Track every hour missed and every dollar spent. See wage, coverage, and overhead effects instantly. Plan staffing decisions with clear, defensible cost totals now.
| Lost days | Hours/day | Hourly wage | Overtime hours | Replacement hours | Productivity % | Estimated total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | $20 | 2 | 4 | 10% | $546.40 |
| 2 | 8 | $28 | 6 | 6 | 15% | $1,471.68 |
| 0.5 | 8 | $35 | 0 | 2 | 5% | $362.88 |
| 3 | 7.5 | $18 | 10 | 8 | 12% | $2,131.20 |
Lost hours = lost_days × hours_per_day
Direct wage cost = lost_hours × hourly_wage
Overtime cost = overtime_hours × hourly_wage × overtime_multiplier
Replacement cost = replacement_hours × replacement_rate
Benefits & overhead = (direct_wage + overtime + replacement) × benefits_overhead_pct
Productivity impact = lost_hours × value_per_hour × productivity_pct (if value/hour is set)
Otherwise productivity uses direct_wage × productivity_pct as a wage proxy.
Admin cost = admin_hours × admin_rate
Total loss cost = direct_wage + overtime + replacement + overhead + productivity + admin + one_time
Attendance loss becomes measurable when days convert to hours. Multiply lost days by standard hours per day to get lost hours. For example, 2.5 days at 8 hours equals 20 hours. This baseline supports consistent comparisons across teams, shifts, and locations, and it reduces debate about what “a day” means in mixed schedules. If attendance loss is partial, use fractional days so the hour total reflects missed shifts and late arrivals accurately too.
Direct wage cost estimates paid time not worked, while coverage costs represent additional labor purchased to keep operations running. Overtime cost is overtime hours times hourly wage times the overtime multiplier. Replacement cost is replacement hours times the replacement rate. Tracking both reveals whether absence is mainly a payroll leak or a staffing gap requiring external spend. If coverage exceeds loss hours, review staffing overlap.
Loaded cost improves accuracy by adding benefits, payroll taxes, and overhead. Apply a benefits and overhead percent to wage-based subtotals: direct wages plus overtime plus replacement. Many organizations use 15–35% depending on local statutory costs and benefit richness. Keeping the percent separate lets HR adjust assumptions without rewriting the model. Document the source of the percentage for auditability and stakeholder alignment.
Productivity impact captures delays, rework, missed sales, and handoff friction. The calculator applies a productivity percent either to a value-per-hour proxy or, if value per hour is unknown, to direct wages as a conservative placeholder. If service levels matter, model higher productivity loss for frontline roles and lower loss for back-office roles with flexible queues. Track role categories separately to avoid averaging away critical hotspots.
Annualizing turns a single incident into planning data. Multiply the total loss cost by expected occurrences per year to estimate budget exposure. Use the component breakdown to target fixes: scheduling policies reduce overtime, cross-training reduces replacement rates, and attendance programs reduce lost days. Re-run scenarios quarterly to track improvements and justify investment. Pair results with absence reasons to prioritize controllable drivers.
It estimates paid time not worked by multiplying lost hours by the average hourly wage. If unpaid absence is common, set hourly wage to the paid portion or interpret this component as a wage proxy for time lost.
Start with 5–15% for roles with recoverable backlogs and 15–40% for customer-facing or time-sensitive work. Adjust upward if delays create penalties, churn, or missed sales, and downward if tasks can be rescheduled without loss.
Use it when output value differs from wages, such as revenue per labor hour or contribution margin per hour. If unknown, leave it blank and the calculator applies the productivity percentage to wages as a conservative approximation.
Uncovered hours are lost hours not offset by overtime or replacement labor. They signal capacity shortfalls that often drive productivity loss, service delays, and burnout risk, helping you decide whether to add coverage or reduce absence.
Annualized cost equals the total incident cost multiplied by expected occurrences per year. Use historical absence patterns or policy thresholds to estimate frequency, and revisit the figure as attendance initiatives change behavior.
Yes. Enter fractional lost days and your standard hours per day so the lost-hours calculation stays accurate. Capture any extra coverage hours and admin time tied to the incident, then compare scenarios across teams.
Important Note: All the Calculators listed in this site are for educational purpose only and we do not guarentee the accuracy of results. Please do consult with other sources as well.