Calculating Workdays with WORKDAY and NETWORKDAYS Functions in Google Sheets

Navigating workday calculations in Google Sheets? The WORKDAY and NETWORKDAYS functions are pivotal for accurately accounting for weekends and holidays in any scheduling task. Whether you’re setting project timelines, planning staff rotations, or simply managing deadlines, these functions offer robust solutions to automate and streamline your planning processes.

This article provides detailed, practical examples of how to utilize these functions – from forecasting future dates considering workday constraints to customizing calculations with WORKDAY.INTL and NETWORKDAYS.INTL for different weekend scenarios and holiday lists. You’ll also find essential tips on troubleshooting common issues to ensure your scheduling remains flawless.

The WORKDAY and NETWORKDAYS functions in Google Sheets are essential for calculating workdays, excluding weekends and holidays. They help streamline tasks like project scheduling, payroll calculations, and deadline management.

WORKDAY determines a future or past date based on a specified number of workdays, while NETWORKDAYS calculates the total number of workdays between two dates. Both functions are invaluable when you need precise workday calculations, especially in business settings where weekends and holidays must be excluded.

Understanding the WORKDAY and NETWORKDAYS functions in Google Sheets is crucial for efficient scheduling and project management. These functions simplify calculating workdays while excluding weekends and holidays.

This guide explores their syntax and provides practical examples, helping you determine workdays between dates, calculate future deadlines, and customize weekends for accurate business planning and time management.

The WORKDAY function in Google Sheets helps calculate a future or past date by adding or subtracting a specific number of workdays. It automatically excludes weekends and can account for holidays if specified.

This function is ideal for scheduling deadlines, project timelines, or shift planning, ensuring that only valid business days are counted.

The syntax of the WORKDAY function in Google Sheets is:

Let's break it down:

• start_date: The initial date from which to begin the calculation.
• num_days: The number of workdays to add (positive value) or subtract (negative value).
• holidays (optional): A range of dates to exclude from the calculation, such as public holidays.

The function returns the resulting date after adding/subtracting the specified workdays.

Suppose we need to calculate an employee's last working day based on their contract start date and the number of working days assigned. 

We can apply the following formula:

It takes the values from columns C (Date of contract) and D (Working Days) and adds the specified number of working days, excluding weekends and any holidays specified in the optional third argument. The formula returns the employee's last working day.

For example, in the row for J.R. Ewing, the contract begins on 06/05/2024, and after working 115 days, the formula calculates that the last working day is 14/10/2024. The WORKDAY function also allows you to include a list of holidays to ensure that those days are skipped in the calculation.

In this case, the third argument {7/4/2024} represents Independence Day in the U.S., which falls on July 4th, 2024. Since July 4th is a public holiday, it is automatically excluded from the calculation.

This ensures that the employee is not scheduled to work on that day. The WORKDAY function counts only working days, skipping both weekends and the specified holiday.

The WORKDAY.INTL function in Google Sheets is a useful tool for calculating future or past working days by adding or subtracting days from a start date, with the flexibility to define custom weekends.

This is especially useful for companies or projects that don’t follow a standard Monday-Friday workweek or have regional variations in holiday observances.

The syntax of the WORKDAY.INTL function is as follows:

Let's explain:

• start_date: The date from which the calculation begins.
• days: The number of working days to add or subtract.
• [weekend] (optional): A code to define which days of the week are considered weekends.
• [holidays] (optional): A range of holiday dates that should be excluded from the calculation.

The [weekend] parameter in the WORKDAY.INTL function allows you to define which days are considered weekends. This flexibility is beneficial when your workweek doesn't follow the traditional Monday-to-Friday schedule. Here’s a breakdown of how you can customize weekends using different codes.

The weekend codes are numeric values that tell Google Sheets which days to treat as non-working days. Here are some of the most common codes:

1: Saturday and Sunday (default setting).

2: Sunday and Monday are weekends.

3: Monday and Tuesday are weekends.

4: Tuesday and Wednesday are weekends.

5: Wednesday and Thursday are weekends.

6: Thursday and Friday are weekends.

7: Friday and Saturday are weekends.

11: Sunday only is the weekend.

12: Monday only is the weekend.

13: Tuesday only is the weekend.

14: Wednesday only is the weekend.

15: Thursday only is the weekend.

16: Friday only is the weekend.

17: Saturday only is the weekend.

