Date calculations

How to add business days to a date

Learn how to add business days to a start date, skip weekends, and allow for public holidays when calculating a due date.

Quick answer

To add business days, move forward through weekdays, skip weekends, and exclude public holidays if the relevant rule requires it.

Key takeaways

  • Decide whether the start date counts first.
  • Skip Saturdays and Sundays.
  • Use the correct holiday calendar for the country involved.
Step diagram for adding business days to a date
Add business days step by step: a quick visual summary for this guide.

Step-by-step method

  1. Start with the date the period begins
  2. Decide whether the start date counts as day one
  3. Move forward one weekday at a time
  4. Skip Saturdays and Sundays
  5. Skip public holidays if the rule says they do not count
  6. Stop when you reach the required number of business days

Common mistake

The most common mistake is counting weekends or accidentally counting the start date when the policy expects counting to begin the next business day.

When to use a calculator

For short date ranges, manual counting may be fine. For longer ranges, public holidays, or formal deadlines, a calculator is safer and quicker.

Useful official resources

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

Related video searches

If you prefer a video explanation, these searches can help you find relevant explainers on YouTube.

Use the calculator to add or count business days without spreadsheet formulas.

Comments

Share a useful example or question. Comments are moderated before appearing.

Loading comments...