If you've ever read a contract that says "within 10 business days" and wondered whether that's the same as "10 working days" — you're not alone. The short answer is: usually yes, but not always.
The Quick Answer
In everyday usage, business days and working days are the same thing — Monday through Friday, excluding public holidays. Most people, HR departments, and businesses use the terms interchangeably.
When They're Different
The distinction matters in a few specific situations:
1. Legal Contexts
Some jurisdictions define "business days" differently from "working days" in their legal codes. For example:
- In some US states, "business day" specifically means a day when banks are open for business
- In the UK, "working day" is defined in the Employment Rights Act as any day that isn't a Saturday, Sunday, Christmas Day, Good Friday, or bank holiday
- In Australia, "business day" in the Corporations Act excludes weekends and public holidays for the relevant state
2. Industries with Non-Standard Schedules
"Working days" can sometimes include Saturdays in industries like:
- Retail and hospitality
- Construction (some countries count Saturday as a working day)
- Healthcare
- Some Middle Eastern countries where the work week is Sunday–Thursday
3. International Business
When working across borders, "business days" in your country may not align with "business days" in your partner's country — different holidays, different weekends (Friday–Saturday in some Middle Eastern countries), different definitions.
Calculate for your specific country
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Open Business Days Calculator →How to Handle Ambiguity in Contracts
If you're writing or reviewing a contract, always:
- Define the term — "Business days means Monday through Friday, excluding US federal holidays"
- Specify the country — Whose holidays apply?
- State inclusion/exclusion — Does the start date count?
- Use a calculator — Don't count manually. Use our free tool to verify.
Summary Table
Business days: Monday–Friday, excluding public holidays. Used in finance, law, contracts.
Working days: Usually the same as business days. May include Saturdays in some industries/countries.
Calendar days: Every day including weekends and holidays. "30 calendar days" = exactly 30 days.
When in doubt, ask for clarification — or better yet, calculate it.
Regional Differences in Terminology
The terms "business days" and "working days" are used interchangeably in most English-speaking countries, but some industries and legal contexts draw a distinction. In shipping and logistics, "business days" almost always excludes weekends and public holidays. In some union agreements and labor law contexts, "working days" can specifically refer to the days an individual employee is scheduled to work — which may differ from the standard Monday-Friday pattern for part-time or shift workers.
Why the Distinction Matters in Contracts
When a contract states a deadline "within 10 business days," ambiguity can create disputes if not clearly defined. Some contracts explicitly define the term at the outset (for example, "business day means any day other than Saturday, Sunday, or a public holiday in England and Wales") to avoid confusion, particularly in international contracts where the two parties may be in different countries with different holiday calendars.
How Different Industries Use These Terms
Banking: Banks typically use "business days" strictly, and transactions initiated after a bank's daily cutoff time roll over to the next business day. International wire transfers can take 3-5 business days to clear depending on the countries involved.
E-commerce and shipping: "Business days" for delivery estimates typically exclude weekends and the carrier's recognized holidays, though the exact holiday calendar used isn't always disclosed to customers.
Legal and government: Court filing deadlines and government processing times almost always use "business days" or "working days" with an explicit legal definition tied to the relevant jurisdiction's public holiday calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are business days and working days always the same thing?
In everyday usage, yes — both terms typically mean Monday through Friday, excluding public holidays. Some specific legal or union contexts define "working days" differently for individual employees with non-standard schedules, but for calculation purposes they are the same.
Does "business days" include public holidays?
No. Business days exclude both weekends and public holidays. If you need a count that only excludes weekends and not holidays, you're looking for a "weekday" count rather than a business day count.
How many business days are in a typical month?
Most months have between 20 and 23 business days, depending on how many weekends and holidays fall within that month. February typically has the fewest at around 19-20 business days.
Why do international contracts need to define "business day" explicitly?
Because public holidays differ between countries, a contract between a US company and a UK company could have different business day counts if "business day" isn't tied to a specific jurisdiction's holiday calendar.