Workdays Calculator
Calculate business days between dates excluding weekends. Essential for project management and delivery scheduling.
Calculate Business Days
A workdays calculator determines the number of business days (Monday-Friday) between two dates, excluding weekends. Essential for project management, contract terms, shipping estimates, legal deadlines, and business planning. Knowing workdays helps set realistic expectations and accurate timelines in professional settings.
Workday Calculations
- 1 work week = 5 days
- 2 work weeks = 10 days
- 1 month (avg) = 21-22 workdays
- 1 quarter = 63-65 workdays
- 1 year = 260-261 workdays (excluding holidays)
Common Business Timelines
Project Management
- Sprint: 10 workdays (2 weeks)
- Month-long project: 20-22 workdays
- Quarter project: 63-65 workdays
- Annual project: 260 workdays
Delivery and Shipping
- Standard shipping: 5-7 business days
- Express shipping: 2-3 business days
- International: 10-15 business days
- Ground freight: 1-5 business days
Legal and Financial
- Check clearing: 2-5 business days
- Wire transfer: 1-2 business days
- Contract response time: 10 business days
- Notice period: 14-30 business days
US Federal Holidays (Not Counted as Workdays)
- New Year's Day (Jan 1)
- MLK Day (3rd Mon in Jan)
- Presidents Day (3rd Mon in Feb)
- Memorial Day (Last Mon in May)
- Independence Day (Jul 4)
- Labor Day (1st Mon in Sep)
- Columbus Day (2nd Mon in Oct)
- Veterans Day (Nov 11)
- Thanksgiving (4th Thu in Nov)
- Christmas (Dec 25)
Total: 10 federal holidays. When holiday falls on weekend, observed on adjacent weekday.
Workdays by Month (Typical Year)
- January: 21-22 workdays
- February: 19-20 workdays
- March: 21-23 workdays
- April: 21-22 workdays
- May: 20-22 workdays (Memorial Day)
- June: 21-22 workdays
- July: 20-21 workdays (Independence Day)
- August: 22-23 workdays
- September: 20-21 workdays (Labor Day)
- October: 22-23 workdays
- November: 20-21 workdays (Thanksgiving)
- December: 20-22 workdays (Christmas)
International Workweeks
Monday-Friday (Most Common)
Used in: USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, most of South America
Sunday-Thursday
Used in: Israel, parts of Middle East
Saturday-Wednesday or Sunday-Thursday
Some countries have Friday-Saturday weekend
Project Planning Tips
Add Buffer Time
- Add 20% buffer for delays
- 50 workday project → plan for 60 workdays
- Accounts for sick days, unexpected issues
Holiday Considerations
- December has fewer workdays (holidays + vacation)
- Summer months see vacation impact
- Plan major deliverables for mid-month when possible
Resource Availability
- Account for team member PTO
- Key person unavailable = project delay
- Cross-train team members for coverage
Business Hours
Standard business hours: 9 AM - 5 PM, Monday-Friday
This equals:
- 8 hours per workday
- 40 hours per work week
- 160-176 hours per month
- 2,080 hours per year
Contractor and Freelance
For hourly contractors:
- Track actual workdays vs calendar days
- Invoice based on business days worked
- Account for holidays in quotes
- Typical: 220-240 billable days per year (after PTO and holidays)
Calculating Delivery Dates
To calculate delivery date X workdays from today:
- Start from today's date
- Add X days
- Add 2 days for every 5 workdays (accounts for weekends)
- Manually subtract holidays that fall in range
Example: Today is Monday, need something in 10 workdays:
- 10 workdays = 2 full weeks
- Add 4 weekend days (2 weekends)
- Total: 14 calendar days
- Delivery: Monday, 2 weeks from now
SLA and Contract Language
Common business day terms:
- "Within 5 business days": Must be done by end of 5th workday
- "By close of business": Typically means 5 PM local time
- "Next business day": If today is Friday, means Monday
- "48 business hours": 6 workdays (8 hrs × 6 = 48)
Project Manager Tip: Always communicate deadlines in workdays, not calendar days. "Deliver in 10 workdays" is clearer than "deliver in 2 weeks" because it accounts for weekends. Also specify if holidays are excluded to avoid confusion.