How to use the working days calculator
- Count working days: choose a start and an end date. The result is the number of days that are neither weekend days nor holidays.
- Add working days: choose a start date and a number of working days to find the date that many working days later (or earlier, with a negative number). This is how a delivery date or a payment due in "10 business days" is found.
- Pick your weekend (Saturday–Sunday, Friday–Saturday as in much of the Middle East, or Sunday only), tick a preset of fixed-date holidays if you want, and list any other holidays in the box below.
Holiday dates can be typed as 2025-03-31 or 31/03/2025 (day first), with an optional name after the date. A holiday that falls on a weekend is not counted twice.
How the count works
working days = calendar days − weekend days − holidays that fall on a weekday
The tool goes through every date in the range, one at a time. It skips a date if it falls on a weekend day, or if it appears in your holiday list. What is left is the working-day count. For Add working days, it moves one calendar day at a time and only counts the days that pass the same test, and so a start date that is itself a weekend or holiday is simply not counted.
The start and end dates are both counted by default, matching the standard spreadsheet function NETWORKDAYS. Untick either box for an "elapsed" count. Add working days follows the WORKDAY convention: the start date is day zero, so 1 working day after a Friday is the following Monday.
Worked example
Press Try example. It counts the working days from Monday 3 March to Monday 31 March 2025 with the Pakistan fixed-date preset and one extra holiday on 31 March.
- Calendar days, both ends included: 29
- Weekend days (Saturdays and Sundays): 4 Saturdays + 4 Sundays = 8 (March 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30)
- Holidays on weekdays: 23 March 2025 is a Sunday, so it is already a weekend and not counted again. 31 March (the Eid entry) falls on a Monday, so 1 holiday.
- Working days: 29 − 8 − 1 = 20
Now use Add working days from 3 March with 10 days: 4 March is day 1, up to Friday 7 March (day 4), skipping the weekend, then Monday 10 March (day 5) to Friday 14 March (day 9). Monday 17 March is day 10, so the answer is Monday, 17 March 2025.
Weekends and holidays around the world
| Region | Usual weekend | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pakistan, India, most of the world | Saturday–Sunday, or Sunday only | Many Pakistani offices close only on Sunday, and some on Saturday too, so choose the setting that matches your workplace |
| Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt | Friday–Saturday | Use the Friday–Saturday option. The UAE moved to a Saturday–Sunday weekend for government in 2022 |
| Israel | Friday–Saturday | Use the Friday–Saturday option |
Public holidays vary by country, region and year, and many of them depend on the moon (Eid, Ashura) or on a floating rule (the first Monday of a month). A calculator that hard-codes them would be wrong in some years. That is why this tool offers only fixed-date presets and leaves moving holidays to you. Check your government's gazette or your employer's calendar for the exact list.
Typical business-day questions
- Payment terms: "net 30" is usually 30 calendar days, but "within 10 business days" is working days. Read the wording closely.
- Delivery and shipping: estimates in business days usually skip weekends and public holidays, and sometimes exclude the order day.
- Notice periods and legal deadlines: some rules count calendar days and some count only business days. Always check the contract or law.
- Project planning: divide working days by 5 to get working weeks, then allow time for leave and sickness.
Accuracy and limits
The count is exact for the weekend and holiday settings you choose. The tool cannot know local holidays, bridge days, half-days or company shutdowns unless you enter them. Ranges are limited to 100 years, and the add mode to 20,000 working days. Holiday presets cover only fixed calendar dates and do not shift a holiday that falls on a weekend to the nearest weekday, as some countries do.
Frequently asked questions
How many working days are in a month?
Most months have 20 to 23 working days before public holidays, because a 30-day month contains 4 weeks plus 2 extra days. Enter the first and last day of the month to get the exact figure.
Does the calculator include the start date?
Yes by default, which matches the NETWORKDAYS function in spreadsheets. Untick the option to leave out the start date or the end date.
How do I add business days to a date?
Use the Add working days tab. Enter the start date and the number of days. The start date is not counted, so 1 working day after Friday is Monday.
Can I use a Friday–Saturday weekend?
Yes. Pick Friday and Saturday, or Sunday only, from the weekend menu.
Why are Eid and other holidays not built in?
Their dates depend on moon sighting and are announced late, so a fixed list would be wrong. Add them yourself in the holiday box once the dates are announced.