How to calculate working days between two dates

Published 2026-04-26 · Updated 2026-04-26

Quick answer

Count the weekdays in the date range, decide whether the start and end dates are included, and remove public holidays if the rule says they do not count.

Key takeaways

Inclusive versus exclusive counting can change the answer.
A visual calendar helps sense-check results.
Holiday settings should match the country or policy.

Diagram showing a selected date range and counted working days — Date range checks need clear rules: a quick visual summary for this guide.

The basic approach

To calculate working days between two dates, count the weekdays in the range and remove any public holidays that should not be treated as working days.

Inclusive or exclusive?

One important detail is whether the start and end dates are included. Different companies and rules handle this differently, so always check the wording if the result is for a formal deadline.

A quick example

A Monday-to-Friday range may contain five working days if both dates are included. If the start date is not counted, it may contain four. If one of those dates is a public holiday, reduce the total again.

That is why a clear calendar view is useful: it lets you see the dates behind the final number.

Useful official resources

These sources are directly relevant to the date, public holiday, delivery, SLA, or complaint-handling topic covered in this article.