Alternatively, you can specify a custom weekend using a 7-character string, where each character corresponds to a day of the week (from Monday to Sunday). In this string, 1 means the day is a weekend, and 0 means it is a working day. For example:

• "0000011": This string sets Saturday and Sunday as weekends (same as the default code 1).
• "1000001": This string sets Monday and Sunday as weekends.
• "1111111": This string sets all days of the week as weekends (no working days).
• "0000000": All days are working days (no weekends).

The weekend codes are highly customizable, which makes them useful for teams with unconventional workweeks, such as international businesses or special projects. By using these weekend codes, the WORKDAY.INTL function gives you complete control over calculating working days based on your unique schedule.

Let’s apply the WORKDAY.INTL function to calculate the last working day for employees.

Let's use the formula:

We’ll assume the company’s weekend is Sunday and Monday (code 2). We also want to exclude July 4th, 2024 (Independence Day) as a holiday.

For J.R. Ewing, with a start date of 06/05/2024 and 115 working days, this formula returns 15/10/2024, considering the custom weekend and holiday exclusion.

The NETWORKDAYS function calculates the number of working days between two dates, automatically excluding weekends and any specific holidays. Unlike WORKDAY.INTL, the NETWORKDAYS function uses a fixed weekend definition (Saturday and Sunday), but it’s useful for quickly determining the number of working days between two dates for standard workweeks.

The syntax for the NETWORKDAYS function is:

Here's the explanation:

• start_date: The start date of the period.
• end_date: The end date of the period.
• [holidays] (optional): A list or range of holiday dates that should be excluded from the calculation.

Let’s calculate the total number of working days for employees between their contract start date and their last working day. The NETWORKDAYS function will help us exclude weekends (Saturday and Sunday by default) and any holidays we specify, such as July 4th, 2024 (Independence Day).

The formula applied is:

Here's the breakdown:

• C3: Represents the start date of the contract for each employee.
• D3: Represents the employee's last working day.
• {7/4/2024}: Excludes the U.S. holiday (Independence Day) from the calculation.

The NETWORKDAYS function provides an easy way to determine working days for any period, ensuring that public holidays and weekends are factored in to deliver accurate results.

The NETWORKDAYS.INTL function, like WORKDAY.INTL, allows for more flexibility by letting you define custom weekends. It’s particularly helpful when working with international teams or non-standard workweeks, where weekends may differ from the Saturday-Sunday default.

The syntax for NETWORKDAYS.INTL is as follows:

Here's the breakdown:

• start_date: The beginning date for the calculation.
• end_date: The final date for the calculation.
• [weekend] (optional): A code or string to define which days are considered weekends (similar to WORKDAY.INTL).
• [holidays] (optional): A list of holidays that should be excluded from the calculation.

Suppose we'd like to calculate the working days between each employee’s contract start date and their last working day, excluding custom weekends and a holiday (Independence Day, July 4th, 2024).

Let’s apply the formula:

Here's the breakdown:

• C3: The start date (Date of contract).
• D3: The last working day.
• "0000111": This custom weekend code makes Thursday, Friday, and Saturday non-working days.
• {7/4/2024}: Excludes July 4th, 2024 (Independence Day) from the working day count.

This method ensures that only the actual working days (excluding custom weekends and holidays) are counted for each employee’s contract period.

Master the WORKDAY and NETWORKDAYS functions in Google Sheets with these practical examples. Learn how to calculate working days, exclude weekends and holidays, and customize your workweek with ease.

These examples will help you efficiently plan schedules, manage projects, and streamline your workflow.

The WORKDAY function in Google Sheets allows you to calculate a date before or after a specified number of working days, automatically excluding weekends and holidays. This is quite useful when determining project deadlines or counting backward from a certain date to identify a start date.

Let’s calculate the start date for an employee who finishes their contract on 12/10/2024 (J.R. Ewing) after working 115 days. We want to determine the date when the contract started by subtracting the working days.

The formula would be:

Here's the breakdown:

• C3: The last working day.
• -D3: The negative value of working days to count backward.
• {7/4/2024}: Excludes Independence Day (July 4th) from the working days.

This approach helps you efficiently calculate start dates by working backward from a given end date.

The WORKDAY function in Google Sheets is also useful for generating a list of dates that exclude weekends. You can create a series of workdays by adding working days to a start date and using the ROW function to automatically increment the number of days.

Let’s say we want to generate a list of working days starting from the Date of contract. Let's use the WORKDAY function combined with the ROW function to automatically generate two lists of sequential working days for J.R. Ewing and Sue Ellen Ewing, excluding weekends and a specified holiday (Independence Day on July 4th, 2024).

