Calculating hours in Excel excluding weekends is a task that comes in handy for project managers, HR teams, and anyone who needs to track working hours. It’s not as straightforward as it sounds, but with a few formulas and functions, you can master this skill. Here’s a quick rundown: you’ll need to use the NETWORKDAYS function to find the number of workdays between two dates, then subtract any holidays if necessary. After that, you can multiply the number of workdays by the number of work hours in a day. Let’s dive into the details!
Step by Step Tutorial: Calculating Hours in Excel Excluding Weekends
Before we start, remember that Excel is a powerful tool that can do a lot more than simple arithmetic. By using formulas and functions, we can make Excel do the heavy lifting for us.
Step 1: Enter your start and end dates
Type your start date in one cell and your end date in another cell.
When you enter dates, make sure you use a format that Excel recognizes as a date, like “MM/DD/YYYY”. This will ensure that Excel treats these as dates and not as text or numbers.
Step 2: Use the NETWORKDAYS function
Type the NETWORKDAYS function into a new cell.
The NETWORKDAYS function calculates the number of workdays between two dates, automatically excluding weekends. The basic syntax is =NETWORKDAYS(start_date, end_date).
Step 3: Include holidays (optional)
Add a range of cells that contain any holidays that occurred between your start and end dates.
If there were any holidays during your period of interest, you need to let Excel know to exclude those too. You can do this by adding a third argument to the NETWORKDAYS function, which is a range of cells that list the holidays.
Step 4: Calculate the total hours
Multiply the result of the NETWORKDAYS function by the number of work hours in a day.
Once you have the number of workdays, simply multiply it by the standard number of work hours in a day (usually 8 hours) to get the total number of work hours, excluding weekends and any holidays.
After completing these steps, you should have the total number of working hours between your start and end dates, excluding weekends and any holidays. It’s a straightforward process once you understand how the NETWORKDAYS function works.
Tips: Calculating Hours in Excel Excluding Weekends
- Always double-check your date format to ensure Excel recognizes it correctly.
- Remember that NETWORKDAYS automatically excludes Saturdays and Sundays.
- If you’re working with international dates, consider using NETWORKDAYS.INTL to specify which days of the week are considered weekends.
- To avoid typing out holidays each time, maintain a separate holiday list in Excel that you can reference in any NETWORKDAYS formula.
- Use named ranges for your start and end dates, and holiday lists to make your formulas easier to read and manage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my weekends are not Saturday and Sunday?
Use the NETWORKDAYS.INTL function, which allows you to specify which days of the week are considered weekends.
Can I calculate hours that include weekends?
Yes, instead of NETWORKDAYS, use a simple subtraction of the end date from the start date, and then multiply by 24 (hours in a day).
What if I need to include partial days?
You’ll need to use a more complex formula that takes into account the start time and end time, not just the dates.
How do I account for leap years or different month lengths?
Excel’s date functions automatically account for leap years and the varying number of days in each month.
Can I calculate hours for a night shift that goes into the next day?
Yes, you would calculate the hours for each day separately and then add them together, taking care not to double-count any hours.
Summary
- Enter your start and end dates.
- Use the NETWORKDAYS function.
- Include holidays (optional).
- Calculate the total hours.
Conclusion
Calculating hours in Excel excluding weekends might seem like a daunting task at first glance. But once you get the hang of it, it’s a breeze. The key is understanding how to use Excel’s date and time functions, like NETWORKDAYS, to do the heavy lifting for you. This skill will not only save you time but also increase the accuracy of your time tracking. Plus, it’s a nifty trick to impress your colleagues with your Excel prowess.
Remember that while Excel is a powerful tool, it’s only as good as the user, so don’t hesitate to explore and practice using different functions and formulas. With the steps outlined in this article and a bit of practice, you’ll be calculating working hours like a pro in no time. Happy Excel-ing!
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read over 50 million times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.