What Are Business Days?
Generally, a business day is any day of the week on which normal business operations are conducted, excluding weekends and public holidays, and it lasts 8 hours, from 9 am. to 5 pm. When discussing the business days, consider the days and hours banks operate, i.e., 9 am to 5 pm from Monday to Friday.
This means you can consider any day as a business day, excluding the days of public holidays and weekends. For instance, if someone says you will get your order within five business days, you can expect delivery in the next five consecutive days, excluding weekends and holidays.
Most countries use Monday to Friday as their standard business days. However, business days can vary by region, culture, and industry. Some countries have particular hours and days as their standard business hours.
How Long Is a Business Day?
A business day is any day of the week, excluding weekends and holidays, with an 8-hour time, from 9 am to 5 pm. Although some businesses open before 9 am or stay open after 5 pm, 9 am to 5 pm is considered standard business hours. Usually, most businesses operate for 8 hours. However, the business day is shorter or longer than the company's operation hours and the break duration. Business days may extended by overtime when working on time-sensitive projects.
If we apply a thumb rule, if a business operates from 9 am to 5 pm, the business day will be 8 hours long.
So, one business day comprises 8 x 1 = 8 hours.
Business Days in Different Countries
Generally, business days are from Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays. However, as mentioned earlier, the business week can vary from country to country. There is no standard worldwide rule for business days. Here are a few countries that follow unique business days and hours:
Middle East and North Africa:
In many Middle Eastern and North African countries, the business week runs from Sunday to Thursday, with Friday and Saturday being the weekend. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and others use this schedule and treat Friday and Saturday as the weekend. However, in the United Arab Emirates, employees work from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm from Monday to Friday. But on Fridays, the business day is shorter, from 7:30 am to midday.
Business Days in Asia:
Asian countries follow diverse business week types based on local traditions and religious practices. For instance, in Nepal, the business week runs from Sunday to Friday, with a half-day on Friday and Saturday as holidays. In Brunei, Friday and Sunday are treated as weekends, and Saturday is a working day.
Business Days in Europe:
The standard business week runs from Monday through Friday in most European countries. However, some countries have shorter business weeks. Countries like Germany and Spain have longer business hours, from Monday to Thursday, but Friday is a half-day.
However, most countries, like the UK, China, USA, and Canada, treat Monday to Friday as business days and Saturday and Sunday as weekends.
Business Day vs. Workday
Although business day and workday refer to the days the business operates, they hold different meanings. Workdays are defined by the organizations and refer to those days when employees go to work. Business days are when banks are open and operate (from Monday to Friday).
A workday is similar to a business day, as employees are expected to work the same number of hours as the business day, i.e. around 8 hours.
However, depending on the job and industry requirements, employees may work at different times than business hours. They may also be required to work overtime, for which they get overtime pay.
For example, an employee works from Tuesday to Saturday on the 4 pm to 1 am shift. These days will be referred to as workdays. However, the business days refer to any day between Monday and Friday, excluding all the public holidays.
Business Days: Monday to Friday (9 am to 5 pm)
Workdays: Tuesday to Saturday (4 pm to 1 am)
How Long Is 1 Business Day?
A business day has eight hours, from 9 am to 5 pm. It is any day except for weekends and public holidays. If a company mentions that something will happen in "1 business day," you can consider the next consecutive day from that day, excluding the weekends and public holidays. For example, if today is Monday, the next business day would be Tuesday. However, if it's Friday, the next business day would be Monday.
Suppose you ordered something on a Friday, and your seller informs you that your order will be delivered in one business day. Then, the next business day would be Monday, and you will receive your order on Monday.
How Long Is 2 Business Days?
Whenever someone says two business days, you can consider the next two consecutive days from that day, excluding the weekends and public holidays. For example, if today is Wednesday, the next two business days would be Thursday and Friday. However, if it's Thursday today, the next two business days would be Friday and Monday.
Suppose you order something on a Friday, and your seller informs you that your order will be delivered in two business days. Then, the next two business days will be Monday and Tuesday. You will receive your order by Tuesday.
How Long Is 3 Business Days?
Whenever it's mentioned that something will be available or completed in three business days, you can consider the next three consecutive days from that day, excluding the weekends and public holidays. For example, if you start on Monday, a 3 business day will be Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. And if today is Wednesday, the next three business days would be Thursday, Friday, and Monday. However, this timeline can stretch to the next week if it involves a weekend or public holiday.
Suppose you ordered something on a Friday, and your seller informs you that your order will be delivered in three business days. Then, these three business days will be Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and you will receive your order by Wednesday.
How Long Is 5 Business Days?
Whenever someone says five business days, you can consider the next five consecutive days from that day, excluding the weekends and public holidays. For example, if today is Wednesday, the next five business days would be Thursday, Friday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday if there are no public holidays in between.
Suppose you ordered something on a Friday, and the seller informs you that your order will be delivered in five days. Then, the next five business days will be from next week, i.e., Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. So you will receive the order on or before next Friday.
How Long Is 7 Business Days?
Whenever someone says that something will be available in seven business days, you can consider the next seven consecutive days from that day, excluding the weekends and public holidays. For example, if today is Wednesday, the next seven business days would be Thursday, Friday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday if there is no public holiday.
Suppose you ordered something on a Friday, and the seller informs you that your order will be delivered in seven business days. Then, counting the business days will start from the upcoming week and will go till next week, i.e., Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Monday, and Tuesday. You will receive the order by next to next Tuesday.
How Long Is 10 Business Days?
Whenever someone mentions the ten business days, consider the next ten consecutive days from that day, excluding the weekends and public holidays. For example, if today is Wednesday, the next ten business days would be Thursday, Friday, (week-2) Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, (week-3) Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.
Suppose you ordered something on a Monday. The seller informs you that your order will be delivered in ten business days. Then, the next ten business days will be Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Monday. So, 10 business days is two weeks long, excluding weekends and public holidays. So you will receive the order by 2 Mondays from today.