WORKDAY
The WORKDAY function returns a date that is a specified number of working days (weekdays) before or after a given date. It is commonly used in project management, scheduling, and other scenarios where you need to calculate future or past dates excluding weekends and holidays.
Syntax 🔗
=WORKDAY(start_date, days, [holidays])
start_date | The initial date from which to start counting working days. |
days | The number of working days (positive for future dates, negative for past dates) to add or subtract from the initial date. |
holidays (Optional) | A range or array of dates representing holidays where work is not to be counted. |
About WORKDAY 🔗
In the realm of date calculations within Excel, the WORKDAY function is a trusty companion that streamlines the process of counting business days effectively. Whether you're coordinating project timelines, setting deadlines, or simply planning ahead, this function proves invaluable for navigating the nuances of workweek scheduling while excluding non-working days like weekends and holidays from the equation. By harnessing WORKDAY, you can swiftly determine the expected completion date of a task, scheduling milestones with precision based on the workdays involved, thereby optimizing your project management endeavors for success. The flexibility of the WORKDAY function allows you to incorporate holiday exceptions, ensuring accurate computations that align seamlessly with your organizational calendar.
Examples 🔗
Suppose you commence a project on August 16, 2022, and need to estimate the date of task completion after 10 working days, excluding weekends. The WORKDAY formula would be: =WORKDAY("08/16/2022", 10)
Imagine you have a deadline set for a deliverable on December 24, 2022. However, the project requires 5 additional working days for quality assurance checks, with Christmas (December 25) marked as a holiday. To ascertain the adjusted deadline date, utilizing the WORKDAY function with the holiday parameter is crucial: =WORKDAY("12/24/2022", 5, "12/25/2022")
Notes 🔗
Remember that the dates must be formatted correctly in Excel date serial number or recognized date formats. Also, the days argument can be a positive number for future dates or a negative number for past dates. The optional holidays parameter ensures accurate calculations by excluding specified dates from the working day count.
Questions 🔗
The WORKDAY function automatically excludes weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) as non-working days and optionally allows for the exclusion of specified holidays provided in the third argument.
Can I use negative values for the days argument in the WORKDAY function?Yes, you can use negative values for the days argument to calculate past dates. Simply input a negative number to subtract working days from the start_date.
What happens if the calculated date lands on a weekend or holiday in the WORKDAY function?If the calculated date falls on a weekend or holiday, the WORKDAY function skips ahead to the next working day to maintain the specified number of working days.