Date calculator for HR
Six date calculations in one place, built for everyday use and for HR and payroll work. Choose a mode and the fields change to match. You can download any result as a spreadsheet to keep on file.
Everything is calculated in your browser, and nothing you enter is sent to a server.
What do you need to work out?
Optional. Accrues per completed month of service.
On by default. Leave and notice periods normally count both dates, so 1 to 30 June is 30 days. Turn it off to measure days elapsed instead, which gives 29.
One date per line or comma separated, in YYYY-MM-DD format. Leave blank to ignore holidays.
Result
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Show the working
—The six modes
Days between two dates is the simplest. Enter two dates and it shows the number of days between them, with no weekend or holiday settings.
Working days between two dates also takes your weekend pattern and holiday list into account, and counts only the days your organization is open.
Add or subtract time moves a date forward or back by a number of days, weeks, months or years. It also shows the next working day, which helps when a deadline falls on a weekend.
Count working days finds the date that is a set number of working days away. Thirty working days is not the same as thirty calendar days: weekends and holidays are skipped, so the end date is several weeks later than many people expect. This is the calculation behind notice periods, probation periods and many legal response deadlines.
Length of service shows the completed years, months and days since a joining date, along with completed months and optional leave accrual.
Countdown counts the calendar days and working days until a future date, or since a past one.
Counting both dates or only the days between them
This is the most common reason two people get different answers to the same date question, so the calculator lets you choose instead of deciding for you.
From 1 June to 30 June, 29 days pass, but the period includes 30 days if you count both the first and the last. Both figures are correct; they simply answer different questions.
Leave, notice periods and suspensions are counted inclusively, because the employee is absent or serving notice on both the first and the last day. Project lengths and interest calculations usually count the days that pass, because they measure the distance between two points in time.
The "count both dates" box is ticked by default, because HR work needs the inclusive figure far more often. Both numbers appear in the results either way, so it is always clear which one you are looking at.
Choosing your weekend
Most date tools assume a Saturday and Sunday weekend, which is wrong for much of the world. Across much of the Middle East, the working week runs from Sunday to Thursday, with Friday and Saturday off. Some organizations work six days a week and only close on Sunday.
Choose the pattern your organization follows before you count anything. A wrong pattern over a thirty working day notice period can move the end date by several days.
Adding public holidays
Paste your organization's holiday list into the box, either one date per line or separated by commas, in YYYY-MM-DD format. Those dates are then left out of every working day count.
Holidays are entered by hand on purpose. Public holidays differ by country and province, and some organizations do not observe all of them. A calculator that guessed would be wrong too often to rely on for employment decisions. Keeping your list in a text file and pasting it in takes a few seconds and leaves a clear record of what was used.
Why a calendar month is not 30 days
Adding one month to 31 January cannot give 31 February, so the result moves into March. Adding three months to 30 November gives 28 or 29 February, depending on the year.
This calculator uses standard calendar arithmetic, which is what employment contracts normally mean by one month's notice. If your contract states a number of days instead, use the days unit. The two can give different dates, and which one applies depends on the wording of the contract.
Downloading the result
Every result can be downloaded as a CSV file, which opens in Excel, Google Sheets or LibreOffice with a double click. For the date range modes, the file has one row for each date, showing the day of the week and whether it was a working day, a weekend or a holiday. That is exactly what you need if someone questions a calculation months later.
Not legal or employment advice. Notice periods, probation, leave accrual and legal deadlines depend on the law where you are and on the wording of the contract. This tool does calendar arithmetic with the settings you give it. Confirm the rules with a qualified employment adviser before you act on a date.
Frequently asked questions
Is 1 June to 30 June 29 days or 30 days?
Both, depending on what you are measuring. Thirty days counts both the first and the last date, which is how leave and notice periods work. Twenty-nine is the number of days that pass between the two dates. The calculator shows both figures and lets you choose which one comes first.
How do I count working days between two dates?
Choose the working days mode, set your weekend pattern and paste in any public holidays. The result shows calendar days, working days, weekend days and holidays separately.
What is the difference between calendar days and working days?
Calendar days include every day, including weekends and holidays. Working days include only the days your organization is open. Thirty working days is roughly six weeks of calendar time, so the two give very different end dates.
How do I calculate a notice period end date?
Use “Add or subtract time” if your contract gives the notice period in months or calendar days, or “Count working days” if it is stated in working days. Start from the date notice was given and check whether your contract counts that day.
Can I use a Friday and Saturday weekend?
Yes. You can choose a Saturday and Sunday weekend, a Friday and Saturday weekend, Sunday only or no weekend at all for organizations that work every day.
How is length of service calculated?
It is measured in completed years, months and days from the joining date, using calendar arithmetic that handles months of different lengths correctly. The number of completed months is also shown, because many leave policies are based on it.
What happens when I add a month to the 31st?
The result moves into the following month, because the target month has no 31st. Adding one month to 31 January gives 3 March in most years. If your contract counts in days, use the days unit instead.