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WORKDAY Function

Excel 2007+

Summary

The WORKDAY function calculates a future or past date that is a specified number of working days from a start date, automatically excluding weekends (Saturday and Sunday) and any specified holidays. Perfect for project timelines, delivery schedules, and invoice due dates.

Syntax

WORKDAY(start_date, days, [holidays])

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
start_date	`Date`	Yes	Start date for workday calculation (use DATE function or cell reference)
days	`Number`	Yes	Positive for future dates, negative for past dates. Non-integers are truncated
holidays	`Date Array`	No	Range or array of dates to exclude as holidays (optional)

Using the WORKDAY Function

WORKDAY is invaluable for business applications requiring accurate workday calculations. Use it to determine project deadlines, payment due dates, or delivery schedules while properly accounting for weekends and company holidays.

Common WORKDAY Examples

Basic Future Workday Calculation

=WORKDAY(DATE(2024,1,1), 10)

Returns the date 10 workdays after January 1, 2024 (skipping weekends) - typically January 15, 2024.

With Holiday Exclusion

=WORKDAY(A2, B2, C2:C5)

Calculates 15 workdays from start date in A2, excluding holidays listed in C2:C5.

Past Workday Calculation

=WORKDAY(TODAY(), -5)

Returns the date 5 workdays before today.

Frequently Asked Questions

By default, WORKDAY excludes Saturday and Sunday. Use WORKDAY.INTL for custom weekend definitions.

Use DATE(year,month,day) function or reference cells with proper dates. Avoid text dates to prevent #VALUE! errors.

Yes, negative values calculate workdays before the start date.

Common Errors and Solutions

#VALUE! error

Cause: Invalid date format in arguments

Solution: Use DATE() function or ensure cells contain valid dates

#NUM! error

Cause: Resulting date is invalid

Solution: Check if calculation produces a valid date

Wrong workday count

Cause: Holidays entered as text

Solution: Ensure holidays are proper dates, not text

Notes

Excel stores dates as serial numbers starting from January 1, 1900
Days parameter is truncated to integer if decimal
For custom weekend definitions, use WORKDAY.INTL
Holidays can be a cell range or array constant

Compatibility

Available in: Excel 2007, Excel 2010, Excel 2013, Excel 2016, Excel 2019, Excel 2021, Microsoft 365

Not available in: Excel 2003 and earlier

Content last reviewed: December 11, 2025
Update frequency: As needed
Excel versions tested: Excel 2007+