Excel WORKDAY.INTL Function: Syntax, Examples & Tips

The WORKDAY.INTL function calculates workdays by excluding weekends and specified holidays, allowing for customized weekend definitions.
Excel
=WORKDAY.INTL(start_date, days, [weekend], [holidays])

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On this page
  1. Parameters
  2. What is a WORKDAY.INTL Formula in Excel?
  3. A Practical Example
  4. WORKDAY.INTL Formula
  5. Result of the Formula
  6. Why Use WORKDAY.INTL?
  7. Key Takeaways:
  8. Example use case

Parameters

start_date:
The date from which to start counting the number of working days. This is a required parameter.

days:
The number of working days to add to the start_date. This can be a positive or negative integer. This is a required parameter.

weekend:
An optional parameter that specifies which days of the week are considered weekends. This can be a string of seven characters, where each character represents a day of the week, with "1" indicating a weekend day and "0" indicating a working day. If omitted, the default is Saturday and Sunday.

holidays:
An optional parameter that is a range of one or more dates to exclude from the working days calculation. These dates are considered non-working days in addition to the weekends specified.

What is a WORKDAY.INTL Formula in Excel?

The WORKDAY.INTL function in Excel is a specialized tool that allows you to calculate a date that is a specified number of working days away from a given start date, while also considering weekends and holidays. This function is particularly useful for project management, scheduling, and any scenario where you need to account for non-working days.

In simpler terms, the WORKDAY.INTL function helps you determine future dates while excluding weekends and specific holidays, making it easier to plan timelines accurately.

A Practical Example

Imagine you are managing a project timeline and need to determine the completion date for a task that starts on January 1, 2023, and requires 10 working days to complete. You also want to exclude weekends (Saturday and Sunday) and a holiday on January 5, 2023.

Project Timeline Table:

Start DateWorking DaysHoliday
01/01/20231001/05/2023

WORKDAY.INTL Formula

To calculate the completion date, you would use the WORKDAY.INTL formula as follows:

Excel
=WORKDAY.INTL(A2, B2, 1, C2)

Breakdown of the Formula:

  • A2: This is the start date (January 1, 2023).
  • B2: This is the number of working days to add (10).
  • 1: This specifies the weekend days (1 indicates Saturday and Sunday).
  • C2: This is the range of holidays to exclude (January 5, 2023).

Result of the Formula

When you apply the formula, it calculates the completion date by skipping weekends and the specified holiday. The output would be:

Completion Date
01/15/2023

Here, the completion date is calculated as 10 working days from January 1, 2023, excluding the weekend and the holiday on January 5, resulting in January 15, 2023.

Why Use WORKDAY.INTL?

The WORKDAY.INTL function is particularly useful when you need to manage deadlines and schedules that depend on working days. It allows you to easily account for non-working days, ensuring that your project timelines are realistic and achievable.

Key Takeaways:

  • WORKDAY.INTL: Calculates a date that is a specified number of working days from a start date, excluding weekends and holidays.
  • Accurate Scheduling: Helps you plan timelines effectively by considering non-working days.
  • Common Use Cases: Ideal for project management, scheduling tasks, and any scenario where working days need to be calculated.

Understanding how to use the WORKDAY.INTL function can significantly enhance your project management capabilities in Excel, enabling you to create accurate timelines and schedules.

Happy planning!

Example use case

You have a project timeline where Column A contains the start dates of various tasks and Column B contains the number of working days required to complete each task. You can use the WORKDAY.INTL function to calculate the end date for each task while considering weekends and any specified holidays. This allows for effective project management by providing clear deadlines and helping to ensure that tasks are scheduled realistically, without the need for manual calculations or adjustments for non-working days.

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