Excel WORKDAY and NETWORKDAYS Functions
last modified April 4, 2025
The WORKDAY and NETWORKDAYS functions are essential
for date calculations in Excel. They help calculate working days while excluding
weekends and holidays. This tutorial provides a comprehensive guide to using
these functions with detailed examples. You'll learn basic syntax, practical
applications, and advanced techniques.
Function Basics
WORKDAY calculates a date after adding workdays to a start date.
NETWORKDAYS counts workdays between two dates. Both exclude
weekends and can optionally exclude holidays.
| Function | Description | Syntax |
|---|---|---|
| WORKDAY | Returns date after specified workdays | =WORKDAY(start_date, days, [holidays]) |
| NETWORKDAYS | Counts workdays between dates | =NETWORKDAYS(start_date, end_date, [holidays]) |
This table shows the core differences between the two functions. WORKDAY moves forward/backward in time, while NETWORKDAYS calculates the difference between dates.
Basic WORKDAY Example
This example shows how to calculate a due date 10 workdays from today.
=WORKDAY(TODAY(), 10)
This formula returns the date 10 workdays from today, excluding weekends. If today is Monday April 1, 2025, it returns Monday April 15 (skipping 2 weekends).
WORKDAY with Holidays
This example demonstrates WORKDAY with a custom holiday list to exclude specific dates from the calculation.
| A | B |
|---|---|
| Start Date | 2025-04-01 |
| Holiday 1 | 2025-04-07 |
| Holiday 2 | 2025-04-14 |
| Result | =WORKDAY(B1, 10, B2:B3) |
The table shows a start date and two holidays. The WORKDAY formula calculates 10 workdays from start date, excluding both weekends and the listed holidays.
=WORKDAY(B1, 10, B2:B3)
This formula returns April 16, 2025 (original result was April 15, but April 14 is a holiday). The calculation skips weekends and the two specified holidays.
Basic NETWORKDAYS Example
This example counts workdays between two dates, useful for calculating project duration.
| A | B |
|---|---|
| Start Date | 2025-04-01 |
| End Date | 2025-04-30 |
| Workdays | =NETWORKDAYS(B1, B2) |
The table shows a date range in April 2025. The NETWORKDAYS formula calculates how many workdays exist between these dates, automatically excluding weekends.
=NETWORKDAYS(B1, B2)
This formula returns 22 workdays in April 2025 (30 total days minus 8 weekend days). NETWORKDAYS includes both start and end dates in the count if they are workdays.
NETWORKDAYS with Holidays
This enhanced example shows NETWORKDAYS excluding both weekends and holidays.
| A | B |
|---|---|
| Start Date | 2025-04-01 |
| End Date | 2025-04-30 |
| Holiday 1 | 2025-04-07 |
| Holiday 2 | 2025-04-14 |
| Workdays | =NETWORKDAYS(B1, B2, B3:B4) |
The table extends the previous example with a holiday list. The NETWORKDAYS formula now excludes these dates from the workday count along with weekends.
=NETWORKDAYS(B1, B2, B3:B4)
This formula returns 20 workdays (original 22 minus 2 holidays). The holidays fell on weekdays (Monday April 7 and Monday April 14) and were excluded.
WORKDAY.INTL and NETWORKDAYS.INTL
These advanced versions let you customize which days are considered weekends. This example shows WORKDAY.INTL with a Tuesday-Wednesday weekend.
=WORKDAY.INTL("2025-04-01", 10, "0001100")
This formula calculates 10 workdays from April 1, 2025, treating only Tuesdays and Wednesdays as weekends. The "0001100" string defines the weekend pattern (1=weekend, 0=workday).
The WORKDAY and NETWORKDAYS functions are powerful
tools for business date calculations. They handle weekends automatically and
can incorporate holiday schedules. The INTL versions provide flexibility for
non-standard work weeks. Mastering these functions will improve your date-based
calculations in Excel.
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