KPI · HR

Absence frequency: formula and example.

Absence frequency is the average number of sickness spells per employee in a period, usually a year. You divide the number of new absence spells by the average headcount. It highlights short, frequent absence, which barely shows in the absenteeism rate.

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Absence frequency formula

New absence spells in the period ÷ average headcount

Worked example

In 2025 Acme Groothandel recorded 180 new absence spells with an average headcount of 144. The absence frequency is 180 ÷ 144 = 1.25 spells per employee per year.

Fictitious figures for Acme Groothandel, a sample wholesaler.

How to read this KPI

A higher frequency means people report sick more often, which can point to workload, low engagement or a low threshold for staying at home. A low frequency combined with a high absenteeism rate points instead to a few long-term cases. Compare with last year and between departments of a similar size.

Pitfalls with absence frequency

Counting a long spell that runs into the new year again; only count spells that start in the period.
Dividing by FTE instead of headcount; frequency is about people, not hours.
Showing frequency per person on a widely shared dashboard; that belongs in a conversation between manager and employee.

SQL & DAX

Calculating absence frequency in SQL and DAX

Two examples on a fictitious data warehouse for Acme Groothandel: a PostgreSQL query and a measure for a Power BI model. Adjust table and column names to your own model.

SQL · PostgreSQL

WITH avg_headcount AS (
  SELECT AVG(n) AS employees
  FROM (
    SELECT m, COUNT(e.employee_id) AS n
    FROM generate_series(DATE '2025-01-01', DATE '2025-12-01', interval '1 month') AS m
    JOIN employees e ON e.hire_date <= m AND (e.termination_date IS NULL OR e.termination_date > m)
    GROUP BY m
  ) s
)
SELECT COUNT(a.*) AS absence_spells,
       ROUND(MAX(h.employees), 1) AS avg_headcount,
       ROUND(COUNT(a.*) / NULLIF(MAX(h.employees), 0), 2) AS absence_frequency
FROM absences a
CROSS JOIN avg_headcount h
WHERE a.start_date >= DATE '2025-01-01' AND a.start_date < DATE '2026-01-01';

DAX · Power BI

Headcount =
VAR d = MAX ( 'Date'[Date] )
RETURN COUNTROWS ( FILTER ( ALL ( Employees ), Employees[HireDate] <= d && ( ISBLANK ( Employees[TerminationDate] ) || Employees[TerminationDate] > d ) ) )
Absence Frequency = DIVIDE ( COUNTROWS ( Absences ), AVERAGEX ( VALUES ( 'Date'[YearMonth] ), [Headcount] ) )

In ENABLE

Tracking this KPI in ENABLE

Plain-language questions

Ask for absence frequency per month, customer or product in the SQL Explorer with AI. The AI writes the SQL, you see the query and run it yourself; the AI only receives metadata.

In your Power BI dashboard

Define the KPI as a measure in your Power BI model and show it in the portal, with "Last refreshed" next to it. Access profiles and optional row-level security decide who sees which figures.

Custom dashboards (pilot)

Add the KPI as a tile to a custom dashboard, compared with last year. The Dashboard Builder is a pilot and can be switched on per client.

Monthly targets

With the built-in Targets app you set a target for the KPI per month, so you see actuals and target side by side.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How do you calculate absence frequency?

Divide the number of absence spells that started in the period by the average headcount for that period. For an annual figure, use the average of the monthly headcounts. Spells that were already running at the start of the period are not counted.

What is the difference between absence frequency and absenteeism rate?

Absence frequency counts how often people report sick; the absenteeism rate measures how much working time is lost. Ten short spells and one long one can produce the same rate. That is why you read them together.

What does a high absence frequency mean?

A high absence frequency points to a lot of short-term absence. That can be linked to workload, the atmosphere in a team or personal circumstances. Use the figure to start a conversation, not as a verdict.

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