SharePoint Document Issues

How to Exclude Weekends in a SharePoint Calculated Date Column

Maira Mehtab Sep 20, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to create a follow-up due date in a SharePoint list by adding 10 business days to the Created Date, successfully excluding Saturdays and Sundays.

Product: SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Calculating a future due date based strictly on business days within a SharePoint list.
Observed behavior: SharePoint calculated columns do not natively support the WORKDAY function, preventing users from directly calculating dates that exclude weekends.

Before you start

Ensure you have access to Microsoft Power Automate and permission to create and store an Excel workbook in your SharePoint environment, as these tools are required to create the calculation workaround.

Solution 1Recommended

Use Excel for the Web and Power Automate

Since SharePoint calculated columns lack native support for the WORKDAY function, you can utilize an Excel file to calculate the date and Power Automate to sync it back to your SharePoint list.

The SharePoint formula engine does not include the WORKDAY function. To resolve this, you can pass the initial start date to an Excel file hosted on SharePoint, calculate the business days using Excel's native functions, and retrieve the accurate due date using a Power Automate flow.

Create a calculation Excel file

Create a new Excel workbook in your SharePoint document library. Insert a table with two columns: 'Start Date' and 'Due Date'.

Add the WORKDAY formula

In the 'Due Date' column of your Excel table, enter the formula `=WORKDAY([@StartDate], 10)` to automatically add 10 business days to whatever date is placed in the Start Date column.

Create a Power Automate flow

Open Power Automate and create an automated cloud flow with the trigger 'When an item is created' pointing to your main SharePoint list.

Update the Excel row

Add a new step to 'Update a row' in Excel Online (Business). Map the SharePoint 'Created Date' dynamic content into the 'Start Date' field of your Excel table.

Sync back to SharePoint

Add a final action 'Update item' in SharePoint. Use the dynamic content to retrieve the newly calculated 'Due Date' from the Excel row and save it to the Follow-up column in your SharePoint list.

Alternative Method: If you are familiar with Power Apps, you can also build a custom canvas app connected to your SharePoint list and handle the business day logic directly within the app's formula bar.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Easily Calculate Business Days with WPS Spreadsheet

While SharePoint requires complex workflows to calculate business days, managing project dates in a dedicated spreadsheet is much faster. WPS Spreadsheet natively supports the WORKDAY function, allowing you to quickly determine due dates excluding weekends without relying on external automation tools.

1. Open WPS Spreadsheet: Launch WPS Office and open a new or existing spreadsheet containing your project start dates.
2. Enter the WORKDAY formula: Select the target cell and type `=WORKDAY(A2, 10)`, replacing A2 with your actual start date cell.
3. Apply and drag: Press Enter to see the calculated due date excluding weekends, then drag the fill handle down to apply the calculation to your entire list.

Natively supports WORKDAY and NETWORKDAYS functions for immediate business day calculations.Fully compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) formats, making migration seamless.Lightweight, fast, and completely free to use as a daily Office alternative.Familiar interface ensures no learning curve when switching from other spreadsheet tools.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why doesn't the WORKDAY formula work in a SharePoint calculated column?

SharePoint calculated columns use a legacy formula engine that only supports a limited subset of older Excel functions. The WORKDAY function was never integrated into this engine, making it unavailable for direct use in SharePoint lists.

Can I use nested IF formulas instead of Power Automate to skip weekends?

Yes, you can write a long, complex formula using nested IF statements and the WEEKDAY function to manually calculate 10 business days within a SharePoint calculated column. However, it is highly prone to errors and difficult to maintain if your business rules change.

Does WPS Spreadsheet support excluding custom holidays as well?

Yes. Using the WORKDAY or NETWORKDAYS function in WPS Spreadsheet, you can add an optional third argument referencing a range of cells containing your custom holiday dates, and the formula will exclude both weekends and those specific holidays.

Document & File Issues