period, a report builder can do the heavy lifting for you. <a href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/employee-timesheet-reports\">Beebole&#8217;s custom reports<\/a> can group absences by person, type, or period, surfacing frequency and duration patterns automatically instead of rebuilding the same spreadsheet formulas each time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"time-tracking-tool\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Using a time tracking tool for tracking absences &amp; costs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before you can dive into calculating your employees\u2019 absence rate, it\u2019s important to <strong>have a secure system to accurately and efficiently track absence days<\/strong>. <a class=\"highlighted-link bbl-link-hs bbl-link-hs-v-1\" href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\"><span>Beebole&#8217;s<svg width=\"17\" height=\"18\" viewBox=\"0 0 17 18\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M11.25 0.875H15.625C15.7908 0.875 15.9497 0.940848 16.0669 1.05806C16.1842 1.17527 16.25 1.33424 16.25 1.5V5.875C16.25 6.04076 16.1842 6.19973 16.0669 6.31694C15.9497 6.43415 15.7908 6.5 15.625 6.5C15.4592 6.5 15.3003 6.43415 15.1831 6.31694C15.0658 6.19973 15 6.04076 15 5.875V3.00833L4.81667 13.1917C4.69819 13.3021 4.54148 13.3622 4.37956 13.3593C4.21765 13.3565 4.06316 13.2909 3.94865 13.1764C3.83414 13.0618 3.76854 12.9074 3.76569 12.7454C3.76283 12.5835 3.82293 12.4268 3.93333 12.3083L14.1167 2.125H11.25C11.0842 2.125 10.9253 2.05915 10.8081 1.94194C10.6908 1.82473 10.625 1.66576 10.625 1.5C10.625 1.33424 10.6908 1.17527 10.8081 1.05806C10.9253 0.940848 11.0842 0.875 11.25 0.875ZM2.5 4.625C2.16848 4.625 1.85054 4.7567 1.61612 4.99112C1.3817 5.22554 1.25 5.54348 1.25 5.875V14.625C1.25 14.9565 1.3817 15.2745 1.61612 15.5089C1.85054 15.7433 2.16848 15.875 2.5 15.875H11.25C11.5815 15.875 11.8995 15.7433 12.1339 15.5089C12.3683 15.2745 12.5 14.9565 12.5 14.625V7.75C12.5 7.58424 12.5658 7.42527 12.6831 7.30806C12.8003 7.19085 12.9592 7.125 13.125 7.125C13.2908 7.125 13.4497 7.19085 13.5669 7.30806C13.6842 7.42527 13.75 7.58424 13.75 7.75V14.625C13.75 15.288 13.4866 15.9239 13.0178 16.3928C12.5489 16.8616 11.913 17.125 11.25 17.125H2.5C1.83696 17.125 1.20107 16.8616 0.732233 16.3928C0.263392 15.9239 0 15.288 0 14.625V5.875C0 5.21196 0.263392 4.57607 0.732233 4.10723C1.20107 3.63839 1.83696 3.375 2.5 3.375H9.375C9.54076 3.375 9.69973 3.44085 9.81694 3.55806C9.93415 3.67527 10 3.83424 10 4C10 4.16576 9.93415 4.32473 9.81694 4.44194C9.69973 4.55915 9.54076 4.625 9.375 4.625H2.5Z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/a> settings make it easy to configure types of time off, days allotted, carry-forward rules, and accrued time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6a6b5eb43946c&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6a6b5eb43946c\" class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"490\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--pointerdown=\"actions.preloadImage\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.preloadImageWithDelay\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.cancelPreload\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/absence-allowances-in-beebole-700x490.png\" alt=\"In Beebole&#039;s settings, adjust absence allowances that include time available, time accrued, and carry-forward rules\" class=\"wp-image-14805\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/absence-allowances-in-beebole-700x490.png 700w, https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/absence-allowances-in-beebole-768x538.png 768w, https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/absence-allowances-in-beebole-1536x1076.png 1536w, https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/absence-allowances-in-beebole.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.thisImage.triggerButtonAriaLabel\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.thisImage.buttonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.thisImage.buttonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/help\/documentation\/timeoff\">Beebole&#8217;s time off settings<\/a> let admins set up available days off, accrued time, and carry-forward rules. This way, employees can quickly and easily see how many PTO days they have.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When it comes to employees tracking their time off, they simply add an absence row to their timesheet and select:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The absence type (e.g., illness, vacation, volunteering)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The amount of time, tracked in hours or days<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The dates of the absence(s)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6a6b5eb4397de&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6a6b5eb4397de\" class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"413\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--pointerdown=\"actions.preloadImage\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.preloadImageWithDelay\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.cancelPreload\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/time-off-in-beebole-timesheets-700x413.png\" alt=\"Time off shows up directly in Beebole&#039;s timesheets\" class=\"wp-image-14803\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/time-off-in-beebole-timesheets-700x413.png 700w, https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/time-off-in-beebole-timesheets-768x453.png 768w, https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/time-off-in-beebole-timesheets.png 1096w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.thisImage.triggerButtonAriaLabel\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.thisImage.buttonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.thisImage.buttonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Employees can track their absence time directly in their timesheets.