How to Calculate Business Days in Excel: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you’ve ever had to calculate business days in Excel, you know it can be a bit tricky. Essentially, this task involves figuring out how many working days (excluding weekends and holidays) there are between two dates. The good news is that Excel has built-in functions to make this easier. Here’s a quick guide to help you get started: use the NETWORKDAYS function to calculate working days between two dates, and NETWORKDAYS.INTL if you need to customize non-working days. Follow the steps below for a more detailed walkthrough.

How to Calculate Business Days in Excel

In this section, you’ll learn how to use Excel’s built-in functions to calculate business days. We’ll cover the basic NETWORKDAYS function and its more advanced cousin, NETWORKDAYS.INTL.

Step 1: Open Excel and Set Up Your Dates

First, open Excel, and create a new worksheet. Enter your start and end dates in two separate cells.

For example, you could type "01/01/2023" in cell A1 and "01/31/2023" in cell B1. These will be your date range.

Step 2: Use the NETWORKDAYS Function

Next, click on an empty cell where you want the result to appear. Type the formula =NETWORKDAYS(start_date, end_date).

Replace start_date with the cell reference of your starting date (e.g., A1) and end_date with the cell reference of your ending date (e.g., B1). This will give you the number of business days between the two dates, excluding weekends.

Step 3: Include Holidays in Your Calculation

If you need to exclude holidays, list them in a separate range of cells. Then, modify your formula to include this range: =NETWORKDAYS(start_date, end_date, holidays).

For instance, if your holidays are listed in cells D1 to D5, your formula will look like this: =NETWORKDAYS(A1, B1, D1:D5). This will exclude the specified holidays from the count.

Step 4: Use NETWORKDAYS.INTL for Custom Weekends

If your weekends aren’t the standard Saturday and Sunday, use NETWORKDAYS.INTL. Type =NETWORKDAYS.INTL(start_date, end_date, weekend_code).

Replace weekend_code with a number that represents your weekend days (e.g., 1 for Sunday-only, 7 for Friday-Saturday). This function allows for more flexibility in your calculations.

Step 5: Add Custom Holidays to NETWORKDAYS.INTL

To include holidays with NETWORKDAYS.INTL, use: =NETWORKDAYS.INTL(start_date, end_date, weekend_code, holidays).

Just like before, list your holidays in a range of cells and include this range in your formula. This ensures your custom weekends and holiday exclusions are both accounted for.

Once you complete these steps, your Excel sheet will automatically calculate the number of business days between your specified dates, taking into account weekends and holidays as needed.

Tips for Calculating Business Days in Excel

• Double-Check Dates: Always make sure your start and end dates are in the correct format.
• Use Named Ranges: Naming your holiday range can make formulas easier to read.
• Verify Weekend Codes: Double-check the weekend codes you use for NETWORKDAYS.INTL to ensure accuracy.
• Update Holidays: Keep your holiday list updated to maintain accurate calculations.
• Use Conditional Formatting: Highlight your date cells with conditional formatting to quickly identify errors.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NETWORKDAYS function in Excel?

The NETWORKDAYS function calculates the number of business days between two dates, excluding weekends.

How do I exclude holidays in my business days calculation?

List the holidays in a range of cells and include this range in your NETWORKDAYS or NETWORKDAYS.INTL formula.

Can I customize weekends in Excel?

Yes, use the NETWORKDAYS.INTL function and specify a weekend code to customize your weekends.

What if my dates are in different formats?

Ensure both dates are in a recognized date format (e.g., MM/DD/YYYY) to avoid errors in your calculations.

Can I use these functions in older versions of Excel?

NETWORKDAYS is available in older versions, but NETWORKDAYS.INTL is only available in Excel 2010 and later.

Summary

1. Open Excel and set up your dates.
2. Use the NETWORKDAYS function.
3. Include holidays in your calculation.
4. Use NETWORKDAYS.INTL for custom weekends.
5. Add custom holidays to NETWORKDAYS.INTL.

Conclusion

Calculating business days in Excel doesn’t have to be a headache. By using the NETWORKDAYS and NETWORKDAYS.INTL functions, you can easily determine the number of working days between two dates, even when considering holidays and custom weekends. These functions are powerful tools that can save you a lot of time and effort, especially if you frequently need to calculate project timelines, employee workdays, or any other time-sensitive tasks.

Take the time to familiarize yourself with these functions and practice using them in different scenarios. You’ll soon find that calculating business days in Excel becomes second nature. For more tips on mastering Excel, check out our other articles and resources. Happy calculating!