Sickness Trigger Points Explained: A UK Employer's Guide
- Trefnus
- 4 days ago
- 8 min read
Published 19 June 2026 · Last reviewed 19 June 2026
Most UK employers manage sickness absence reactively, dealing with each spell of illness as it arises rather than spotting the patterns building up behind it. Sickness absence trigger points fix that gap. They are pre-agreed thresholds, set out in an absence policy, that prompt a manager to review an employee's attendance once absence reaches a certain level.
Used well, trigger points support fair, consistent decisions and protect both the business and the employee. Used carelessly, they can expose a business to discrimination claims. This guide explains how trigger points work, the most common methods for setting them, and how to apply them lawfully.
What Are Sickness Absence Trigger Points?
A sickness trigger point is a defined level of absence, whether measured in days, occasions, or a combined score, that automatically prompts a management review. Reaching a trigger does not mean an employee is in trouble. It means a conversation is due. The purpose is to catch absence patterns early, before they become entrenched, and to make sure every employee is treated the same way when their attendance raises a concern.
There is no statutory definition of a trigger point and no legal requirement to use them at all. Acas guidance simply recommends that employers who choose to use triggers document them clearly in a written absence policy, apply them consistently, and treat each trigger as the start of a supportive conversation rather than the first step of a disciplinary process.
Why Trigger Points Matter for SMEs
Small and medium businesses often feel the impact of sickness absence more acutely than larger organisations, because there is less slack in the rota to absorb it. A handful of employees with frequent short absences can disrupt scheduling, increase pressure on colleagues, and push up costs through a poorly managed absence management policy.
The cost picture has shifted further with recent changes to Statutory Sick Pay. Since 6 April 2026, SSP is payable from the first day of sickness rather than the fourth, and the lower earnings limit has been removed, meaning more short absences now carry a direct payroll cost from day one.
Clear, fairly applied trigger points give managers an early and consistent way to respond through attendance management, rather than waiting until a pattern is well established.
Consistency: every employee is reviewed against the same threshold, reducing claims of unfair treatment.
Early intervention: issues such as workplace stress, caring pressures, or an undiagnosed health condition are surfaced sooner.
Defensibility: a documented, consistently applied trigger system is far easier to defend at tribunal than ad hoc judgement calls.
Cost control: with day-one SSP now in place, frequent short absences are more visible and more expensive, making early review more valuable.
Common Ways to Set Sickness Trigger Points
Most UK employers use one of two approaches, or a combination of both.
Simple Occasion and Day Thresholds
The most straightforward method sets a fixed number of absence days or occasions within a rolling period, for example three occasions or eight days within any rolling twelve months. This is easy for managers and employees to understand, but it cannot distinguish between one employee who has a single two-week absence following surgery and another who has eight separate one-day absences.
Both could trigger a review under a simple day-count system, even though the second pattern is usually more disruptive to a business.
The Bradford Factor
The Bradford Factor is a scoring formula that gives more weight to frequent short absences than to one longer absence. It is calculated as follows, where S is the number of separate absence spells in a rolling twelve-month period and D is the total number of days absent in that period.
Bradford Score = S² × D
Because the number of spells is squared, frequent short absences produce a much higher score than one extended absence covering the same total number of days.
Absence Pattern | Spells (S) | Days (D) | Bradford Score |
1 absence of 10 days | 1 | 10 | 10 |
2 absences of 5 days each | 2 | 10 | 40 |
5 absences of 2 days each | 5 | 10 | 250 |
10 absences of 1 day each | 10 | 10 | 1,000 |
Many employers set a Bradford score, commonly somewhere in the 200 to 300 range, as the point at which a formal review is triggered, though there is no fixed or recommended figure and the right threshold depends on the nature of the business. Whatever method is chosen, the sickness absence policy should record the threshold clearly and apply it the same way across the workforce.
For employers using Bradford scores or any other trigger-based attendance policy, accurate record keeping is essential. Calculating scores by hand across a growing team quickly becomes time-consuming, and manual spreadsheets are easy to get wrong.
Tracking Trigger Points Without the Admin Burden Trefnus Staff calculates Bradford Factor scores automatically as absences are logged, flags employees approaching a trigger threshold, and keeps a clear record to support fair, consistent decisions, all without a subscription or a cloud-hosted database holding staff health data. Find out more about Trefnus Staff at: |
Legal Considerations: Equality Act 2010
Trigger points carry real legal risk if applied without adjustment. Short, repeated absences are often linked to a disability, pregnancy-related illness, or a condition covered by the Equality Act 2010. Treating disability-related absence in the same way as other absence when applying a trigger point may, depending on the circumstances, amount to discrimination arising from disability, and a failure to adjust trigger points for a disabled employee can breach the duty to make reasonable adjustments.
