WORKDAY calculates a date a specified number of working days from a start date. It is a deadline-shifting function, not a count of both endpoints.
Specify the offset and holidays
With the starting date in A2, an integer offset in B2, and holiday dates in H2:H20, use =WORKDAY(A2,B2,H2:H20). Format the result as a date.
A positive offset moves forward and a negative offset moves backward. Standard WORKDAY excludes Saturday and Sunday; use WORKDAY.INTL when another weekend calendar applies.
Check the counting convention
For a positive offset, count working days after the start rather than counting the start as day one. A Monday plus one working day is Tuesday when neither is a holiday.
Google documents that fractional offsets are truncated. Do not use 1.5 to mean one and a half working days; partial-day scheduling needs a separate model including actual working hours.
Verify the resulting deadline
Test a start before a weekend, an offset crossing a holiday, and a negative offset. Compare with the organization’s actual calendar and confirm whether any rule moves deadlines to the start or end of a business day.
The function does not supply legal, contractual, or regional deadline policy. Keep holidays and observed dates current, and distinguish a calculated date from a confirmed appointment. If the start is missing or invalid, flag it rather than returning an old serial-date value. For reproducible reports, label the calendar version and preserve the original start and offset instead of replacing them with the final date alone.
References
Reviewed against the linked official product guidance on November 3, 2026. Features, limits, screen labels, and access can vary by account, platform, region, and organization policy.