Working days and due dates: Excel interview question
Invoices due at the end of next month, and the working days a client has to pay: the date task interviewers set, solved with EOMONTH and NETWORKDAYS, plus a sheet that grades yours.
WORKDAY function
WORKDAY returns the date a number of working days before or after a start date, skipping Saturdays, Sundays and the holidays you list: =WORKDAY(A2,5) is five working days after A2.
Available in Excel 2007 and later, Excel for the web and Google Sheets; WORKDAY.INTL from Excel 2010Key takeaways
- =WORKDAY(start, days, holidays) skips Saturdays, Sundays and the holidays, and doesn't count the start date itself.
- A negative number of days counts back: =WORKDAY(A2,-3) is three working days before A2.
- =WORKDAY(A2-1,1) moves a Saturday or Sunday on to the Monday after, and leaves a weekday as it is.
- WORKDAY.INTL takes the same weekend codes as NETWORKDAYS.INTL, such as 7 for Friday and Saturday off.
On this page
WORKDAY syntax
=WORKDAY(start_date, days, [holidays])| Argument | Required | What it means |
|---|---|---|
start_date | Yes | The date to count from. It isn't counted itself. |
days | Yes | How many working days to move: positive goes forward, negative goes back. A decimal part is dropped. |
holidays | No | A range of dates to skip as well as weekends, in any order. |
Examples
Delivery in five working days
Thursday 12 March plus five working days skips the weekend and lands on the Thursday after.
| Row | A | B | C |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ordered | Days | Delivers |
| 2 | 12 Mar 2026 | 5 | 19 Mar 2026 |
=WORKDAY(A2,B2) → 19 Mar 2026Skip a holiday
From Tuesday 22 December, three working days are the 23rd, the 24th and, after the Christmas holiday and the weekend, Monday the 28th.
| Row | A | B | C | D | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ordered | Days | Delivers | Holidays | |
| 2 | 22 Dec 2026 | 3 | 28 Dec 2026 | 25 Dec 2026 |
=WORKDAY(A2,B2,E2) → 28 Dec 2026Count back from a deadline
A negative number of days counts back: three working days before Monday 15 June is Wednesday 10 June.
| Row | A | B |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deadline | Send by |
| 2 | 15 Jun 2026 | 10 Jun 2026 |
=WORKDAY(A2,-3) → 10 Jun 2026The next working day for a weekend date
Starting from the day before and moving one working day forward gives the date itself on a weekday, and the Monday after on a weekend. 15 August 2026 is a Saturday.
| Row | A | B |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Date | Next working day |
| 2 | 15 Aug 2026 | 17 Aug 2026 |
=WORKDAY(A2-1,1) → 17 Aug 2026A Friday and Saturday weekend
WORKDAY.INTL takes a weekend code: with Friday and Saturday off, two working days after Wednesday 11 March are Thursday and Sunday. Plain WORKDAY would stop on Friday 13 March.
| Row | A | B | C |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Start | Days | Done |
| 2 | 11 Mar 2026 | 2 | 15 Mar 2026 |
=WORKDAY.INTL(A2,B2,7) → 15 Mar 2026Practise it
New data, so you can't copy the answer above. We check the number your formula returns, then change the data to make sure it still holds.
Your task: Invitations must go out three working days before the event in A2, skipping the holidays in D2:D3. In B2, return the date to send them by.
Graded live| Row | A | B | C | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Event | Send by | Holidays | |
| 2 | 27 May 2026 | 25 May 2026 | ||
| 3 | 3 Jul 2026 |
Write the formula in the bar above, then press Check or Enter.
Hint
WORKDAY counts back with a negative number of days: the event date A2, then -3, then the holidays D2:D3.
Solution
=WORKDAY(A2,-3,D2:D3) Any formula that returns the same result passes.
Common mistakes
- Expecting the start date to count. =WORKDAY(A2,1) is the next working day after A2, never A2 itself.
- Zero days on a weekend date. =WORKDAY(A2,0) returns A2 as it is, even on a Saturday. To move it on to the Monday after, use =WORKDAY(A2-1,1).
- A weekend code in WORKDAY. WORKDAY's third argument is the holidays. For another weekend use WORKDAY.INTL, whose third argument is the weekend code and fourth the holidays.
- A result that shows as a number. WORKDAY returns a serial number. Format the cell as a date.
FAQ
What's the difference between WORKDAY and NETWORKDAYS?
WORKDAY starts from a date and a number of working days, and gives you a date. NETWORKDAYS starts from two dates and gives you the number of working days between them.
How do I use a different weekend?
Use WORKDAY.INTL: =WORKDAY.INTL(A2,B2,7) has Friday and Saturday off. The codes are the same as for NETWORKDAYS.INTL.
Can WORKDAY count backwards?
Yes. A negative number of days gives a date before the start date.
Guides that use WORKDAY
Worked problems with practice sheets.
Know WORKDAY? Prove it on a real sheet.
Practise WORKDAY and the functions around it in a live grid that grades your result and explains your mistakes.
Runs in your browser · Graded on your result · No install