The illness rate is calculated by comparing employee illness-related absences against planned working time, within a specific period. Illness-related absence times and planned working times are calculated in days.
Contents
Interpretation
A high illness rate may be interpreted as an indicator of a heavy workload, bad working conditions, dangerous working environment, low employee satisfaction, and so on. As a simple key figure it can be used for planning purposes, for example, to shift resources from one area into an area with a high Illness Rate. An analysis of the illness reasons or causes must include other factors as well. For example, a high overtime rate combined with a high number of accidents may indicate the reasons for an increase of the illness rate.
Calculation Formula
Direction of Improvement
One will usually try to minimize the illness rate.
Industry and Country Relevance
The illness rate is generic for all industries and countries.