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once submitted, employees can see their existing time off with detailed information about the reasons behind the absences, the amount of time involved, and the status of the request as it moves through the same approval workflow as regular timesheet entries. This data can be used to run all sorts of simple and in-depth reports that give instant insight into your team&#8217;s absences and absence rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6a6b5eb439b0a&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6a6b5eb439b0a\" class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"438\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--pointerdown=\"actions.preloadImage\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.preloadImageWithDelay\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.cancelPreload\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/time-off-reporting-beebole-700x438.png\" alt=\"Beebole&#039;s reporting dashboard lets you run the reports you need to better understand absences and your team&#039;s absence rate\" class=\"wp-image-14811\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/time-off-reporting-beebole-700x438.png 700w, https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/time-off-reporting-beebole-768x480.png 768w, https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/time-off-reporting-beebole.png 1224w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.thisImage.triggerButtonAriaLabel\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.thisImage.buttonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.thisImage.buttonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An example report on team absences in Beebole<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Analyzing your employees\u2019 absenteeism rate is just the beginning of the powerful insight Beebole can provide. Using <a href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/help\/documentation\/costs\">cost rates<\/a>, you can also include the actual cost of your employees, allowing for advanced reporting on profitability, ROI, productivity, and much more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6a6b5eb439d66&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6a6b5eb439d66\" class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"443\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--pointerdown=\"actions.preloadImage\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.preloadImageWithDelay\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.cancelPreload\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Employee-cost-and-rates-in-Beebole-700x443.png\" alt=\"Setting employee costs in Beebole is simple, and here you can see that you can choose a cost method of daily rate, fixed fee, hourly rate, or no cost\" class=\"wp-image-14801\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Employee-cost-and-rates-in-Beebole-700x443.png 700w, https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Employee-cost-and-rates-in-Beebole-768x486.png 768w, https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Employee-cost-and-rates-in-Beebole.png 816w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.thisImage.triggerButtonAriaLabel\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.thisImage.buttonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.thisImage.buttonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/help\/documentation\/costs\">Setting up cost rates in Beebole<\/a> couldn&#8217;t be more straightforward.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"prevent-absenteeism\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to prevent employee absenteeism in the workplace<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Calculating employee absenteeism and assessing absences using the formulas highlighted is key. It should be part of a process aimed at fixing problems within your organization. Perhaps the most important thing about these formulas is that you can use them as a point of reference to compare absences, patterns, and behaviors among your staff, departments, and even your industry. The following are some of the benefits you can obtain when you calculate employee absences:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Identify negative trends <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Measure productivity and engagement <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Build a healthy work environment <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reduce and prevent fatigue, burnout, and stress among your employees <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Measure workforce absenteeism more accurately <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Improve HR management <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Make better business decisions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a perfect world, your focus should be on preventing employee absenteeism from happening in the first place. But how can you use your absence data to achieve that goal? Fitzgerald suggests setting triggers or stages that allow you to manage absences. For example, &#8220;any number of absences that establish a set pattern of absence (e.g., Mondays, Fridays, before or after holidays) will result in an absence review meeting,&#8221; says Fitzgerald.