Date & Time

WORKDAY Function in Excel

Returns a date that is a specified number of working days before or after a start date.

Syntax

  • =WORKDAY(start_date, days, [holidays])

Arguments

  • start_date (required): Start date
  • days (required): Number of working days
  • holidays (optional): Range of holiday dates

Examples

  • =WORKDAY("1/1/2024", 10) - 10 working days from Jan 1 - Result: 1/15/2024

Excel WORKDAY function documentation

  • WORKDAY returns the date that is a specified number of working days before or after a start date.
  • Syntax: =WORKDAY(start_date, days, [holidays]). Skips weekends; optional holiday list.
  • Negative days count backward — due date 10 business days ago from today.
  • Related: [NETWORKDAYS](/functions/networkdays/), [EDATE](/functions/edate/), [WORKDAY.INTL](/functions/workday-intl/).

WORKDAY syntax and SLA use cases

  • start_date: beginning point — often TODAY() or ticket opened date.
  • days: number of business days to add (positive forward, negative backward).
  • holidays: same pattern as NETWORKDAYS — absolute range on Settings sheet.
  • Result is a serial date — format as long date for stakeholders.

Step-by-step: compute due date 5 business days out

  • Step 1 — Request date in A2.
  • Step 2 — =WORKDAY(A2, 5) for five business days after A2.
  • Step 3 — Add holiday range: =WORKDAY(A2, 5, $H$2:$H$50).
  • Step 4 — Compare =WORKDAY(TODAY(), 5) for rolling "due by" from today.
  • Step 5 — Label column "Due (business days)" vs calendar =A2+7.

WORKDAY vs EDATE vs simple addition

  • WORKDAY — business days; skips weekends/holidays.
  • EDATE — calendar months; ignores weekend logic.
  • start + N — calendar days; includes weekends.
  • Choose WORKDAY for support SLAs and shipping promises in business days.

Worked examples to copy

  • Due in 3 business days: =WORKDAY(TODAY(), 3).
  • Backdate review: =WORKDAY(TODAY(), -5).
  • From order date: =WORKDAY(B2, 10, CompanyHolidays).
  • Format: =TEXT(WORKDAY(A2,7), "dddd, mmm d") for readable label.

People also ask

  • WORKDAY include start day? — Count starts after start_date; day 0 is start_date itself.
  • WORKDAY vs NETWORKDAYS? — WORKDAY adds days to get a date; NETWORKDAYS counts between two dates.
  • WORKDAY holidays? — Optional third argument; same setup as NETWORKDAYS.
  • WORKDAY negative days? — Returns date N business days before start_date.

Common errors

  • Skips weekends automatically

Use cases

  • Deadline setting
  • Delivery dates
  • Project scheduling

Frequently asked questions

  • How do I calculate a deadline 5 business days from today? Use =WORKDAY(TODAY(), 5) for 5 business days in the future. Add a holidays range for accuracy: =WORKDAY(TODAY(), 5, HolidayList). The result automatically skips weekends and listed holidays.
  • How do I go backwards in business days? Use negative days: =WORKDAY(TODAY(), -10) returns the date 10 business days ago. Useful for calculating when a process should have started to meet today's deadline.
  • How do I handle different weekend schedules? Use WORKDAY.INTL: =WORKDAY.INTL(A1, 10, "0000011") for Mon-Fri workweek, or =WORKDAY.INTL(A1, 10, 11) for Sun-Thu workweek (common in Middle East).

Editorial review

  • Reviewed by Excel.Directory Editorial Team. Updated May 2026.

When to use WORKDAY

  • Deadline setting — common Date & Time scenario for WORKDAY.
  • Delivery dates — common Date & Time scenario for WORKDAY.
  • Project scheduling — common Date & Time scenario for WORKDAY.

WORKDAY in the Date & Time category

  • Browse all Date & Time functions at /categories/date-time/ for related formulas.
  • WORKDAY syntax: =WORKDAY(start_date, days, [holidays])
  • start_date (required): Start date
  • days (required): Number of working days
  • holidays (optional): Range of holiday dates
  • Confirm WORKDAY arguments match the syntax shown above before filling down.
  • Lock table and range references with $ when copying formulas across rows or sheets.

Formula checklist before you copy down

  • Confirm WORKDAY arguments match the syntax shown above before filling down.
  • Lock table and range references with $ when copying formulas across rows or sheets.
  • If results look wrong, check for text stored as numbers and invisible spaces with TRIM.
  • Spot-check three known input rows manually against expected output.

Related Excel functions

  • WORKDAY.INTL (/functions/workday-intl/): Returns the date after a specified number of workdays with custom weekend parameters.
  • NETWORKDAYS (/functions/networkdays/): Returns the number of whole working days between two dates, excluding weekends and holidays.
  • EDATE (/functions/edate/): Returns a date that is a specified number of months before or after a given date.

Errors to watch for

  • Skips weekends automatically — review causes on linked error pages in the directory.

Copy-paste audit workflow

  • Enter WORKDAY on three test rows with known expected output documented on a QA tab.
  • Fill down only after absolute references are locked on lookup tables and rate tables.
  • Compare against manual calculation or a calculator for financial and statistical functions.
  • Search this directory for comparison guides when choosing between similar functions in the same category.

WORKDAY worked examples to copy

  • =WORKDAY("1/1/2024", 10) — 10 working days from Jan 1. Expected result: 1/15/2024.

WORKDAY reference summary for crawlers and offline review

  • WORKDAY belongs to the Date & Time category in Excel. Returns a date that is a specified number of working days before or after a start date.
  • Full syntax: =WORKDAY(start_date, days, [holidays]). Open /functions/workday/ for parameters, FAQs, and related pages.
  • Common mistakes: Skips weekends automatically
  • Pair this function with comparison guides when another Excel formula might fit the same task better.
  • Review fix-excel-formula-errors when unexpected errors appear after upgrading Excel or sharing across locales.