What it does
WORKDAY returns a date a number of working days before or after a start date.
Syntax or pattern
=WORKDAY(start_date, days, [holidays])✅
5 practical examples
1
Due date after 10 workdays
Calculate a due date excluding weekends.
=WORKDAY(A2,10)Useful for SLAs.
2
Include holidays
Exclude holidays from the schedule.
=WORKDAY(A2,10,Holidays[Date])Use a holiday table for accuracy.
3
Previous workday
Find the workday before a date.
=WORKDAY(A2,-1)Negative days go backward.
4
Shipping estimate
Estimate ship date after processing days.
=WORKDAY(OrderDate,ProcessingDays,Holidays[Date])Great for operations sheets.
5
Next workday from today
Return tomorrow’s working date.
=WORKDAY(TODAY(),1)Useful for dynamic task lists.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Check whether dates are real Excel dates, not text.
- Be careful with weekends, holidays and time portions.
- Explain whether a result counts calendar days or workdays.
Related Excel examples
FAQ
Why does the date formula return a number?
Excel stores dates as serial numbers. Format the cell as a date to display it correctly.