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Working Days Calculator - Business Days Between Dates | Calcoul

Free online working days calculator. Calculate business days between two dates, excluding weekends and holidays. Perfect for project planning and deadline management.

9 min read

iAbout This Calculator

The working days calculator is your essential tool for calculating business days between any two dates. Whether you're planning project timelines, setting delivery deadlines, calculating payment terms (net 30, net 60), or determining how many workdays until your vacation, this calculator handles all your business day calculations. Unlike simple date calculators, our tool specifically excludes weekends (Saturday and Sunday) to give you an accurate count of working days. This is crucial for business planning, contract deadlines, HR calculations, and any scenario where only Monday through Friday counts. Understanding working days is essential for project managers, accountants, HR professionals, and anyone managing deadlines in a business context.

?How to Use

  1. 1

    Enter your start date using the date picker. This is the first day of your calculation period.

  2. 2

    Enter your end date. The calculator will count all working days between these two dates, inclusive.

  3. 3

    Choose whether to exclude weekends from your calculation. Select 'Yes' for standard business days (Monday-Friday only) or 'No' to include all calendar days.

  4. 4

    Click 'Calculate' to see your results with a detailed breakdown of total days, weekend days, and working days.

  5. 5

    Review the breakdown to understand exactly how the working days are distributed between your selected dates.

fFormula

\text{Working Days} = \text{Total Days} - \text{Weekend Days} - \text{Holidays}

Working days are calculated by first counting all calendar days between the start and end dates (inclusive), then subtracting weekend days (Saturdays and Sundays) and any custom holidays you've specified. The calculation iterates through each day to accurately determine whether it falls on a weekday or weekend.

Total Days
The complete count of calendar days from start to end date
Weekend Days
Number of Saturdays and Sundays in the date range
Holidays
Optional custom holidays to exclude from working days
Working Days
The final count of business days (typically Monday-Friday)

Examples

Calculate Net 30 Payment Due Date

Inputs: startDate: 2026-01-05, endDate: 2026-02-04, excludeWeekends: true
22 working days

From January 5 to February 4, 2026, there are 31 calendar days but only 22 working days when excluding weekends. This is important for net 30 payment terms based on business days.

Project Sprint Planning

Inputs: startDate: 2026-01-06, endDate: 2026-01-17, excludeWeekends: true
10 working days

A two-week sprint from January 6-17, 2026 contains exactly 10 working days, perfect for planning a standard agile sprint.

Vacation Days Calculation

Inputs: startDate: 2026-06-15, endDate: 2026-06-26, excludeWeekends: true
10 working days

Taking leave from June 15-26, 2026 means 10 working days of PTO needed, as weekends don't count against your leave balance.

Quarterly Report Deadline

Inputs: startDate: 2026-01-01, endDate: 2026-03-31, excludeWeekends: true
64 working days

Q1 2026 contains 90 calendar days but only 64 working days. Essential for quarterly planning and resource allocation.

Use Cases

Project Management

Calculate actual working time available for projects. Plan sprints, set realistic milestones, and estimate delivery dates based on working days rather than calendar days.

Payroll & HR

Calculate PTO balances, sick leave, probation periods, and notice periods. HR departments rely on working day calculations for accurate leave management.

Finance & Accounting

Determine payment terms (net 30/60/90 business days), invoice due dates, and financial reporting deadlines. Critical for cash flow management.

Legal Deadlines

Many legal deadlines are specified in business days, not calendar days. Calculate appeal periods, response deadlines, and filing dates accurately.

Shipping & Logistics

Estimate delivery dates based on business day shipping. Many carriers only operate on weekdays, making working day calculations essential.

Frequently Asked Questions

What counts as a working day?
In this calculator, working days are Monday through Friday. Weekends (Saturday and Sunday) are excluded when the 'Exclude Weekends' option is set to Yes. Public holidays are not automatically excluded but can be accounted for separately.
Does the calculator include both the start and end dates?
Yes, the calculation is inclusive of both dates. If you enter Monday as start and Friday as end, the result will be 5 working days (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday).
How do I account for public holidays?
The basic calculator excludes weekends but not public holidays. To get an accurate working day count including holidays, subtract any public holidays that fall on weekdays from your result.
What if my end date is before my start date?
The calculator handles reverse date ranges automatically. It will calculate the working days between the two dates regardless of which date comes first.
How is this different from counting calendar days?
Calendar days count every day between dates. Working days exclude weekends, so a 7-calendar-day period typically contains only 5 working days. This difference is crucial for business planning.
Can I use this for international business calculations?
Yes, but be aware that some countries have different weekend structures. The calculator uses a standard Saturday-Sunday weekend. Adjust manually for countries with different non-working days.
How accurate is the working days calculation?
The calculation is mathematically precise for determining weekdays between any two dates. It correctly handles month boundaries, year changes, and leap years.
What about half-days or partial working days?
This calculator counts full working days only. For scenarios involving half-days, calculate full days first, then adjust your planning to account for partial days separately.

Conclusion

The working days calculator is an indispensable tool for anyone managing business deadlines, project timelines, or HR calculations. By accurately counting only Monday through Friday as working days, you can plan more effectively and set realistic expectations. Whether you're calculating payment terms, planning project sprints, or determining how much PTO you need for a vacation, this calculator provides the precision you need. Bookmark this page for quick access whenever you need to calculate business days between any two dates.

Last updated: January 6, 2026

Author: Calcoul Team

Reviewed by: Dr. Time Management

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