We’re often asked what is the Bradford Factor? It’s a method of managing and controlling frequent short term absence. It’s a formula to calculate the impact of employees’ absences on the organisation. This kind of absence is, in our experience, the most disruptive kind of absence for a company to have to deal with. Because longer term absences can be planned for more easily than short term.
In our experience, the higher the score, the more disruption the employee’s absence is causing an organisation. The scores act as a trigger to prompt
action, escalating the formality of dealing with absence more quickly.
Is the Bradford Factor Discriminatory?
If you use the Bradford Factor for staff who have medical conditions, disabilities, mental health problems, or family members who have one or more of those, they are likely to need more time off than the average employee. For this reason, adjusting the trigger points for employees with known circumstances can help both them and you.
Is the Bradford Factor legal?
Yes. Employers are able to, and we advise them to, proactively manage short term absence.
So that you don’t create challenges for yourself, you need to set fair trigger points. We’re all human and most if us will be ill at some point during our employment. You need to be reasonable. Some of our clients start with a set of trigger points that they review after a year to gauge how reasonable they are.
Download our Fact Sheet now to learn more about What is the Bradford Factor and how it might work in your Company.
Fact Sheet – The Bradford Factor
Metis HR is a professional HR Consultancy based in the North West of England supporting clients across the country. We specialise in providing outsourced HR services to small and medium-sized businesses. Call us now on 01706 565332 to discuss how we may help you.
