Your numbers
Explore the numbers
Examples, chart, and saved snapshots
Start with a realistic example, adjust the inputs, or save your numbers before experimenting.
Twenty-four hours missed in a 400-hour week
Ten people usually work 40 hours, so the week holds 400 hours. The crew missed 24 of those hours. Hourly pay in the box is 25. Vacation and holidays stay out of the 24, which is how BLS defines an absence.
Hours absent: 25% lower
Change hours absent to 18 hours while keeping the other example values the same.
Hours absent: 25% higher
Change hours absent to 30 hours while keeping the other example values the same.
Interactive chart
See what changes the result
This result is categorical, so compare the calculated values in the examples and snapshots instead.
The chart changes one input while holding all other current values steady. It is a sensitivity view, not a forecast.
Browser snapshots
Freeze these values
Save the current calculation, experiment freely, and restore it later.
No saved snapshots for this calculator yet.
Compare snapshots
What changed?
Save one more snapshot to compare plans.
Saved only in this browser. Nothing is uploaded, and clearing browser data removes the snapshots.
Quick answer
What does the Absenteeism cost calculate?
What do lost work hours cost in pay? This calculator uses hours absent, hours usually worked, and hourly pay to estimate pay for the hours people missed immediately in your browser.
With the values currently entered, the result is $600.00 — pay for the hours absent. It also shows lost worktime rate, hours absent, and hours usually worked.
How to use the Absenteeism cost
- Replace the example values with your own numbers.
- Review the result and supporting figures as they update automatically.
- Check the formula and assumptions before using the estimate for a decision.
Inputs used
- Hours absent — entered in hours
- Hours usually worked — entered in hours
- Hourly pay
Absenteeism cost formula
Absence cost = hours absent × hourly pay. Lost worktime rate = hours absent ÷ hours usually worked.
Assumptions
- BLS defines the lost worktime rate as hours absent as a percent of hours usually worked. Table 46 for 2025 reports 1.7 percent for all full-time wage and salary workers age 16 and over. That annual figure is an 11-month average and leaves out October 2025.
- The dollar line is the absent hours times the hourly pay you type. BLS absences leave out vacation, personal days, holidays, and labor disputes. Leave those hours out of the first box when you want a rate you can set next to the BLS figure.
Verify the inputs
Authoritative sources
These sources explain the definitions, factors, or rules behind this tool. Their geographic scope is shown because an official source for one country is not automatically valid somewhere else.
Sources do not endorse Calculum. Check the source date, scope, and your own documents before making a financial, tax, insurance, or reporting decision.
Practical guide
Absenteeism cost example and edge cases
Absenteeism cost here is the pay attached to hours people missed. BLS calls the matching rate the lost worktime rate: hours absent as a percent of hours usually worked. Table 46 for 2025 puts that rate at 1.7 percent for all full-time wage and salary workers.
Example: Twenty-four hours missed in a 400-hour week
Ten people usually work 40 hours, so the week holds 400 hours. The crew missed 24 of those hours. Hourly pay in the box is 25. Vacation and holidays stay out of the 24, which is how BLS defines an absence.
- Hours absent
- 24 hours
- Hours usually worked
- 400 hours
- Hourly pay
- 25
Calculated result$600.00pay for the hours absent
The pay for those hours is 600. The lost worktime rate is 6 percent, because 24 divided by 400 is 0.06. The BLS figure of 1.7 percent is the 2025 average for the whole survey, and your 6 percent is only this week.
Example results use the default display profile. The calculator above follows your selected country and units.
How to read the result
- Read the dollar cost first. Then look at the rate. A 600 cost on 24 hours is the $25 pay. The 6 percent rate needs the 400 usual hours in the denominator.
- Table 46 reports 1.7 percent for 2025, and that year is an 11-month average because October was not collected. Use it as a published comparison. The rate on this page is the hours you type.
Edge cases worth checking
Vacation hours are sitting in the absent box
BLS absences leave out vacation, personal days, holidays, and labor disputes. Leave those hours in and the rate moves above the survey definition. Keep them in only when you want the pay for every hour off, including paid leave.
The hourly pay leaves out a shift premium
The dollar line multiplies the absent hours by the pay you type. A night differential that applies to the missed shift belongs inside that hourly figure, or the 600 understates the pay.
What changes the result most
Hours absent
Keep hours absent on the same time basis as the other inputs. Monthly and annual values are easy to mix up.
Hours usually worked
Keep hours usually worked on the same time basis as the other inputs. Monthly and annual values are easy to mix up.
Hourly pay
Use a current amount for hourly pay. Include fees or recurring costs that belong in the same figure.
Try a different scenario
Small changes show whether the answer is stable or sensitive.
Hours absent: 25% lower
18 hours$450.00pay for the hours absent
Hours absent: 25% higher
30 hours$750.00pay for the hours absent
Hours usually worked: 25% higher
500 hours$600.00pay for the hours absent
Common mistakes
Check hours absent
BLS defines the lost worktime rate as hours absent as a percent of hours usually worked. Table 46 for 2025 reports 1.7 percent for all full-time wage and salary workers age 16 and over. That annual figure is an 11-month average and leaves out October 2025. Make sure this matches the number you enter.
Keep hourly pay consistent
The dollar line is the absent hours times the hourly pay you type. BLS absences leave out vacation, personal days, holidays, and labor disputes. Leave those hours out of the first box when you want a rate you can set next to the BLS figure. Use the same units and time period throughout the calculation.
Do not rely on one absenteeism cost scenario
Run a cautious case and an optimistic case. The range is often more useful than one exact-looking number.
Use this result well
What do lost work hours cost in pay?
It does not replace a quote, contract, accountant, or local employment guidance.