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
Our free calculator supports 50+ countries with accurate holiday calendars — so you always get the right count.
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.