Absenteeism is unplanned absence from scheduled work — the shifts missed that were not approved leave. It is measured as a rate against total scheduled shifts, not as a count of days, so that teams of different sizes can be compared.

What is Absenteeism?

Q: How do you calculate an absenteeism rate?

Divide the number of shifts missed unexpectedly by the total shifts scheduled, then multiply by 100. Twenty staff scheduled 400 shifts with 18 missed gives a 4.5% rate. Calculate it per team and per site as well as company-wide, because a single figure hides where the problem actually sits.

Q: Does sick leave count as absenteeism?

It is counted in the rate, but that does not make it a problem. Personal leave is a National Employment Standards entitlement — employees accrue it and are entitled to use it. What you are looking for is the pattern: clustering around particular days or shift types, or a rise following a roster change. Never treat an individual absence as misconduct because it appears in the metric.

Q: What is a normal absenteeism rate?

It varies enough by industry and season that a published benchmark is rarely useful. The comparison worth making is against your own trend and between your own teams. A site running consistently above the others, or a rate rising after a specific change, tells you far more than any national average.

Updated 29 Aug 2026 • 5 min read

Absenteeism is the pattern of unplanned absence from work — unscheduled days that were not approved leave. It is measured as a rate rather than a count, and in shift-based businesses it is the metric that most directly predicts roster failure.

This glossary article about absenteeism provides general information about Australian employment law and workplace practices. It does not constitute legal, HR, or professional advice and should not be relied on as a substitute for advice specific to your business, workforce, or circumstances.

References HR Hub disclaimer Modern Awards Fair Work

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How to calculate it

The standard formula is:

Absenteeism rate = (shifts missed ÷ total scheduled shifts) × 100

Over a month, if a team of 20 was scheduled 400 shifts and 18 were missed unexpectedly, the rate is 4.5%. Track it per site and per team as well as company-wide — a single figure hides the department where the problem actually is.

What counts, and what does not

Absenteeism means unplanned absence. Approved annual leave, long service leave, parental leave and public holidays are scheduled and do not belong in the numerator — including them produces a number that measures your leave policy rather than a problem.

Legitimate personal (sick and carer’s) leave is a National Employment Standards entitlement. Employees accrue it, they are entitled to take it, and using it is not misconduct. Treat the rate and the pattern as the signal, never an individual absence.

Reading the pattern

The shape of absence usually says more than the volume:

Clustering on Mondays, Fridays or one shift type points at the roster, not the people
Concentration in one team points at a manager or a workload problem
A rise straight after a roster change points at the change
A rise alongside overtime concentration usually means fatigue

Rising absence and rising turnover tend to move together, with absence arriving first — which makes it a useful early warning.

What it costs

The direct cost is the replacement shift, often at a premium if it is filled at short notice or pushes someone into overtime. The indirect costs are larger and less visible: manager time spent finding cover, the effect on the people who stayed, and the service impact when cover cannot be found at all.

Because the cheapest cover is usually the most expensive hour, absenteeism is one of the few HR metrics with a direct and immediate line to labour cost.

Key takeaways

Absenteeism is unplanned absence, measured as a rate against scheduled shifts
Approved leave does not belong in the calculation
Personal leave is an NES entitlement — the pattern is the signal, not the individual day
Clustering by day or shift type points at the roster rather than the person

RosterElf records every unplanned absence against the roster it broke, so the pattern is visible before it becomes a staffing problem.

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Written by

RosterElf Team

Workforce Management Specialists

The RosterElf team comprises workforce management specialists with deep expertise in Australian employment law, rostering best practices, and payroll compliance. Our team works directly with businesses across hospitality, healthcare, retail, and service industries to develop practical solutions for common workforce challenges.

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