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Free UK HR calculator

Absence cost calculator

Estimate the direct salary and cover cost of sickness absence from the figures you know. Indirect costs stay out unless you add them yourself.

  • Free to use
  • No signup
  • Known costs only
Use the calculator

Estimate the direct cost of absence

Enter your team, salary and absence figures. Add paid cover only when you know what it costs.

Before holiday: a standard five-day week is about 260.

The latest ONS UK estimate is 4.4 days. It is statistics in development, not a target.

Agency or overtime cover, if you arrange it. Leave blank for none.

£5,415.38direct cost per year: £541.54 per employee, equal to the ONS UK estimate of 4.4 days

The working

  1. Day rate = £32,000 ÷ 260 working days = £123.08
  2. Total absence days = 4.4 × 10 employees = 44 days
  3. Direct salary cost = £32,000 ÷ 260 × 44 days = £5,415.38 (using the full-precision day rate)
  4. Total = £5,415.38 (£541.54 per employee)

What the total cannot see

  • The ONS 4.4-day figure is an estimate from official statistics in development, not a legal or performance benchmark. Your own complete absence record is the useful comparison.
  • If people are paid in full while off sick, the day-rate figure above already contains their sick pay. Do not add SSP on top. SSP matters where pay stops; the SSP calculator covers that arithmetic.
  • An average can hide very different absence patterns. Review the dates, frequency and individual circumstances before acting; the Bradford Factor calculator can show how spell frequency changes a score.
  • This is a direct-cost estimate, not the total business impact. Lost output, missed deadlines and management time depend on the organisation and should be added only when you have evidence for them.

Basis: Direct-cost arithmetic only: day rate = salary / working days; absence cost = day rate × absence days × employees; cover cost only when entered. No unstated multipliers.. The 4.4-day ONS figure is official statistics in development, not a legal target.

ONS sickness absence estimatesAcas absence guidance
The method

How the estimate is calculated

The calculation uses full-precision arithmetic and rounds only the money shown.
  1. 1

    Find the daily salary cost

    Divide average annual salary by contracted working days. The calculation keeps the full-precision rate behind the displayed figure.

  2. 2

    Apply the absence days

    Multiply absence days per person by the number of employees, then apply the full-precision daily rate.

  3. 3

    Add known cover costs

    Add agency or overtime cover only when you enter a real daily cost. Lost output and management time are not guessed.

Worked example

Worked example: a ten-person team

A team of ten has an average salary of £32,000 and records 4.4 sickness days per person.

Inputs

  • 10 employees
  • £32,000 average salary
  • 260 working days
  • 4.4 absence days each

Working

  1. Day rate = £32,000 ÷ 260 working days = £123.08
  2. Total absence days = 4.4 × 10 employees = 44 days
  3. Direct salary cost = £32,000 ÷ 260 × 44 days = £5,415.38 (using the full-precision day rate)
  4. Total = £5,415.38 (£541.54 per employee)

The estimated direct salary cost is £5,415.38 a year, before any cover cost.

Use it with context

A useful budget estimate, with clear limits

Use the result to understand direct salary and known cover costs, then review the actual absence record before deciding what to do.

This calculator covers

  • Direct salary cost from annual pay and working days
  • Average absence days across a team
  • Agency or overtime cover you choose to add
  • Full-precision arithmetic with rounded display values

Check the full guidance for

  • Statutory or company sick-pay entitlement
  • Long-term absence and reasonable adjustments
  • Indirect costs that depend on your organisation
  • Any performance, capability or disciplinary decision
From calculation to record

Keep the dates behind the estimate

HollyHR keeps sickness dates, notes and documents together, so you can see the pattern behind an annual average.

See sickness absence in HollyHR
Questions

About the absence cost calculator

What does sickness absence cost an employer?

The direct salary cost is the employee's daily salary rate multiplied by absence days. Add agency or overtime cover when you actually pay it. Other effects depend on the organisation and should not be inferred from salary alone.

Does the estimate include Statutory Sick Pay?

Do not add SSP on top when salary is already paid during sickness because the daily salary figure already includes that pay. Use the SSP calculator when ordinary pay stops and statutory entitlement needs calculating.

Why does the calculator use 260 working days?

It is a simple starting point for a regular five-day week before leave. Replace it with the contracted working days that fit the role and working pattern.

Does a high absence cost mean formal action is needed?

No. The figure cannot see disability, pregnancy, long-term health, workplace causes or individual circumstances. Review the record and follow a fair, supportive process.

Keep going

Useful next steps

GuideManaging sickness absence
TemplateSickness absence policy
GlossaryBradford Factor

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Keep sickness dates, notes and documents together, so the annual total always has a record behind it.

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