📊Absence Percentage Calculator
Calculate the percentage of absences from total days or hours
Last updated: November 7, 2025
This absence percentage calculator helps companies determine the absenteeism rate of their employees. While all companies may expect to experience a certain percentage of absences, a high rate of absence among employees may negatively affect its revenue and the ability to provide adequate service to its customers.
In this article, you will learn:
- The formula for calculating the absence rate of employees within a company.
- Some of the consequences of high absenteeism.
- The importance of monitoring the absenteeism rate of the employees in a company and more.
If you are a business student doing research, you may also find our total asset turnover calculator interesting. Or, if you are simply new to the world of business and wish to learn all you can, you may like our time value of money calculator, which deals with how the value of money changes over time.
How to Calculate the Percentage of Absence of a Company's Employees
To calculate the percentage absence or the absenteeism rate of a company's employees, we need to:
- Choose the period to be covered.
- Find the total number of employees. However, if the number of employees changes in that period, it is necessary to use the average number of employees instead.
- Find the total number of workdays for the period. Here, we will not only need to subtract weekends, but we will also need to subtract the number of holidays in that period. Our business days calculator can help with this.
- Finally, we need to calculate the total number of absent days of all the employees within that time frame.
Once we have gathered all this information, we then use the following formula, used in our absence rate calculator, to calculate the percentage absence of all employees.
Absence rate = (Total days absent ÷ Total days) × 100
However, to receive the desired result using this absenteeism rate formula, always ensure that the total days are greater than 0. Additionally, the total number of absent days cannot exceed the total days.
Are you enjoying this calculator? Then our fraction to percent calculator may be of interest to you too.
Note: We do not use vacation time when calculating the percentage of employees' absences.
Consequences of High Absenteeism Among Employees
Absence among employees is something all companies must expect. Unexpected situations such as illness, childcare emergencies, housing emergencies, vehicular issues, and a host of other things may hamper employees' ability to be at work. While a good employer understands the need to make allowances for these things, it is also necessary to understand the consequences of a high absence rate.
High absenteeism rates may negatively affect a company in the following ways:
- Poor service to customers due to inadequate staff: Employees' absence rates have a definite impact on the customer's quality of service. Often, wait time increases, and the quality of products is affected when employees fill in for others.
- Low output: Three persons cannot execute the work of five in the same time frame using the same tools. As such, the employee absence rate will always affect production.
- Added strain on staff causing discord: Typically, when employees are absent, the workload is more significant for the few persons at work. As a result, a high rate of absences may cause a breakdown in relationships due to resentment on the part of the employees carrying out the bulk of the work.
The Importance of Monitoring Employee Absence Rate
Every company needs to monitor the absence rate of employees because it can affect output and staff morale. When the absence percentage is too high, the company needs to find the reason and down this figure. It would be best if you used the absenteeism rate formula or calculator to monitor the absenteeism rate of employees as often as possible to avoid loss of revenue.
Regular monitoring of employee absence rates allows companies to:
- Identify patterns and trends in absenteeism
- Address underlying issues before they become major problems
- Improve workplace productivity and efficiency
- Maintain better customer service levels
- Reduce costs associated with absenteeism
By tracking absence rates over time, companies can make data-driven decisions to improve employee attendance and overall business performance.
Know the Acceptable Employee Absenteeism Rate for Your Company
Figuring out if the absence rate of employees is high depends on the industry your business is in. This figure could range from 1.5 to 4.5 percent. By simply researching business in the same industry, a company could learn the acceptable absenteeism rate. Once you know that number, you should work to stay below it.
Different industries have different benchmarks for acceptable absence rates:
- Healthcare and education: Typically higher rates (3-5%) due to exposure to illnesses
- Manufacturing and construction: Moderate rates (2-4%) depending on safety and physical demands
- Office-based industries: Lower rates (1.5-3%) with better work-life balance
- Retail and hospitality: Variable rates (2-4%) depending on seasonal factors
It's important to compare your absence rate against industry standards and your own historical data to determine if action is needed. A sudden increase in absenteeism may indicate workplace issues that need to be addressed.
Frequently Asked Questions
To calculate absence percentage, divide the number of absent days by the total days and multiply by 100. Formula: (Absent Days / Total Days) × 100
A good absence percentage varies by industry and context. Generally, an absence rate below 3-5% is considered acceptable for most workplaces. Higher rates may indicate issues that need attention.
Yes, you can use this calculator for hours by entering total hours and absent hours instead of days. The calculation method remains the same.
Absence percentage shows the percentage of time absent, while attendance percentage shows the percentage of time present. They add up to 100% (Absence % + Attendance % = 100%).