Payroll planning

Payroll period business days

Q: What are payroll period business days?

The workdays inside a pay period after weekends and any excluded holidays are removed.

Q: How do holidays affect payroll periods?

Holidays remove workdays, which can change staffing, overtime, and processing timelines.

Q: How do I count weekly or bi-weekly periods?

Set start and end, choose weekend pattern, exclude holidays, then run the business day counter.

Q: Do I include the pay date in the count?

Only if inclusion mode includes the end date. Otherwise it is excluded.

Q: Can I add company shutdown days?

Yes. Add them as custom holidays so they are removed from the total.

Q: Is this legal or financial advice?

No. This is educational only. Confirm with payroll and legal teams.

Payroll period business days are the workdays inside weekly or bi-weekly pay periods after you exclude weekends and holidays. See how holidays change counts, check the examples and checklist, then run the business day calculator with the right settings.

Published: December 28, 2025 · Updated: December 28, 2025 · By FinToolSuite Editorial

Open the Business Day Calculator

Business days between two dates | Exclude holidays | Business days between dates FAQ

Disclaimer

Educational purposes only; not legal, tax, or financial advice.
Examples are illustrative and simplified.
Results depend on your inputs and assumptions and are not guaranteed.
Read the Privacy Policy; do not share personal data.

Quick answer: payroll period business days

Exclude weekends and holidays to see true staffing days in the pay period.
Inclusion mode decides if the pay date counts in the total.
Use a checklist so payroll, HR, and finance share the same assumptions.

Weekly vs bi-weekly periods

Weekly periods may see small shifts; bi-weekly ranges can cross holidays and swing counts. Set the weekend pattern, exclusion year, and inclusion mode before you publish staffing expectations.

Holiday impact

Public holidays reduce working days and can move processing steps. Company shutdowns, inventory freezes, and regional days should be added as custom holidays to keep totals honest.

Examples

Weekly

Mon–Sun, include end, no holidays.

Result: 5 business days.

Bi-weekly with holiday

Two-week span with one holiday Monday.

Result: 9 business days if Sat–Sun weekend.

Shutdown added

Add a company Friday shutdown.

Result: drops one more business day.

Checklist

Period start and end.
Inclusion mode (include or exclude pay date).
Weekend pattern.
Holiday preset year and custom closures.
Any scheduled overtime or blackout days.

How to use the tool

Open the business day calculator.
Select the pay period start and end.
Set weekend pattern and choose holiday presets or custom days.
Pick inclusion mode for the pay date.
Review the business day counter and share the checklist.

Try it: business day calculator.

Common mistakes

Not excluding holidays inside the pay window.
Leaving the wrong weekend pattern selected.
Switching inclusion mode without telling payroll.
Mixing calendar days with business day totals in reports.
Ignoring company shutdowns that affect staffing.

FAQ

What are payroll period business days?

Workdays inside the pay period after removing weekends and excluded holidays.

How do holidays affect payroll periods?

They reduce working days and can shift processing windows.

How do I count weekly or bi-weekly periods?

Set dates, weekends, holidays, and inclusion mode, then run the counter.

Do I include the pay date in the count?

Only if inclusion mode includes the end date.

Can I add company shutdown days?

Yes. Add them as custom holidays.

Is this guaranteed?

No. Results depend on your inputs and assumptions and are not guaranteed.

Is this legal or financial advice?

No. This is educational. Confirm with payroll and legal teams.

Calculate payroll business days now

Set the pay window, weekends, holidays, and inclusion mode to get an accurate business day count.

Use the calculator