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While steps like this can go a long way in terms of managing absences, it&#8217;s just one part of a much bigger effort. If you genuinely want to tackle absenteeism in the workplace, you should always be open to making changes within your work culture. Furthermore, it would be wise for you to promote a culture of well-being, one where employees feel both engaged and motivated at work. Taking care of your employee absence rate may be the perfect place to start working towards that goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"absences-hybrid\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to handle absences in a hybrid workplace<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the last couple of years, we have seen how thousands of companies around the world have adopted a hybrid model to run their businesses. The adoption of this model has been fueled to a large extent by the level of flexibility and better work-life balance that modern employees seek nowadays. In fact, <a href=\"https:\/\/hbr.org\/data-visuals\/2021\/08\/the-perils-of-not-offering-a-hybrid-model\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the perils of not offering a hybrid model<\/a> today are high. \u201cFirms that don&#8217;t offer weekly work-from-home days risk losing more than 40% of their employees,\u201d states a survey from Harvard Business Review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Considering the above, we can easily say that hybrid models are here to stay. But how do you handle absences in a company where people are spending significant time away from the office? Let\u2019s start with some good news first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-hybrid-work-can-reduce-your-employee-absence-rate\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hybrid work can reduce your employee absence rate<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to a survey carried out by the human resources company Securex, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.brusselstimes.com\/192901\/telework-and-office-hybrid-reduces-short-term-absences\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hybrid work routines have been shown to reduce short-term absences.<\/a>\u201d This was particularly evident for employees who spent most of their time working from home. In fact, short-term absences for employees working from home 64% of their time dropped by 28%. In contrast, there was an increase in the percentage of short-term absences for employees who didn\u2019t have any remote work option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"394\" src=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/hybrid-work-and-absenteeism-700x394.png\" alt=\"A look at how hybrid work affects absenteeism and absence rates\" class=\"wp-image-10125\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/hybrid-work-and-absenteeism-700x394.png 700w, https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/hybrid-work-and-absenteeism-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/hybrid-work-and-absenteeism-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/hybrid-work-and-absenteeism.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Adopting a hybrid model that has an important remote ingredient could be quite useful for managing workforce absenteeism. For instance, half of the remote employees interviewed for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.indeed.com\/lead\/remote-work-survey\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Indeed\u2019s Remote Work Survey<\/a> said that working from home helped reduce their sick days. According to the survey, 56% said it reduced their absences overall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Similarly, 86% of those surveyed for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flexjobs.com\/blog\/post\/survey-flexible-work-mental-health\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FlexJob\u2019s Work-Life-Relationship<\/a> survey said a flexible working policy would reduce stress levels. Almost 90% claimed they would be able to take better care of themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Likewise, a survey carried out by the International Data Corporation (IDC) \u201cfound that 48% of U.S. respondents [working from home] reported higher productivity, <a href=\"https:\/\/allwork.space\/2021\/02\/were-not-going-back-the-post-crisis-workplace-is-hybrid\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">58% reported reduced absenteeism<\/a>, and one-third have reduced CRE and facility management costs.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"tips\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tips for managing absences under a hybrid model<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As we saw before, there is significant evidence of the positive impact that a hybrid model can bring in terms of reducing workforce absenteeism. However, this advantage doesn\u2019t take away the challenges you need to face when managing absences under a hybrid model, especially when it comes to sickness-related absences. So, how to do it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to Lexology authors Amy Leech and Jessica Pearson, \u201cthe key to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lexology.com\/library\/detail.aspx?g=09fc05ba-65cf-471c-bf57-e8a4c3becc69\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">effective absence management<\/a> will be to clearly set out expectations around attendance, and the process which will be followed when an employee falls sick.