Cost & measurement of absence
UK · 2 calculatorsPut a number on absence: estimate the direct wage cost plus indirect cover and lost-productivity cost, and measure your absence rate as a percentage of available working time.
Not sure which fits? Use the full calculatorHow this calculation works
The direct cost of absence is the wage paid for time not worked, but that is only part of the picture — cover staff, overtime, agency fees, management time and lost productivity typically add substantially on top. UK employers commonly budget an indirect multiplier on the direct figure; the CIPD's annual survey has put the average cost of absence in the region of £568 per employee in the private sector and £835 in the public sector.
Absence rate — the CIPD 'lost time rate' — is total absence divided by the total possible working time over the same period, expressed as a percentage. Measuring it consistently lets you benchmark teams against each other and against national figures, and spot a rising trend before it becomes a costed problem.