We can use the following formula to automatically create a series of dates without weekends:

Breakdown of the formula:

• $C$3 and $C$4: These refer to the Date of Contract for J.R. Ewing (05/06/2024) and Sue Ellen Ewing (01/06/2024), respectively. The dollar signs ($) keep these references constant as we drag the formulas down the column, ensuring that the start date remains the same for each employee.
• ROW(A1)-1: This part of the formula automatically increments the number of working days to add for each row. In the first row (A1), it results in 0 (no additional days), so the first result is the start date. In subsequent rows, the value increases by 1, adding another working day each time.
• {7/4/2024}: This is a list of holidays to exclude. In this case, we're excluding July 4th, 2024 (Independence Day) from the calculation.

By combining the ROW function with WORKDAY, you can:

• Automatically generate sequential workdays for multiple employees.
• Avoid manually calculating and inputting each workday.
• Exclude weekends and holidays effortlessly.

This approach is highly efficient for generating schedules, project timelines, or shift planning in cases where only workdays need to be counted, ensuring accuracy and time-saving in your calculations.

The WORKDAY.INTL function in Google Sheets provides greater flexibility by allowing you to customize which days are considered weekends or non-working days. This is especially useful when you need to exclude specific days, like Saturdays and Sundays, or any other combination of non-working days from your calculations.

Let’s calculate the Last Workday for J.R. Ewing, who starts his contract on 05/06/2024 and works for 115 days, excluding Saturdays and Sundays as non-working days.

Let's apply this formula:

Here's the breakdown:

• C3: The contract start date (05/06/2024).
• D3: The number of working days (115).
• 1: This code excludes Saturdays and Sundays from the working days count.
• {7/4/2024}: Excludes Independence Day (July 4th, 2024) from the working days.

This makes WORKDAY.INTL a powerful tool for handling different work schedules and accurately calculating project timelines or shift end dates.

The WORKDAY.INTL function allows for the customization of non-working days (weekends) beyond the default Saturday-Sunday combination. You can specify any combination of non-working days to suit your schedule, making it a powerful tool for businesses with unique workweeks.

In this explanation, we'll use WORKDAY.INTL to exclude custom weekends without considering holidays.

Let’s calculate the Last Workday for the crew. Let's treat Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday as weekends, meaning only Monday, Saturday, and Sunday are working days. There are no holidays to exclude.

The formula is:

Let's explain:

• C3: The contract start date (05/06/2024).
• D3: The number of working days (115).
• "0011110": This custom weekend string treats Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday as non-working days. Monday, Saturday, and Sunday are considered working days.
• No holidays: Since we are not excluding holidays, we leave the holiday argument blank.

The flexibility of the WORKDAY.INTL function allows you to customize your workweek as needed. If your team works on non-traditional days (e.g., Monday, Saturday, and Sunday only), you can easily account for this using a custom string. Also, you can skip the holiday argument if holidays are not relevant to your schedule.

This function is perfect for handling various unique work schedules, making it easier to manage projects and calculate accurate timelines.

The WORKDAY.INTL function allows you to add or subtract a specific number of working days, excluding weekends and holidays, while providing custom flexibility for defining your weekends. You can also include a named range for holidays to keep your spreadsheet organized and easy to maintain.

For instance, we include U.S. federal holidays as non-working days by referencing a named range for the list of holidays. The named range simplifies the management of holiday data and can be easily updated without changing the formula.

We'll use the TIMEVALUE function to convert the time into decimals and then calculate the difference:

In this formula:

• C3: The contract start date (05/06/2024).
• D3: The number of working days (115).
• 1: This code treats Saturday and Sunday as weekends (non-working days).
• Holidays: The named range that contains a list of U.S. federal holidays (e.g., Independence Day, Labor Day, Christmas Day, etc.).

A named range in Google Sheets is a specific set of cells that you can refer to by name instead of by cell reference. This makes formulas easier to read and manage, especially when you're dealing with frequently used ranges, like a list of holidays.

Steps to create a Named Range:

• Select the Range of Cells: Highlight the cells that you want to name. For example, if you're creating a named range for holidays, select the column of holiday dates.
• Open the Named Range Option: Go to the Data menu at the top. From the dropdown, click on Named Ranges.
• Name Your Range: In the Named Ranges pane that appears on the right, you'll see a field where you can input a name. Enter a descriptive name like Holidays. Named ranges cannot have spaces, so you may want to use underscores (_) if needed, e.g., Holidays_2024.

By creating a named range, you improve the readability and manageability of your Google Sheets, especially when dealing with recurring data like holidays, project deadlines, or key data sets.

