Botswana Introduces Significant Employment Law Reforms

By Keneilwe Mere, Moribame Matthews 

Botswana’s Employment and Labour Relations Act, 2025 introduces substantial changes to the country’s employment law framework. It consolidates employment standards, labour relations and dispute resolution, with implications for employment contracts, workplace policies and day-to-day employment practices.  

Worker classification, fixed-term contracts, leave, disciplinary procedures, retrenchments and employee representation are among the areas requiring attention. 

Greater scrutiny of worker classification 

The Act places greater scrutiny on how workers are classified. A person may be presumed to be an employee where the working relationship demonstrates elements of control and dependency, regardless of the title attached to the arrangement.