\u201d In order to do that, managers should take a consistent approach to staff absences and \u201cfollow correct company procedure regarding absence reporting and insist employees do the same, regardless of whether the employee was intending to work in the office or remotely,\u201d argue Leech and Pearson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Along those lines, Stephen Simpson, principal employment law editor at XpertHR, shares the following five tips for those employers that want to improve their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.xperthr.co.uk\/commentary-and-insights\/hybrid-working-and-sickness-absence-management-practical-tips-for-employers\/166443\/?t=10003\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sickness absence management under a hybrid working model<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Encourage employees to take sick leave when genuinely ill <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enforce sickness absence reporting <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Discourage workplace attendance when ill or infectious <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Consider enhancing sick pay <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Be flexible with sickness absence evidential requirements<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Beyond policy, visibility also helps. <a href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/resource-planning\">Beebole&#8217;s resource planning<\/a> syncs time off with team capacity in real time, so managers can see scheduled versus worked hours and rebalance workloads around absences before they create bottlenecks \u2014 useful whether that absence is a planned hybrid work-from-home day or an unplanned sick day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"conclusion\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Calculating employee absence conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Considering everything mentioned, a hybrid model looks promising in terms of reducing employee absenteeism. From now on, however, companies also need to rethink how they measure sickness absence.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWithout clear sickness tracking tools, how would employers know who\u2019s in self-isolation or off sick with symptoms? More so, how will they know if these employees are safe to return to the workplace without compromising the health of others? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.e-days.com\/news\/covid-19-has-changed-sickness-tracking-forever\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The requirement for sickness tracking has become more important than ever<\/a>,\u201d argues Sabrina Munns, Head of People &amp; Culture at e-days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Employers and HR departments can measure absences effectively by implementing a cloud-based time tracking system where employees can easily start and stop the timer when needed, whether they\u2019re working from home for the day or back in the office. Likewise, companies need to improve the way they track sickness absences. If they are able to put this together, they will be able to optimize their overall business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8211;<\/p>\n\n\n<div  class=\"mb-4 call_to_action-block\">\n    <div class=\"call_to_action-blockcontent py-5 px-4 text-center border-top border-bottom\">\n                    <h4 class=\"call_to_action-header h2 mt-0\">Easily Understand Your Employees&#039; Absence Rate<\/h4>\n                            <p class=\"call_to_action-text\">Learn just how valuable your time tracking data is.<\/p>\n                <div class=\"call_to_action-btns btns-wrap d-block d-lg-flex justify-content-center mx-auto\">\n                            <a class=\"w-100 w-lg-auto btn btn-outline-primary text-primary link-light me-lg-4 mb-3 mb-lg-0 bbl_cta_block_demo_btn \" href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/sales-call\" id=\"cta_post_8348_article_demo_1\">Book a Call<\/a>\n                                        <a class=\"w-100 w-lg-auto btn btn-primary text-light bbl_cta_block_signup_btn \" href=\"https:\/\/app.beebole.com\/signup\" id=\"cta_post_8348_article_sign_up_1\"><span>Sign Up<\/span><\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hr.toolbox.com\/guest-article\/how-to-calculate-employee-absence-rate-and-why-you-should-do-it\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>How to Calculate Employee Absence Rate and Why You Should Do It was originally published here<\/em><\/a><em>, and it has been updated with new information and republished with permission from <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/hr.toolbox.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Toolbox<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Photos: Beebole &amp; Pixabay<\/p>\n<div class=\"bbl-post-disclaimer\">The experts who have written or contributed to this article are independent from Beebole, and their contribution doesn't serve as endorsement for our company\/tool or their past\/present organizations, employers, or associates.<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Absence days in the workplace are prevalent regardless of schedule, sector, or level. It&#8217;s just another moving piece of HR and the working world. That&#8217;s why it&#8217;s essential to understand your employee absence rate and know how to calculate it. Are you aware of the impact that absence days have in the workplace? Is your [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":8359,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[123],"tags":[1395,1823,3987],"class_list":["post-8348","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-productivity-time-management","tag-time-tracking","tag-employee-cost","tag-beebole"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8348","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8348"}],"version-history":[{"count":38,"href":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8348\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14832,"href":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8348\/revisions\/14832"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8359"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8348"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8348"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8348"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}