Unlock the full potential of the NETWORKDAYS and NETWORKDAYS.INTL functions in Google Sheets with these real-world examples. This guide covers calculating workdays between dates while ignoring time values, removing holidays from workday counts, and setting weekends and holiday exclusions.

You'll also learn how to handle custom weekends with multiple holidays using NETWORKDAYS.INTL. These practical examples will help you efficiently manage work schedules, project timelines, and holiday planning, ensuring accurate calculations every time.

The NETWORKDAYS function in Google Sheets allows you to calculate the number of working days between two dates, automatically excluding weekends.

This function is highly useful for project planning, payroll calculations, or any task that requires the exclusion of weekends. One key feature of NETWORKDAYS is that it calculates only the workdays, completely ignoring the time portion of any date-time values provided.

Let's say, we need to calculate the workdays between each employee's Shift start and Shift end dates using the NETWORKDAYS function.

Notice, that the function will count full workdays between the two dates, ignoring specific start and end times (e.g., shifts starting at 1:00 PM and ending at 5:30 AM).

This example illustrates how NETWORKDAYS efficiently handles calculations involving date-time values, ensuring that only full workdays are counted between two dates, regardless of the specific times the shifts start or end.

When calculating workdays between two dates, it’s important to account for holidays that are not considered workdays. The NETWORKDAYS function in Google Sheets allows you to exclude specified holidays from the workday count, ensuring your calculations are accurate and reflect the actual working period.

Let's say we need to exclude holidays such as Independence Day and Christmas from the workday count.

Here’s how you can do this using the formula:

Let's explain:

• C3: The start date for the workday count.
• D3: The end date for the workday count.
• $C$15:$C$19: This range includes specific holiday dates, ensuring they’re not counted as workdays. Note the use of absolute references ($C$15:$C$19), which locks the holiday range so it remains consistent across cells when copied.

By using the NETWORKDAYS function and specifying a holiday range, you ensure that holidays are not counted as workdays, making your work schedules and project timelines more accurate and realistic.

The NETWORKDAYS.INTL function in Google Sheets extends the functionality of NETWORKDAYS by allowing you to customize which days of the week are considered weekends.

This is especially useful if your organization has non-standard workweeks, such as working Saturdays or taking Mondays off. Additionally, you can exclude specific holidays from the workday count, ensuring a more accurate calculation.

Let's calculate the number of workdays between two dates, with custom weekends (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) and holiday exclusions.

Formula to use:

Here's the breakdown:

• C3: The start date of the work period.
• D3: The end date of the work period.
• 7: The weekend code that specifies Friday and Saturday as non-working days.
• $F$3:$F$7: A range of holiday dates.

Predefined Weekend Codes:

• 1: Saturday and Sunday (default).
• 2: Sunday and Monday.
• 3: Monday and Tuesday.
• 4: Tuesday and Wednesday.
• 5: Wednesday and Thursday.
• 6: Thursday and Friday.
• 7: Friday and Saturday.
• 11: Sunday only.
• 12: Monday only.
• 13: Tuesday only.
• 14: Wednesday only.
• 15: Thursday only.
• 16: Friday only.
• 17: Saturday only.
• 0: No weekends (every day is a workday).

You can also specify custom weekends by using a string of seven binary digits (1 for a non-working day and 0 for a working day). The string represents Monday through Sunday in sequence. 

For example:

• "0000011": Saturday and Sunday are weekends.
• "1000001": Monday and Sunday are weekends.
• "1110000": Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are weekends.
• "0000111": Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are weekends.
• "0000000": No weekends (every day is a working day).

Then, formula will be:

These codes allow you to customize the function to account for any unique working schedule you might have.

It's possible to calculate the number of working days between two dates, using a custom weekend configuration and excluding multiple holidays from the calculation.

Let's apply:

Breakdown:

• C3: Start date (Date of contract).
• D3: End date (Calculated Last workday).
• "0000011": Custom weekend code indicating Fridays and Sundays are non-working days.
• {$C$15, $C$18, $C$19}: The holidays you want to exclude (In this case: Independence Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day).

By using this method, you can account for specific holidays while maintaining a custom non-working day schedule for each employee.

Let's explore how to troubleshoot common errors encountered when using WORKDAY and NETWORKDAYS functions in Google Sheets. Whether you're dealing with a #VALUE! error due to incorrect date formats, a #NUM! error from invalid day counts, or a #NAME? error when referencing cells or functions, we’ve got solutions for each.

We’ll also cover missing arguments and invalid cell references, ensuring you can efficiently resolve issues and get your formulas back on track. Let’s dive into these common pitfalls and their fixes.