In practice, this means trigger points should never be applied automatically. Before any formal step is taken, a manager should check whether some or all of the absence is disability-related, pregnancy-related, or otherwise protected, and consider whether the trigger threshold itself needs to be adjusted, or whether some absences should be discounted from the calculation entirely. A Bradford score or occasion count should be treated as a signal to start a conversation, never as proof of a problem on its own.
What Happens When an Employee Hits a Trigger Point
Reaching a trigger point should lead to a structured, supportive conversation, not an automatic warning.
A typical review covers:
A private discussion about the pattern of absence and any underlying cause.
Whether any absence should be discounted because it relates to a disability, pregnancy, or other protected circumstance.
Whether workplace adjustments, a phased return, or occupational health input would help.
Clear next steps and a timeframe for improvement, recorded in writing.
What will happen if attendance does not improve, explained transparently.
Only where absence continues despite support and adjustment, and where the employer has followed a fair process, should matters move towards formal capability or disciplinary procedures, in line with the Acas Code of Practice.
Example: How a Trigger Review Plays Out
Sarah has four separate one-day absences during a rolling twelve-month period. Each absence is genuine, but the pattern is enough to reach her employer's trigger threshold and prompt a review. In the meeting, Sarah explains that she has recently started caring for an elderly parent and has been struggling with childcare arrangements on certain mornings.
Rather than issuing a warning, her manager uses the conversation to discuss flexible working options, including a later start time on specific days. The attendance issue is addressed before it becomes more serious, and Sarah feels supported rather than penalised.
Setting Up a Fair Trigger Point Policy
Write it down: Trigger points should be documented in a published absence policy, not left to managerial discretion.
Pick a sensible rolling period: Most employers use a rolling twelve months so that old absences naturally drop out of the calculation.
Apply triggers consistently: The same threshold and process should apply to every employee in a comparable role.
Build in a disability check: Every review should ask whether the absence relates to a protected characteristic before any next step is decided.
Keep accurate records: Consistent, well-kept absence data is what makes a trigger system defensible if it is ever challenged.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a legal requirement to use sickness trigger points?
No. There is no statutory requirement to use trigger points, and no legally prescribed threshold. Acas guidance recommends that employers who do use them set out the thresholds clearly in a written policy and apply them consistently, treating each trigger as a prompt for a conversation rather than an automatic disciplinary step.
What Bradford Factor score should trigger a review?
There is no fixed or legally recommended figure. Many UK employers set a review threshold somewhere between 200 and 300 points, but the right level depends on the size of the business, the nature of the work, and typical absence patterns within it. The chosen threshold should be documented in the absence policy and applied consistently.
Can sickness trigger points be used against employees with disabilities?
Not without adjustment. Under the Equality Act 2010, employers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees, which can mean discounting disability-related absence from a trigger calculation or setting a higher threshold for an affected employee. Applying a standard trigger point without this check can amount to unlawful discrimination.
Do trigger points lead automatically to disciplinary action?
No. Reaching a trigger point should prompt a supportive review meeting to discuss the pattern of absence and any underlying cause, not an automatic warning. Formal capability or disciplinary procedures should only follow where absence continues despite support, adjustments, and a fair process, in line with the Acas Code of Practice.
How often should sickness absence be reviewed against trigger points?
Most employers check attendance against trigger points on a rolling basis, recalculating each time a new absence is logged, using a rolling twelve-month window so that older absences fall out of the calculation over time. This keeps the picture current without permanently penalising an employee for absence that happened a long time ago.
What is the difference between a Bradford Factor system and a simple occasion count?
A simple occasion or day count treats all absence the same regardless of pattern. The Bradford Factor weights frequent short absences more heavily than one longer absence, because the number of separate spells is squared in the calculation. This makes it better at flagging disruptive patterns of short-term absence, though it requires more explanation to staff and managers than a straightforward day count.
Further Reading and Official Guidance
Conclusion
Sickness absence trigger points give UK employers a structured, consistent way to spot and respond to absence patterns before they become entrenched, particularly important now that day-one SSP has made short absences more visible and more costly.
The method matters less than how fairly it is applied. Whether using a simple occasion count or a Bradford Factor score, every trigger system needs a documented threshold, a consistent process, and a built-in check for disability-related or otherwise protected absence before any formal step is considered.
Employers do not need complex systems for managing employee sickness absence to benefit from trigger points. What matters is having clear thresholds, applying them consistently, and using each trigger as an opportunity to understand and address the causes of absence. When handled fairly, trigger points help employers improve attendance while supporting employee wellbeing.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is intended for general guidance only and does not constitute professional legal, financial, or regulatory advice. Always consult a qualified professional for advice specific to your circumstances.
