In this article
A deadline in calendar days and a deadline in working days can be weeks apart. Delivery promises, notice periods, payment terms and project plans all depend on which one they mean. Counting working days is simple once you decide three things: which days are off each week, whether the end date counts, and which public holidays to remove.
How the count works
- 1Count every day in the range1 November to 30 November, both included, is **30 days**.
- 2Find the weekly off daysNovember 2026 has 4 Saturdays and 5 Sundays, so **9 days** are off.
- 3Subtract30 − 9 = **21 working days**.
- 4Convert to work weeks21 ÷ 5 = **4.2 work weeks**.
The tool also shows total days counted, weekly off days and work weeks.
The weekly off changes the result
| Weekly off | Working days in November 2026 | Work week used |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday and Sunday | 21 | 5 days |
| Sunday only | 25 | 6 days |
| No weekly off | 30 | 7 days |
Same dates, 1 to 30 November 2026, both days counted. Many offices work a Monday to Friday week, while shops, factories and some services work six days.
A six-day week gives about four more working days in this month than a five-day week.
Is the end date included?
The tool lets you choose. If you include the end date, a range from Monday 12 October to Friday 23 October 2026 has 10 working days. If you leave the end date out, it has 9. Use the first when both days are worked days, such as a project that starts and finishes on the dates given. Use the second when the end date is the day something is due and the work should be finished before it.
Public holidays are not removed
Public holidays differ by country, state and employer, so the tool counts only the weekly off. Look up the holidays in your range, keep the ones that fall on a working day, and subtract them. A holiday that lands on a Saturday or Sunday has already been taken out and must not be subtracted twice.
Subtract public holidays and your own leave from the working days to see the time you really have.
Where working-day counts are used
- Delivery and shipping, where a promise of 5 to 7 working days skips weekends.
- Notice periods and payment terms, which may be written in working days or in calendar days.
- Project plans, where tasks are estimated in working days and then laid on the calendar.
- Pay and leave, where a month's pay or a leave balance is worked out per working day.
A simple method for your own count
- Count the calendar days between the two dates, and decide if the end date counts.
- Choose the weekly off that applies to you: two days, one day or none.
- Run the calculator for the working days.
- List the public holidays in the range and remove the ones on working days.
- Remove your own leave to get the days you can actually work.
Questions people ask
How do I count working days between two dates?
Count all the days in the range, then remove the weekly off days. With Saturday and Sunday off, 1 to 30 November 2026 has 30 days and 21 working days.
Does the calculator exclude public holidays?
No. It removes only the weekly off. Subtract the public holidays that fall on a working day yourself.
Is the start date counted?
Yes. The count starts on the start date. You can choose whether the end date is included.
What if my week has only Sunday off?
Choose Sunday only as the weekly off. The same November 2026 range then has 25 working days.
How many working days are in a month?
Most months with a Saturday and Sunday off have 20 to 23 working days. It depends on the month's length and the day of the week it starts on.
How is this different from counting calendar days?
Calendar days count every date. For a plain count of days between two dates, use the Days Until Date Calculator or the Date Difference Calculator.