Expanding into
Botswana

Employment contracts in Botswana may be written or oral and must include:

• Names of the employer and employee
• Names and addresses of the next of kin of the employee
• Workplace location
• Responsibilities of the employer and employee
• Contract duration
• Salary details including amount, payment interval and bonuses
• Notice period and any conditions related to terminating the contract
• Employee’s signature or thumbprint

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Employees typically work 48 hours a week over five or six days. Any work performed over 48 hours is considered overtime for which employees receive extra pay. Overtime is limited to 14 hours per week and is paid at 150% or 200% of the basic rate depending on when the overtime is performed.

Employees receive up to 14 days of paid sick leave with a doctor’s certificate. The employee must inform the employer as soon as possible if they are absent from work for more than 24 hours.

Female employees are entitled to 12 weeks of maternity leave. Six weeks of maternity leave is taken before the expected due date and the remaining is taken after the birth. Maternity leave can be extended by two additional weeks if there is a pregnancy related illness.

Employers are not required to pay employees bonuses but may elect to do so as part of their compensation package.

Employees receive 15 days of paid leave each year. Employees must take eight vacation days within six months of accrual. The remaining days can be accumulated for up to three years.

The following holidays are observed in Botswana:

• New Year’s Day
• Good Friday
• Easter Monday
• Labor Day
• Ascension Day
• Sir Seretse Khama Day
• Presidents’ Day
• Independence Day
• Christmas Day
• Boxing DayIf a public holiday falls on a Sunday, it will be observed the following Monday.

Botswana has a universal healthcare system, but many employers still offer private options.

Employers generally can terminate an employment contract by providing written notice to the employee. The notice period is equivalent to the pay period of the employee. If the employee is paid monthly, then the notice period is one month. If the employee is paid weekly, then the notice period is one week. No notice is required if the employee is dismissed for misconduct or poor performance. Special rules apply to redundancy dismissals. Professional staff, like managers and executives, receive severance pay after 60 consecutive months of employment. This is calculated as a day of pay for each month served up to 60 months, and then two days for every further month.