Bradford Factor - How to count number of instances while using words

Neat trick Glenn.... Thanks for your prompt response...
I sure didn't think this through... Wow month end... I initially assumed that the employees are going to be constant but well as it turns out, we do hire a lot of temps and the employee list changes every month. Another crude method would possibly be to use a vlookup for an entire years worth of attendance from individual excel files for each month[That's how the data was collected last year - one excel file per month]. Any ideas on how one could possibly collate the data in an easier way?
I wish I had collected the data as line items.

there is no NICE way to calculate or use the bradford factor

There's nothing wrong with the Bradford Factor if it is used as a measurement tool and not as a blunt instrument to hit staff and managers with. It highlights patterns of absenteeism which can then be discussed with the member of staff. It may be they're not very good at getting up to come to work on a Monday after a weekend on the beer but, equally, there could be some underlying health issue. Hopefully, if it is the latter, both the manager and HR would be aware of the issue and it would be taken into account.

Unfortunately, in my experience, it does become a blunt instrument ... a measure, which becomes a target, which must then be reduced. Otherwise, it then reflects on the performance and bonus of the individual and all the managers in the management chain. And, as consequence, it goes the way of all measures, targets and statistics ... a way of working around it must be found ... usually termed cheating. OR, a performance improvement plan is put in place to manage the member of staff's absenteeism, putting both the individual and the manager under pressure and causing stress.

So, all that said, I have to agree with Martin. There's no NICE way of measuring the Bradford Factor. It WILL turn nasty.

Regards, TMS

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