How to Use the WORKDAY Function in Excel

Summary: Unveil the capabilities of the WORKDAY function in Microsoft Excel—an essential tool for calculating the date of a future or past working day, excluding weekends and specified holidays. In this tutorial, curated for data analysts with a passion for technology, explore step-by-step instructions to seamlessly integrate the WORKDAY function into your data analysis toolkit.

The WORKDAY function within Excel empowers you to determine the date of a future or past working day, considering weekends and optional holidays. To harness the potential of this function, follow these comprehensive steps:

1. Open Excel: Launch Microsoft Excel on your computer.

2. Select a Cell: Choose the cell where you want to display the calculated working date using the WORKDAY function.

3. Enter the Formula: Input the following formula into the selected cell:

   =WORKDAY(start_date, days, [holidays])

   Replace "start_date" with the initial date, "days" with the number of working days to add or subtract, and "[holidays]" with an optional range of holiday dates (if applicable).

4. Press Enter: After entering the formula, press the Enter key to execute the function. The cell will display the calculated date of the future or past working day.

5. Example: Suppose you want to calculate the date of the 5th working day after August 1, 2023, excluding the holiday on August 7, 2023. Use this formula:

   =WORKDAY("2023-08-01", 5, {"2023-08-07"})

6. View Calculated Working Date: The cell will now display the calculated working date, which corresponds to August 9, 2023 (considering the holiday).

Summary: By mastering the WORKDAY function in Excel, you can seamlessly calculate the date of future or past working days, considering weekends and optional holidays. By following the systematic instructions outlined in this tutorial, you can adeptly incorporate this function into your data analysis endeavors.

Feel free to ask questions or share your thoughts, fostering further exploration of this topic.

Note: The WORKDAY function is available in various versions of Microsoft Excel, including Excel 2013, Excel 2016, Excel 2019, and Microsoft 365.