> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.senzohq.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Absence Metrics

> Absence hours, absence rate, and pattern analysis definitions

# Absence Metrics

## Absence Hours

**Definition:** Total unplanned absence hours in a period — shifts missed due to illness, injury, or other unplanned leave.

**Source field:** `absence_hours`

**Notes:**

* Include only **unplanned** absences — sick leave, short-term disability, occupational injury
* Exclude planned leave (vacation, statutory holidays, approved leaves of absence)
* Exclude scheduled days off
* Agency hours used to backfill absences should be tracked in `agency_hours`, not `absence_hours`

**Displayed in:** Overview, Metrics Explorer, Pulse Intelligence, Workforce Stress Indicators

***

## Absence Rate

**Definition:** Unplanned absence hours as a percentage of scheduled hours.

**Formula:**

```
Absence Rate = (absence_hours ÷ scheduled_hours) × 100
```

**Benchmarks:**

* Below 3%: Low — healthy range
* 3–5%: Moderate — typical for most healthcare settings
* 5–8%: Elevated — above benchmark, warrants investigation
* Above 8%: High — associated with workforce stress, burnout, and attrition risk

**Interpretation:** Absence Rate is one of the most reliable early indicators of workforce health. A sustained increase over 60–90 days typically precedes a measurable increase in voluntary turnover.

**Displayed in:** Overview, Pulse Intelligence, Workforce Stress Indicators, Metrics Explorer

<Warning>
  Absence Rate requires `scheduled_hours` to calculate. If scheduled hours are not in your data, Senzo cannot display this metric. Include scheduled hours in your upload template to enable absence rate tracking.
</Warning>

***

## Absence Pattern Analysis

Senzo's Workforce Stress Indicators section includes an **Absence Pattern Analysis** view that shows:

* 12-month trend lines for the top 5 highest-absence units
* A reference line at the warning threshold
* Units where absence has trended upward for 3+ consecutive months — flagged as sustained absence pressure

**Why patterns matter more than point-in-time values:** A single elevated month may reflect a flu season or isolated incident. Three consecutive months of increasing absence is a structural signal that warrants operational investigation.

***

## Absence vs. other leave types

Senzo tracks unplanned absence only. Other leave types your payroll system may track:

| Leave type                | Include in absence\_hours? |
| ------------------------- | -------------------------- |
| Sick leave (unplanned)    | ✅ Yes                      |
| Short-term disability     | ✅ Yes                      |
| Occupational injury/WCB   | ✅ Yes                      |
| Vacation                  | ❌ No                       |
| Statutory holiday         | ❌ No                       |
| Approved leave of absence | ❌ No                       |
| Bereavement               | ❌ No (discretionary)       |
| Jury duty                 | ❌ No                       |

***

## Absence and burnout risk

Absence rate is weighted at **25%** of the Burnout Risk Index score. Research consistently shows that unplanned absence is an early indicator of:

* Workforce disengagement
* Burnout accumulation
* Impending voluntary turnover

Units with rising absence rates over 2–3 months should be examined alongside overtime rate and outflow data to assess compounding stress signals. See [Burnout Risk Index](/core-concepts/burnout-risk-index) for the full composite model.