How days are counted

Working week, public holidays that pass for free, half days and country counting rules — why Friday-to-Monday costs 2 days, not 4.

For everyone Updated July 25, 2026

"Friday to Monday" can cost 2 days, 4 days or 1.5 days depending on your working week, the holidays in between and half days. Bueggio HR does this math for you, live, on every booking — this guide explains the rules it follows, so the number never feels arbitrary.

Rule 1: only working days count

Your organization defines its working week (usually Monday–Friday). Days outside it are never deducted: booking Friday → Monday with a Mon–Fri week costs 2 days — Saturday and Sunday pass for free. If your company works Saturdays, they count like any weekday.

Rule 2: public holidays pass for free

A public holiday inside your booking isn't deducted either — a Monday-to-Friday week containing a national holiday costs 4, not 5. This uses your holiday calendar: if you follow a different country's holidays than your organization (set by your admins), your days are counted against your country's calendar.

Rule 3: half days are half

Tick "first day is a half day" and/or "last day is a half day" on the booking form: each ticked end counts 0.5 instead of 1. Leaving at lunch on Friday and back Monday afternoon? Half + half = 1 day for a long weekend.

Country counting rules

Where national rules count differently, the engine follows them — the depth is the point:

  • France — leave types can count in jours ouvrables (Mon–Sat) or jours ouvrés (working days), the way French payroll expects.
  • Italy — hour-based balances (ROL, ex-festività) convert bookings using your organization's hours-per-day.
  • Spain — regional holiday calendars are part of the count when your organization imports them.

You don't configure any of this per booking — it comes from your organization's country settings.

Watch it happen

The booking form shows the result as you pick dates: "This will use X days — Y remaining after". If the number surprises you, hover the period on the wall chart — shaded days are the ones passing for free.

Frequent puzzles

  • "My 2-week booking cost 9 days" — a public holiday sat in the middle. Working as intended.
  • "A holiday was added after I booked" — the engine recounts automatically; your allowance gets the day back without anyone touching the booking.
  • "My teammate's identical booking cost less" — different holiday country, or a half day. Their row on the chart tells the story.