⚠️ Error: The #VALUE! error occurs when the function references non-date cells or invalid inputs, such as text or numbers where dates are expected.

✅ Solution: Ensure all cells referenced in the formula contain valid dates and are properly formatted. Use the DATE function to convert text strings into date values.

⚠️ Error: The #NUM! error is triggered when the number of workdays or dates provided in the function is out of a valid range (e.g., a negative day count for WORKDAY).

✅ Solution: Check that the day count is a valid number and falls within acceptable limits. For negative workdays, use a formula like WORKDAY(start_date, -days).

⚠️ Error: The #REF! error occurs when a referenced cell in the formula has been deleted or the cell reference is invalid.

✅ Solution: Update the formula to use valid cell references. If a referenced cell is deleted, restore the reference or replace it with an appropriate range.

⚠️ Error: The #NAME? error appears when the function name is misspelled or a named range is not recognized.

✅ Solution: Double-check the spelling of the function name or named ranges. Verify that any named ranges are properly created and referenced in the formula.

⚠️ Error: Functions return errors if dates are not formatted correctly (e.g., text instead of a valid date).

✅ Solution: Ensure that date inputs are properly formatted as dates. Use the DATE function to construct valid date entries, or apply date formatting to cells.

⚠️ Error: Missing arguments occur when one or more required parameters (e.g., start date, days) are left out of the formula.

✅ Solution: Make sure all required arguments are provided in the function. Refer to the correct syntax for WORKDAY or NETWORKDAYS to ensure all inputs are included.

⚠️ Error: This error happens when a formula references cells outside the valid range or from a different sheet incorrectly.

✅ Solution: Check that all referenced cells are valid and accessible. Use proper sheet names and ranges in the formula to avoid reference errors.

Using the WORKDAY and NETWORKDAYS functions in Google Sheets can significantly improve your time management and project planning. However, to ensure accurate and reliable results, it’s essential to follow best practices. Here are key guidelines to keep in mind when working with these powerful functions.

Consistently use the correct date format in all cells involved in your NETWORKDAYS, NETWORKDAYS.INTL, WORKDAY, and WORKDAY.INTL functions. Inconsistent or text-formatted dates can lead to errors or inaccurate results. Ensure that cells containing dates are set to a recognizable date format.

Date formatting consistency is crucial for accurate function outcomes. Always verify that your dates are properly formatted in the same style across the spreadsheet. Mismatched formats can lead to calculation issues or unintended results in your formulas.

Ensure your holiday list is up-to-date by including all relevant holidays. Regularly updating the list ensures your workday calculations reflect real-world conditions. Using a named range for holidays makes the formulas with NETWORKDAYS, NETWORKDAYS.INTL, WORKDAY, and WORKDAY.INTL more manageable and easy to adjust.

Different organizations have different workweek schedules. Use the custom weekend feature in WORKDAY.INTL or NETWORKDAYS.INTL to define weekends that align with your company’s schedule, ensuring your calculations reflect the actual workdays.

Rather than hardcoding dates or holiday lists into your formulas with functions like WORKDAY.INTL, use cell references. This approach provides more flexibility, making it easier to adjust dates and holidays without needing to modify the entire formula whenever there’s a change.

Before finalizing your work, always double-check the inputs and results. Verify that the date range, number of workdays, and holiday lists are correct. Ensuring the accuracy of inputs will prevent errors in functions like WORKDAY.INTL, WORKDAYS, and deliver the expected outcomes in your calculations.

Elevate your data analysis in Google Sheets with essential functions that simplify complex workflows. These advanced formulas help you manage extensive data, streamline processes, and reveal actionable insights effortlessly.

• DAY/DAYS/DAYS360: Extracts the day from a date, calculates the number of days between dates, or computes the difference based on a 360-day calendar. Ideal for scheduling and date intervals.

• TIME Functions: These functions extract and manipulate time components, supporting precise time tracking and calculations.

• NOW/TODAY: Provides the current date and time or just the date, which updates dynamically, useful for real-time data analysis and timestamping.

• VLOOKUP: Finds values within ranges for easy data cross-referencing.

• UNIQUE: Filters out duplicates for cleaner datasets.

• IMPORTRANGE: Imports data from external sheets to consolidate sources.

• PIVOT: Creates summaries with pivot tables for data visualization.

With the OWOX: Reports, Charts and Pivot extension, you can seamlessly import BigQuery data straight into Google Sheets. Say goodbye to manual data transfers and import hassles. This powerful tool equips you with everything you need to manage numbers efficiently and make data-driven decisions with ease!