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How To Quickly Calculate Absenteeism Using the Absenteeism Rate Formula

Updated: Feb 10, 2023



You can use the absenteeism rate formula to calculate the percentage of employees who are absent from work on a given day. This calculation measures employee productivity and can help employers identify patterns in absences that may need attention.


There are a few different ways to calculate the absenteeism rate, but the most common approach is to divide the number of absences by the total number of employees.

What Is The Absenteeism Rate Formula?

The absenteeism rate formula is a simple way to track and compare employee absence rates. It can be used to identify problem areas so you can take corrective action.

The absenteeism rate formula calculates the percentage of employees who are absent from work. The formula is:


(Number of absences / Number of employees) x 100 = Absenteeism rate (%).


For example, if 10 employees are absent from a company with 100 employees, the absenteeism rate would be 10%.


What Is The Average Absenteeism Rate?

The average absenteeism rate varies by industry and country. In the United States, the average absenteeism rate was 2.9% in 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This rate has remained relatively stable over the past few years.


What Are the Causes Of Absenteeism?

The reasons for absenteeism. They vary from person to person and can be due to personal or work-related problems. Some common reasons for absenteeism include:

  • Illness or injury

  • Personal problems (e.g., childcare issues, transportation problems)

  • Work-related stress

  • Job dissatisfaction

Why Do You Need to Know the Absenteeism Formula?

You may be asking yourself, "Why do I need to know the absenteeism formula?" The answer is simple. By understanding the factors that contribute to absenteeism, you can develop strategies to reduce its impact on your organization.


The first step in reducing absenteeism is to understand its causes. Many factors can contribute to absenteeism, including job satisfaction; hostile work environment; pay and benefits; and family or personal problems. Once you have identified the factors that are causing employees to miss work, you can develop strategies to address those issues.


For example, if you find that job satisfaction is a major factor in absenteeism, you can focus on making improvements in that area. This might include providing more training or development opportunities; offering flexible work hours; or increasing pay and benefits.


If you want to get an accurate picture of your company's absenteeism rate, it's important to consider all of these factors. If you can identify the issues that are causing employees to miss work, you can develop strategies to reduce absenteeism and improve productivity in the workplace.



How Do You Calculate The Absenteeism Rate?

The absenteeism rate formula can be useful for employers to track and manage employee attendance. There are a few different ways to calculate the absenteeism rate, but the most common method is to take the number of employees who are absent from work and divide it by the total number of employees. This will give you the percentage of absenteeism.


The first step in calculating the absenteeism rate formula is to determine the number of employees who are absent from work. This can be done by looking at records of employee absences, such as time-off requests or sick days. You can also ask employees to self-report their absences.



When Would You Leverage the Absence Rate?

There are a number of reasons why an organization might choose to leverage the absence rate. The most common reason is to address a specific absenteeism problem within the company. Other reasons may include wanting to improve employee productivity or that you're simply gathering data for analysis.


Leveraging the absence rate when managing people can take many forms, but some common methods include:

  • Asking employees to provide a doctor’s note for each day they are absent

  • Conducting return-to-work interviews with employees after they have been absent

  • Analyzing attendance patterns to identify trends and issues

  • Implementing policies and procedures related to absenteeism

Each organization is different, so it’s important to tailor any approach to fit the company culture and the specific needs of your business.

Here are a few examples of when you might want to leverage the absence rate:

  • When absenteeism is significantly higher than the average for your industry

  • When there is a sharp increase in the number of employees taking sick days

  • When certain departments or teams seem to be particularly affected by absenteeism

  • When you suspect that employees are abusing the sick day policy

  • When you want to gather data to help identify trends and issues related to absenteeism


Want more HR tips and resources?


We’ve got you covered! At Teamworks, we help companies all around the country improve their HR processes with free resources and a full-service HR software solution. If you’d like to learn more, check out our additional resources or reach out to us for more information.


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