What next?
Business days are what deadlines actually run on.
How to use this calculator
- Enter the start and end dates.
- List any public holidays in the period (optional).
- Read the number of working days, excluding weekends.
What your result means
Working days count weekdays only, minus any holidays you add — the figure that matters for delivery estimates, notice periods and SLAs. Add your own holidays, since these differ by country and region.
Why this one is different
Weekend days are counted and shown as a figure of their own instead of vanishing into the subtraction, and the holidays you enter come off the working total only, so the total-days row still agrees with a calendar. Full weeks are given too, which is how notice periods and rotas are usually quoted.
Count business days, not just calendar days
Many deadlines are measured in working days — think delivery windows, notice periods or SLAs. This tool walks through every date in your range, counts only Mondays to Fridays, and lets you subtract any public holidays that fall inside the period.
Both the start and end dates are included, so a Monday-to-Friday span counts as five working days. Weekends are removed automatically; enter the number of bank or public holidays yourself, since these differ by country.
Business days are a local rule, not a universal one
Every jurisdiction counts them slightly differently, which is why this tool asks you to supply the holidays rather than assuming them. England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland do not share a bank holiday list; Scotland has 2 January and St Andrew's Day, Northern Ireland has St Patrick's Day and 12 July. A calculator with a single baked-in UK list would be wrong for two of the four nations and would go stale every year besides.
The counting convention matters as much as the holiday list. Some rules count from the day after the trigger event, some include the day itself, and some — service of legal documents in particular — treat a document delivered after a cut-off time as served the following day. If a deadline carries consequences, read the rule that governs it and use this count as a working figure rather than as the answer.
For planning rather than compliance, the useful number is that a UK year holds roughly 253 working days once weekends and eight bank holidays are removed, falling to about 225 after 28 days of statutory leave. That is the figure day-rate contractors should use when converting a rate into an annual income, and it is materially lower than the 260 that a simple weekday count suggests.
Frequently asked questions
Are both the start and end dates counted?＋
Yes. The range is inclusive, so if both ends are weekdays they both count toward the total.
Why do I have to enter holidays manually?＋
Public holidays vary by country and region and change each year, so the tool asks you for the count rather than guessing. Enter how many fall within your date range.
Which days count as the weekend?＋
Saturday and Sunday. If your working week differs, count the calendar days and subtract your own non-working pattern instead.
How do I count business days for a legal deadline?＋
Check the rule that applies: some count from the day after the trigger event, some exclude the day of service, and public holidays differ by jurisdiction. Use the count as a working figure and confirm the convention.
Why are UK bank holidays not built in?＋
They differ between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and they move each year, so a baked-in list would quietly go stale. Entering the dates that apply to you keeps the answer correct.
How many working days are in a year?＋
About 253 in the UK once weekends and eight bank holidays are removed, before any annual leave. That is the figure most day-rate contract calculations start from.
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Worked example
Working days between Monday 1 June 2026 and Friday 26 June 2026:
Weekend days in that span = 6
Working days = 20
Public holidays are not deducted automatically — subtract any that fall inside the range for your own country.
Assumptions & limitations
What counts as a working day varies more than you would expect:
- Monday to Friday is treated as the working week. In much of the Middle East the weekend is Friday–Saturday, or Friday only.
- Public and bank holidays are not deducted — they differ by country and, within the UK, by nation.
- Contracts often define "business days" precisely, sometimes excluding the day of receipt or a notice period. Check the wording before relying on a count.
- Part-time patterns, shift work and company shutdown days are not modelled.