Cellwise Start free

Dates function

Excel WORKDAY function

WORKDAY returns the date that is a given number of working days after a start date, skipping Saturdays, Sundays and any holidays you list. Use it for deadlines, delivery dates and due dates. A negative number counts backwards.

=WORKDAY(start_date, days, [holidays])

Arguments

start_date
The date to count from. It is not counted itself.
days
The number of working days to move. Negative counts back. Decimals are cut off.
holidays
Optional. A range of dates to skip, such as public holidays.

WORKDAY examples

Every result below was calculated from this sample sheet by the same spreadsheet engine the Cellwise app uses.

ABCDE
1TaskStartWork daysHoliday
2DesignNov 2, 202610Nov 26, 2026
3BuildNov 16, 202615Nov 27, 2026
4ReviewDec 21, 20265Dec 25, 2026
5Jan 1, 2027

Download this sheet as an Excel practice file (.xlsx)

  1. =WORKDAY(B2,C2)

    Result: Nov 16, 2026

    Ten working days after Monday November 2 is Monday November 16. The weekends in between are skipped.

  2. =WORKDAY(B3,C3,$E$2:$E$5)

    Result: Dec 9, 2026

    The build phase skips the Thanksgiving holidays on November 26 and 27, so it ends on December 9 instead of December 7.

  3. =WORKDAY(B4,C4,$E$2:$E$5)

    Result: Dec 29, 2026

    Five working days from December 21 skips Christmas Day: December 29.

  4. =WORKDAY(DATE(2026,12,1),-10,$E$2:$E$5)

    Result: Nov 13, 2026

    A negative number counts back: ten working days before December 1 is November 13.

How to use WORKDAY

  1. List your holidays in a range, one date per cell.
  2. Click the cell for the result.
  3. Type =WORKDAY(start,days,holidays) and lock the holiday range with $.
  4. Press Enter. If you see a number such as 46342, format the cell as a date.

Common WORKDAY mistakes

Counting the start day

WORKDAY(B2,1) is the next working day, not B2. To include the start day, use days - 1.

A weekend other than Saturday and Sunday

WORKDAY always skips Saturday and Sunday. For Friday and Saturday, or a six-day week, use WORKDAY.INTL.

Holidays typed as text

Holiday cells must hold real dates. Text that Excel cannot read as a date returns #VALUE!.

A number instead of a date

The result is a date serial number. Format the cell as a date to see it as one.

WORKDAY FAQ

How do I add business days to a date in Excel?

Use =WORKDAY(start_date,days,holidays). It skips weekends and the listed holidays.

How do I find the next working day?

Use =WORKDAY(date,1). If the date is a Friday, it returns the following Monday.

What is the difference between WORKDAY and NETWORKDAYS?

WORKDAY gives a date from a start date and a number of days. NETWORKDAYS gives the number of working days between two dates.

What happens with 0 days?

WORKDAY(date,0) returns the date itself, even on a weekend.

Guides that use WORKDAY

Related functions

Updated