What is the absenteeism rate?
For HR managers and supervisors, this figure is valuable for two reasons. It is a key performance indicator: a rising trend is an early signal that something is amiss regarding workload, health, or job satisfaction. And it is a cost item: a sick employee quickly costs an organization a significant amount per day — on average € 250 to € 400 [6]. Those who know their absenteeism rate can therefore anticipate these costs sooner.
Inzicht
The absenteeism rate tells you *how much* working time is lost, but not *why*. It's a thermometer, not a diagnosis. Therefore, always read it in conjunction with the average duration of absenteeism and the reporting frequency later in this article — only then will you know whether you are dealing with short, frequent absenteeism or long-term absence.
Calculating the absenteeism rate: the three formulas
| Variant | Formula | Answers |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly basis | (total absenteeism hours / total available working hours) × 100 [2] | What proportion of working hours was lost? |
| Daily basis | (absentee days / (employees × working days)) × 100 [3] | What proportion of working days was lost? |
| Current | (sick employees / total employees) × 100 [1] | How many people are currently sick? |
Formula based on hours
The most accurate variant calculates with hours, as it takes into account part-timers and varying contract hours. The formula is:
Absenteeism rate = (total number of absenteeism hours / total number of available working hours) × 100 [2]
Formula based on days
If you prefer to work with days, you use this variant:
Absenteeism rate = (total number of absent days / (number of employees × number of working days in a period)) × 100 [3]
Current vs. average absenteeism rate
The hourly formula and the daily formula provide an average absenteeism rate over an entire period, such as a month, quarter, or year. In addition, there is the current absenteeism rate, a snapshot of today:
Current absenteeism rate = (sick employees / total employees) × 100 [1]
Calculation example: absenteeism rate step by step
Example on an hourly basis
Suppose: a company has 10 employees who each work 1,800 hours per year. In that same year, a total of 720 hours were lost due to absenteeism.
The absenteeism rate for this company over the year is 4%.
Example on a daily basis
Now consider a larger organization with 100 employees. In the month of January, this organization has 21 working days and a total of 250 sick days were registered.
The absenteeism rate for January here is 11.9% [3].
Cijfer
Prefer to calculate the current percentage? An organization with 80 employees, 6 of whom are sick, has a current absenteeism rate of (6 / 80) × 100 = **7.5%** [1]. That same number can be much lower in annual averages — precisely why you should never confuse current and average.
Working days or calendar days? Common choices and pitfalls
The golden rule: use the same definition in the numerator and denominator. If you count absent days in working days, then the available time must also be in working days. If you mix the two, your figures within your own organization will no longer be comparable — let alone with a benchmark.
Tip
Document your chosen definition in a brief calculation instruction and stick to it year after year. If the method changes in the interim, absenteeism may appear to rise or fall while nothing has actually changed. Consistency is more important than which variant you choose.
More than one number: reporting frequency and average absenteeism duration
Calculating average absenteeism duration
The average absenteeism duration shows how long a sick leave notification lasts on average:
Average absenteeism duration = number of sick days / number of absenteeism notifications
Calculating reporting frequency
The reporting frequency — also known as absenteeism frequency — shows how often employees report sick on average:
Reporting frequency = number of sick leave notifications / number of employees
Inzicht
Always view the three metrics in conjunction. The same absenteeism rate of 5% means something very different with a high reporting frequency and short duration (much short-term absenteeism) than with a low frequency and long duration (a few long-term sick employees). Only by combining percentage, duration, and frequency do you know which absenteeism to tackle — and how.
What is an average or 'normal' absenteeism rate in the Netherlands?
According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), the average sick leave among employees in 2023 was 5.3 percent, compared to 5.6 percent in 2022 [5]. In the first quarter of 2024, it further decreased to 5.5 percent — again lower than a year earlier [5].
| Period | Average sick leave (CBS) |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 5.6% [5] |
| 2023 | 5.3% [5] |
| Q1 2024 | 5.5% [5] |
Let op
Do not draw conclusions from a single isolated percentage. A figure below the national average does not automatically mean that everything is going well — it could also indicate under-registration or employees working while sick. Read the percentage in conjunction with the trend over multiple periods and with the absenteeism duration and frequency.
Automatically calculating absenteeism rate with absenteeism software
With absenteeism software that automatically calculates these figures, you record sick leave and recovery notifications once, after which the system calculates the absenteeism rate, average absenteeism duration, and reporting frequency itself — including trends per department and period. This way, you avoid manual calculations and inconsistent definitions. Often, this functionality is part of broader leave and absenteeism registration in an HR system, so you manage all personnel data in one place.
| Aspect | Manual (Excel) | Absenteeism Software |
|---|---|---|
| Calculation | Enter formulas yourself | Automatic |
| Definitions | Monitor yourself | Fixed and consistent |
| Additional metrics | Calculate separately | Duration and frequency included |
| Trends per department | Manual work | Built-in |
| Error susceptibility | High | Low |
Frequently asked questions about calculating the absenteeism rate
How do you calculate the absenteeism rate?
Divide the time lost due to absenteeism by the total available working time and multiply by 100. On an hourly basis: (total absenteeism hours / total available working hours) × 100. On a daily basis: (absentee days / (number of employees × number of working days)) × 100. Example: 720 absenteeism hours out of 18,000 working hours = (720 / 18,000) × 100 = 4% [2].
What is a good or normal absenteeism rate?
As a guideline, the average absenteeism rate in the Netherlands is usually between 3 and 6 percent [4]. According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), the average sick leave among employees in 2023 was 5.3 percent [5]. In sectors such as healthcare and welfare, it is consistently higher. Therefore, always compare your own figure within your industry.
What is the difference between the current and average absenteeism rate?
The current absenteeism rate is a snapshot: sick employees divided by the total number of employees × 100 [1]. The average absenteeism rate looks over a period (such as a month or year) at the absent days or hours relative to all available working time, thereby providing a more stable picture of the trend.
Do you calculate with working days or calendar days?
Both are allowed, as long as you are consistent. Many organizations calculate with working days because absenteeism only actually occurs on those days. The most important thing is that your numerator (absent days) and denominator (available days) use the same definition, otherwise your figures will not be comparable with each other.
What does the reporting frequency say in addition to the absenteeism rate?
The reporting frequency (number of sick leave notifications divided by the number of employees) shows how often people report sick, while the average absenteeism duration (sick days divided by the number of notifications) shows how long they are absent on average. Together with the absenteeism rate, you can thus distinguish short-frequent absenteeism from long-term absenteeism.
How do you calculate the absenteeism rate automatically?
With absenteeism software, you record sick leave and recovery notifications, and the system automatically calculates the absenteeism rate, average absenteeism duration, and reporting frequency, including trends per department. This way, you avoid manual calculations and inconsistent definitions.
