The greatest difficulty that companies encounter when measuring absenteeism is that there is no nationwide index to be used, which prevents them from making comparisons between different organisations. In addition, the only comparative index that currently exists is the Classification of Economic Activities (CNAE), but it has its shortcomings as a single CNAE groups sometimes incomparable companies.
Calculation of the Absenteeism rate
It is calculated as a percentage relationship between the number of lost days (total of hours not worked due to occasional causes) on effective negotiated days in the company (total of possible working hours).
- Non-worked hours (for occasional causes): Hours not worked due to holidays and bank holidays and hours for ERTE's.
- Effective negotiated hours:Sum total of negotiated hours and overtine hours, excluding non-worked hours not worked due to holidays and bank holidays and hours for ERTE's.
Source: Adecco Report on Absenteeism 
Other Absenteeism rates
Starting from this general concept, other more specific indices can be drawn up.
Number of absences at a certain moment in regard to the number of workers in the study multiplied by one hundred.
The percentage ratio between the days of absence of employees in regard to the sum total of days worked, plus the theoretical planned working days.
Number of days lost per employee and year, divided by the number of employees.
Number of lost hours due to paid absences divided into the number of theoretical hours to be worked multiplied by 100.
Number of lost hours due to unpaid absences divided into the total number of working hours available multiplied by 100.
Actual percentage of presence. This is obtained from deducting from one hundred the sum total of the legal and personal rates.
Source: Report: The cholesterol of business. Publisher: efr.
The number of workers is the average no. of workers exposed to risk for the reference period.
Number of accidents with sick leave occurring during the working day (excluding in itinere accidents) per workers exposed to risk.
Number of accidents during the working day (excluding in itinere accidents) occurring per million hours worked
Source: INSHT (National Institute for Safety and Hygiene at Work)
The percentage ratio between the number of illness processes in regard to the company's average workforce volume.
Percentage ratio between the number of days lost due to illness and the number of processes
Ratio between the number of working days lost due to illness in regard to the average workforce volume, multiplied by 100.
Source: Management of Absenteeism from Work. FREMAP. 2008 / Absenteeism from Work: causes, control and analysis. New ways to reduce it. Jesús Francisco Molinera Mateos. FC editorial. 2006
FREMAP provides its member companies reports on temporary disability which define the following rates:
This is the percentage ratio between the days of sick leave in the period selected for work-related and non-work-related accidents and illnesses over the course of the employee's relationship with the company and the theoretical number of working days for FREMAP-member companies with both types of coverage.
This is the percentual relationship between the days of sick leave in the period selected for professional contingency during the worker's employment relationship with the company and the theoretical working days of companies with professional contingency covers with FREMAP.
It is the percentage ratio between the days of sick leave due to common contingencies within the period requested during the employee's work relationship at the company on the theoretical working days of the companies which have common contingency coverage with FREMAP.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Risk Rate: This is the percentage ratio between the days of provision due to Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Risk of the workers of under 50 years of age and the theoretical working days in the companies who have work-related injury or disease coverage with FREMAP.
This is the percentage represented by the days lost due to work-related injuries occurring in the working day on the company's average workforce volume . Is it provided in monthly and aggregate terms.
This measures the average duration of each absence. This is the ratio between the number of days lost due to work-related or non work-related injury or disease and the number of absences.
This is the percentage that represents the monthly average of pending discharges (accident or illness) divided into the number of workers.
This is the percentage represented by days lost due to common contingencies on the company's annual average workforce volume.
