laborables

Laborables is a term used in Spanish to denote days or periods suitable for work. As an adjective, laborable, and in the plural as laborables, it appears frequently in calendars, schedules, and contracts. The phrase días laborables refers to the days in which regular labor activity is expected.

In usage, días laborables typically mean the days the offices and businesses are open, excluding weekends and public holidays. However, the exact meaning is jurisdiction- and contract-dependent. In some countries or sectors, Saturdays (and sometimes Sundays) may be counted as laborables, while in others they are not. Because of this variation, deadlines stated in days laborables should be interpreted with attention to the applicable rules.

The term is closely related to other calendar terms such as días hábiles or días útiles. While many contexts treat días laborables and días hábiles as equivalent, some jurisdictions distinguish them by including or excluding holidays or weekends. When drafting agreements or calculating timelines, it is prudent to specify which days count and which are excluded.

Etymology: laborable derives from the Latin laborare, meaning to work, and the term is widely used in administrative, legal, and business Spanish.