How to Account for Holidays in Microsoft Project

Quick summary

Adding holidays to Microsoft Project ensures tasks are automatically rescheduled around non-working days, keeping your project schedule accurate. You do this by defining calendar exceptions in the Change Working Time dialog, so no manual date adjustments are needed.

Steps

1. Open Microsoft Project and click on the Project tab in the top ribbon menu.
2. Locate and click Change Working Time to open the holiday schedule settings.
3. Click the Exceptions tab below the calendar view to access the holiday definition area.
4. Click an empty row in the exceptions table, enter a descriptive holiday name, then set the start and finish dates.
5. Click the Details button to access advanced customization options and define exactly how the holiday affects your schedule.
6. Click OK to confirm — all tasks will automatically avoid those dates and get rescheduled.