How to Calculate Business Days in Excel Without Using DATEDIF
Question details
The user needs a method to calculate the exact number of working days between two dates, specifically excluding weekends and custom holidays.
- Product
- Excel
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Calculating project timelines, employee work durations, or delivery schedules where non-working days must be omitted from the total count.
- Observed behavior
- The DATEDIF function returns the total elapsed calendar days between two dates, incorrectly including weekends and holidays in the business day count.
Ensure your start and end dates are correctly formatted as date values in your spreadsheet. If you plan to exclude specific holidays, prepare a list of those exact dates in a separate column before applying the formula.
Use NETWORKDAYS.INTL to Exclude Standard Weekends
Use the NETWORKDAYS.INTL function to calculate the number of working days by automatically excluding Saturdays and Sundays.
The NETWORKDAYS.INTL function is a powerful alternative to DATEDIF for working day calculations. It natively understands weekends and can completely omit them from the date difference count.
Click on the empty cell where you want the final business day count to be displayed.
Type the formula =NETWORKDAYS.INTL(Start_Date, End_Date). For example, if your start date is in cell S26 and the end date is today, type =NETWORKDAYS.INTL(S26, TODAY()).
Press Enter. The cell will now display the total number of business days, automatically excluding Saturdays and Sundays.
Calculate Business Days Excluding Custom Holidays and Alternative Weekends
Incorporate a custom holiday list and adjust the weekend parameters if your organization follows a different workweek schedule.
Calculate Business Days Effortlessly with WPS Spreadsheet
WPS Spreadsheet fully supports the NETWORKDAYS.INTL function, allowing you to seamlessly calculate working days, exclude holidays, and manage project timelines with the exact same formula syntax.
- 1. Open your spreadsheet: Launch WPS Spreadsheet and open the document containing your project dates.
- 2. Access Date and Time functions: Select the target cell, click on the 'Formulas' tab in the top ribbon, and choose 'Date and Time'.
- 3. Insert NETWORKDAYS.INTL: Select NETWORKDAYS.INTL from the drop-down list, or directly type =NETWORKDAYS.INTL( into the formula bar.
- 4. Define parameters and execute: Select your start date, end date, weekend code, and holiday range, then press Enter to get your precise business day count.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the DATEDIF function include weekends in its result?
DATEDIF is designed strictly to calculate the total calendar time between two dates in days, months, or years. It does not contain any built-in logic to identify workweeks, distinguish weekends, or exclude public holidays.
What is the difference between NETWORKDAYS and NETWORKDAYS.INTL?
The NETWORKDAYS function automatically assumes that weekends are always Saturday and Sunday. NETWORKDAYS.INTL provides an extra parameter that allows you to customize which days of the week are considered non-working days, offering much more flexibility.
How do I handle holidays that span across multiple years?
Create a comprehensive, continuous list of all holiday dates spanning the entire multi-year period covered by your start and end dates. Reference this entire range in your formula's holiday parameter to ensure every holiday is accurately excluded.
