Define: Working Days
In a contract, Working Days refers to the days on which normal business activity is expected to occur, typically excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays. Contracts use this term to calculate deadlines, notice periods, and response times, ensuring that non-business days do not silently shorten the time a party actually has to act.
Legal accuracy standard set & glossary spot-checked by Imad Mohammed Nazar , Skadden-trained M&A lawyer, Legal Engineer at GenieAI
What Working Days Means in a Contract
Working Days is a defined term used to measure time in a way that reflects real business activity rather than the raw calendar. When a contract says a party must respond, deliver, or pay within a set number of Working Days, it is excluding weekends and public holidays from that count, so the deadline lands on a day when offices, banks, and courts are typically open. This matters because a period expressed in calendar days can quietly swallow up a weekend or bank holiday, effectively shortening the practical time available to comply.
The term is almost always given its own definition clause rather than left to common understanding, because what counts as a.
Relevant Circumstances
- Determining time frames for delivery of services or goods.
- Scheduling maintenance or service periods.
- Setting payment terms or invoice due dates.
- Establishing timelines for contract terms and termination notice periods.