WEEKDAY and WORKDAY in Excel - Dashboard Guide

Dashboard Mode - WEEKDAY and WORKDAY

Dashboard Goal

Help a small business owner track workdays and identify weekdays for scheduling deliveries and employee shifts.

Sample Data

Date	Event
2024-06-03	Order Received
2024-06-04	Packaging
2024-06-05	Shipping
2024-06-06	Delivery
2024-06-07	Follow-up
2024-06-08	Rest Day
2024-06-09	Rest Day

Dashboard Components

• KPI Card: Next Workday
  Formula: =WORKDAY(TODAY(),1)
  Shows the next workday date after today, skipping weekends.
• Table: Weekday Number
  Formula in adjacent column: =WEEKDAY(A2,2)
  Shows the weekday number for each date (Monday=1 to Sunday=7).
• KPI Card: Total Workdays in Week
  Formula: =NETWORKDAYS(DATE(2024,6,3),DATE(2024,6,9))
  Counts workdays between June 3 and June 9, 2024, excluding weekends.

Dashboard Layout

+----------------------+-----------------------+
| Next Workday (KPI)   | Total Workdays (KPI)  |
+----------------------+-----------------------+
|                                      |
|          Date & Weekday Table        |
|                                      |
+--------------------------------------+ 

Interactivity

User can change the date range in the NETWORKDAYS formula to see workdays count for different weeks.

The WEEKDAY column updates automatically when dates change.

Self Check

If you change the start date in the NETWORKDAYS formula to 2024-06-05, what is the new total workdays count?

Key Result

Dashboard shows next workday, weekday numbers for dates, and total workdays in a week.

Practice

1. What does the Excel function =WEEKDAY(A1) return when A1 contains a date?

easy

A. The date of the next workday after the date in A1

B. A number representing the day of the week for the date in A1

C. The total number of workdays in the month of A1

D. The name of the day (like Monday) for the date in A1

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand WEEKDAY function purpose

   The WEEKDAY function returns a number from 1 to 7 representing the day of the week for a given date.

2. Step 2: Apply to cell A1

   Since A1 contains a date, =WEEKDAY(A1) returns the day number of that date.

3. Final Answer:

   A number representing the day of the week for the date in A1 -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   WEEKDAY = day number [OK]

Hint: WEEKDAY gives day number, not name or date [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking WEEKDAY returns the day name
• Confusing WEEKDAY with WORKDAY
• Expecting a date instead of a number

2. Which of these is the correct syntax to find the next workday after the date in cell B2, excluding weekends?

easy

A. =WORKDAY(B2, 1)

B. =WORKDAY(B2 + 1)

C. =WEEKDAY(B2, 1)

D. =WORKDAY(B2, "next")

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall WORKDAY syntax

   WORKDAY(start_date, days) returns the date after adding 'days' workdays to start_date, skipping weekends.

2. Step 2: Apply to find next workday

   To find the next workday after B2, add 1 workday: =WORKDAY(B2, 1) is correct syntax.

3. Final Answer:

   =WORKDAY(B2, 1) -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   WORKDAY(date, 1) = next workday [OK]

Hint: WORKDAY needs two arguments: date and days [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using WORKDAY with only one argument
• Confusing WEEKDAY with WORKDAY
• Passing text like "next" instead of a number

3. If cell C3 contains the date 2024-06-14 (a Friday), what will =WORKDAY(C3, 3) return?

medium

A. 2024-06-17 (Monday)

B. 2024-06-18 (Tuesday)

C. 2024-06-20 (Thursday)

D. 2024-06-19 (Wednesday)

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify start date and days to add

   Start date is 2024-06-14 (Friday). We add 3 workdays, skipping weekends.

2. Step 2: Count workdays skipping weekend

   Adding 1 workday: Monday 2024-06-17
   Adding 2 workdays: Tuesday 2024-06-18
   Adding 3 workdays: Wednesday 2024-06-19

3. Final Answer:

   2024-06-19 (Wednesday) -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   WORKDAY adds days skipping weekends [OK]

Hint: Count only weekdays, skip Sat & Sun [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Counting weekend days as workdays
• Adding days directly without WORKDAY
• Confusing date formats

4. The formula =WORKDAY(A1, 5, {"2024-06-19"}) returns an error. What is the likely cause?

medium

A. WORKDAY does not accept a third argument

B. The days argument cannot be a positive number

C. The holidays argument must be a range, not an array of text strings

D. The date in A1 is invalid

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand WORKDAY holiday argument

   The third argument for WORKDAY is a range or array of dates, not text strings in quotes.

2. Step 2: Identify error cause

   Using {"2024-06-19"} passes a text string, not a date value, causing an error.

3. Final Answer:

   The holidays argument must be a range, not an array of text strings -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Holidays must be date values, not text [OK]

Hint: Holidays must be date cells or date arrays, not text [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Passing holiday dates as text strings
• Ignoring the third argument format
• Assuming WORKDAY only takes two arguments

5. You want to find the weekday number of the date that is 10 workdays after 2024-06-01, excluding weekends and the holiday 2024-06-12. Which formula correctly does this?

hard

A. =WEEKDAY(WORKDAY("2024-06-01", 10, DATE(2024,6,12)))

B. =WORKDAY(WEEKDAY("2024-06-01"), 10, DATE(2024,6,12))

C. =WEEKDAY(WORKDAY("2024-06-01", 10, {"2024-06-12"}))

D. =WORKDAY("2024-06-01", 10, "2024-06-12")

Solution

1. Step 1: Calculate date 10 workdays after 2024-06-01 excluding holiday

   Use WORKDAY with start date, days, and holiday as DATE(2024,6,12) to get correct date.

2. Step 2: Find weekday number of that date

   Wrap WORKDAY result inside WEEKDAY to get the day number.

3. Final Answer:

   =WEEKDAY(WORKDAY("2024-06-01", 10, DATE(2024,6,12))) -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   WORKDAY then WEEKDAY for weekday number [OK]

Hint: Use WORKDAY first, then WEEKDAY to get day number [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Passing holiday as text instead of DATE function
• Using WEEKDAY inside WORKDAY incorrectly
• Ignoring holidays in WORKDAY