Business Day Rules
How Plan Builder handles business days, working hours, weekends, and date normalization.
What are business day rules?
- definition: Plan Builder schedules work only on business days (Monday-Friday) during business hours (8am-5pm).
- weekends: Saturday and Sunday are automatically excluded from calculations.
- normalization: All times are normalized to business hours (8am for starts, 5pm for finishes).
- automatic adjustment: Dates entered on weekends or outside business hours are automatically adjusted.
Working hours
- start time: 8am - all tasks start at this time.
- finish time: 5pm - all tasks finish at this time.
- full day: A 1-day task spans from 8am to 5pm on the same business day.
- local time: Dates are displayed and edited in your local timezone.
Business days
- monday through friday: These are the working days.
- saturday and sunday: These are non-working days (automatically excluded).
- automatic skipping: Weekend days are skipped when calculating durations.
Date normalization
Start dates
- normalized to 8am: All start times are set to 8am (start of business day).
- weekend adjustment: If you enter a weekend date, it's shifted forward to the next Monday.
Examples:
- Enter Saturday → Adjusted to Monday 8am
- Enter Sunday → Adjusted to Monday 8am
- Enter Friday 2pm → Normalized to Friday 8am
Finish dates
- normalized to 5pm: All finish times are set to 5pm (end of business day).
- weekend adjustment: If you enter a weekend date, it's shifted backward to the previous Friday.
Examples:
- Enter Saturday → Adjusted to Friday 5pm
- Enter Sunday → Adjusted to Friday 5pm
- Enter Friday 8pm → Normalized to Friday 5pm
Duration calculations
Business day counting
- inclusive: Duration counts business days inclusively (includes both start and finish days).
- weekend skipping: Weekends are automatically skipped.
Example:
- Start: Monday 8am
- Duration: 5 days
- Finish: Friday 5pm (Monday + 5 business days = Friday)
Calculating finish from start
- forward calculation: Start + Duration → Finish
- skips weekends: Weekend days are excluded from count.
Example:
- Start: Friday 8am
- Duration: 2 days
- Finish: Tuesday 5pm (Friday → Monday → Tuesday)
Calculating start from finish
- backward calculation: Finish - Duration → Start
- skips weekends: Weekend days are excluded from count.
Example:
- Finish: Monday 5pm
- Duration: 2 days
- Start: Thursday 8am (Monday → Friday → Thursday)
Weekend handling
Forward adjustment (start dates)
- rule: Weekends are shifted forward to next Monday.
- applies to: Task start dates, predecessor constraints.
Examples:
- Saturday → Monday 8am
- Sunday → Monday 8am
Backward adjustment (finish dates)
- rule: Weekends are shifted backward to previous Friday.
- applies to: Task finish dates.
Examples:
- Saturday → Friday 5pm
- Sunday → Friday 5pm
During duration calculations
- automatic skipping: Weekends are automatically excluded when counting business days.
- no manual adjustment needed: System handles weekend skipping automatically.
Example:
- Start: Friday 8am
- Duration: 3 days
- Calculation: Friday → Monday → Tuesday (skips weekend)
- Finish: Tuesday 5pm
Predecessor constraints
Finish-to-Start timing
- after 5pm: If predecessor finishes at 5pm (end of day), successor starts next business day at 8am.
- before 5pm: If predecessor finishes before 5pm on a weekday, successor can start same day (for SS relationships).
Example 1:
- Predecessor finishes: Friday 5pm
- Successor starts: Monday 8am (next business day)
Example 2:
- Predecessor finishes: Friday 2pm
- Successor starts: Friday 2pm (same day, if SS relationship)
Weekend predecessor finishes
- automatic adjustment: If predecessor finish falls on weekend, successor start is calculated from adjusted date.
Example:
- Predecessor finish: Saturday (adjusted to Friday 5pm)
- Successor starts: Monday 8am (next business day after adjusted date)
Examples
Example 1: Same-day task
- Start: Monday 8am
- Duration: 1 day
- Finish: Monday 5pm (same day)
Example 2: Week-spanning task
- Start: Monday 8am
- Duration: 5 days
- Finish: Friday 5pm (one work week)
Example 3: Task spanning weekend
- Start: Friday 8am
- Duration: 3 days
- Finish: Tuesday 5pm (Friday → Monday → Tuesday, weekend skipped)
Example 4: Weekend start entry
- You enter: Saturday (weekend)
- System adjusts: Monday 8am
- Duration: 5 days
- Finish: Friday 5pm
Example 5: Weekend finish entry
- You enter: Sunday (weekend)
- System adjusts: Friday 5pm
- Duration: 5 days
- Start: Monday 8am (calculated backward)
Example 6: Predecessor with weekend finish
- Task 1 finishes: Friday 5pm
- Task 2 predecessor:
1FS - Task 2 starts: Monday 8am (next business day)
Tips
- Trust the system: Weekend adjustments happen automatically; you don't need to avoid weekends.
- Use business days: When estimating, think in business days (Monday-Friday).
- Check adjusted dates: If you enter a weekend date, check the adjusted date to confirm it's correct.
- Duration is working days: A 5-day task is 5 business days, not calendar days.
FAQ
Why did my date change to Monday when I entered Saturday?
Weekend dates are automatically adjusted to business days. Saturday shifts forward to Monday.
Why did my start time change to 8am?
All start times are normalized to 8am (start of business day) to keep schedules consistent.
Why did my finish time change to 5pm?
All finish times are normalized to 5pm (end of business day) to keep schedules consistent.
Can I schedule work on weekends?
No. Plan Builder only schedules on business days (Monday-Friday). Weekend dates are automatically adjusted.
How do I calculate duration for a task that spans weekends?
Enter the duration in business days. The system automatically skips weekends when calculating dates.
Example: If you want a task from Monday to the following Monday:
- Enter duration: 6 days (includes both Mondays, skips weekend)
- System calculates: Monday → Friday → Monday (skips Saturday/Sunday)
What happens if a predecessor finishes on a weekend?
The finish date is adjusted to the previous Friday 5pm, and the successor starts Monday 8am.
Can I customize business hours or days?
Not currently. Business hours are fixed at 8am-5pm, and weekends are always excluded.
Last updated: 2025‑01‑15