Absence
Absence Management
Track sickness, spot patterns, and manage return-to-work
CubeHR's absence management goes beyond simple sickness recording. Automatic Bradford Factor calculation identifies concerning patterns. SSP tracking handles statutory requirements. Return-to-work workflows ensure every absence is properly documented. Occupational health referral tracking keeps everything in one place.
S²×D
Automatic Bradford Factor calculation
Trigger alerts
At the thresholds you set
£116.75
Current weekly SSP rate tracked
What's included
Everything absence management needs, in the box
6capabilities
on one employee record
Bradford Factor
Automatic calculation using S² × D formula. Configurable trigger thresholds (200+, 400+, 600+). Alerts sent to managers and HR when thresholds are breached.
SSP Tracking
Automatic Statutory Sick Pay calculation. Tracks the 3 waiting days, qualifying periods, and payment thresholds. Integrates with payroll export.
Return-to-Work
Structured return-to-work interview forms. Managers complete the interview, record outcomes, and set follow-up actions. All documented and auditable.
Pattern Detection
Spot patterns: Monday absences, absences around holidays, frequent short-term illness. Data-driven insights help managers have constructive conversations.
Occupational Health
Track OH referrals, appointments, recommendations, and outcomes. Link OH reports to absence records for a complete picture.
Fit Notes
Record fit note details: date range, restrictions, and recommended adjustments. Track compliance with fit note recommendations.
Why it matters
Why businesses pick CubeHR for absence management
Identify problems early
Bradford Factor alerts flag concerning absence patterns before they become serious. Early intervention prevents small issues from becoming disciplinary cases.
Automate SSP calculations
Stop manually calculating qualifying days, waiting periods, and payment rates. CubeHR handles it all and exports to your payroll system.
Document everything
Return-to-work interviews, fit notes, OH referrals, all recorded in one place. If absence leads to a capability process, you have the evidence trail.
In practice
What this actually looks like
Tackling Monday absences
The problem
A warehouse operation suspects a disproportionate share of absence falls on Mondays, but managers have nothing but anecdote to open a conversation with.
The outcome
Pattern analysis breaks absence down by day of week and by individual, so the conversation starts from the record rather than from suspicion.
Managing long-term sickness
The problem
An employee is on long-term sick leave and there is no structured review process, so months pass with no formal contact.
The outcome
Absence workflows prompt welfare check-ins, occupational health referral at the trigger point you set, and structured review meetings, each one logged against the absence record.
Questions
Frequently asked
What is the Bradford Factor?
The Bradford Factor is a formula (S² × D) that measures the impact of short, frequent absences. S is the number of separate absence instances, D is the total days absent. It highlights disruptive absence patterns that cost more than single long absences.
What Bradford Factor thresholds should we use?
Common thresholds are: 200+ (informal discussion), 400+ (formal review), 600+ (final warning). CubeHR lets you set custom thresholds per company. The defaults are configurable in settings.
How does SSP calculation work?
CubeHR tracks the current SSP rate (£116.75/week for 2025), the 3 waiting days, qualifying days, and the 28-week payment limit. It calculates SSP entitlement automatically and includes it in payroll exports.
Can we track absence reasons?
Yes. Standard absence reasons include cold/flu, injury, medical appointment, stress/anxiety, and more. You can add custom reasons specific to your company. All reasons are reportable.
By sector
Absence Management in your industry
Absence Management for Construction
Track sickness absence across sites, calculate Bradford Factor scores for your workforce, manage return-to-work interviews, and maintain compliance with SSP requirements for construction workers.
Learn moreAbsence Management for Healthcare
Monitor absence patterns across clinical teams, track occupational health referrals, manage phased returns, and maintain CQC-compliant absence records.
Learn moreAbsence Management for Education
CubeHR's absence management tools are designed to meet the specific needs of education businesses. CubeHR's absence management goes beyond simple sickness recording. Automatic Bradford Factor calculation identifies concerning patterns. SSP tracking handles statutory requirements. Return-to-work workflows ensure every absence is properly documented. Occupational health referral tracking keeps everything in one place.
Learn moreAbsence Management for Manufacturing
CubeHR's absence management tools are designed to meet the specific needs of manufacturing businesses. CubeHR's absence management goes beyond simple sickness recording. Automatic Bradford Factor calculation identifies concerning patterns. SSP tracking handles statutory requirements. Return-to-work workflows ensure every absence is properly documented. Occupational health referral tracking keeps everything in one place.
Learn moreAbsence Management for Logistics & Transport
CubeHR's absence management tools are designed to meet the specific needs of logistics & transport businesses. CubeHR's absence management goes beyond simple sickness recording. Automatic Bradford Factor calculation identifies concerning patterns. SSP tracking handles statutory requirements. Return-to-work workflows ensure every absence is properly documented. Occupational health referral tracking keeps everything in one place.
Learn moreAbsence Management for Care Homes
CubeHR's absence management tools are designed to meet the specific needs of care homes businesses. CubeHR's absence management goes beyond simple sickness recording. Automatic Bradford Factor calculation identifies concerning patterns. SSP tracking handles statutory requirements. Return-to-work workflows ensure every absence is properly documented. Occupational health referral tracking keeps everything in one place.
Learn more
Also included
Works alongside
Leave Management
Manage annual leave, sick days, and all absence types with full UK employment law compliance.
ExploreReporting & Analytics
Pre-built HR reports for headcount, leave liability, and asset operations.
ExploreCompliance & Right to Work
Right to work and DBS tracking with expiry alerts, GDPR tooling, and a complete audit trail.
Explore
Absence
Try absence management with your own data
CubeHR is in early access. We are onboarding a limited number of UK businesses at a time so every one is set up properly. Register your interest and we will be in touch about a place.
- GDPR compliant · UK data residency
- Set up in an afternoon
- Built for UK employment law