Employment compliance is an important aspect of any expansion. When growing your team in Botswana, you’ll have to recruit and hire employees, onboard them, and make sure you remain compliant throughout every step of the process. That’s on top of establishing a subsidiary, which can take months depending on your location and structure. G-P can help you hire talented employees in Botswana, and manage compliance, so you can focus on running your company.
Recruiting in Botswana
Hiring in Botswana entails following the country’s regulations. As soon as you make an employment offer and the employee accepts, you’ll have a professional relationship subject to the protections in the Employment Act. For example, the Employment Act dictates that the Minister can make regulations related to employing people with an illness or physical disability, which could include the conditions under which you employ individuals.
Legal and background checks
Freedom of association refers to union membership and activities. Infringing on this right can result in paying damages to the prospective employee. For example, if you find out that a candidate has a union membership yet is undeniably the best choice for the job, failing to hire them based on this factor would be considered unfair treatment.
Some employers like to give candidates a medical test before extending an employment offer. However, companies are not allowed to request it unless it’s prescribed by law or essential for the job. If you want to give other tests, such as a polygraph or alcohol test, you must:
- Apply them consistently.
- Ensure that they are reliable and accurate.
- Remove culturally biased content.
After meeting all these criteria during the recruiting process, you can enjoy the freedom and discretion of hiring the workers you want.
Laws against discrimination in Botswana
Other laws protect against:
- Discrimination
- Infringing on freedoms of association
- Improper testing
Employers cannot directly or indirectly discriminate against an employee or candidate based on race, gender, sex, marital status, ethnic origin, color, sexual orientation, age, disability, HIV status, or politics. While screening candidates, companies cannot ask questions or use any criteria that could lead to discrimination.
How to hire employees in Botswana
When you’re ready to hire employees in Botswana, you should draft a strong employment contract that outlines everything from benefits to termination requirements. Although this contract isn’t required, it can help define the employment relationship for both you and the employee. Always make sure any compensation and salary amounts are in pula instead of another currency.
Botswana employment laws
Botswana employment compliance laws limit an employee’s workweek to 48 hours, with no more than 9 hours a day for a 5-day week or 8 hours for a 6-day week. Law requires that employees receive 24-hour rest period every 7 consecutive days, generally taken on Sundays. Employees can work only 14 hours of overtime a week and should get paid 1.5 times their normal hourly rate for any overtime work. If they work on a public holiday, they should get paid at twice their normal rate.
While Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) are not common in Botswana, you should check to see if employees are covered by one. A CBA could outline separate Botswana employment compliance laws that you must follow for specific industries or positions.
Onboarding in Botswana
Onboarding employees looks different for every country. Botswana employment compliance laws do not outline a specific way to onboard employees, so you’re free to choose the option that makes the most sense for your company. However, you can streamline the process and make employees more comfortable by following these steps:
- Review the employment contract.
- Go over any other important company documents.
- Offer essential job training.
- Onboard multiple employees at once.
- Develop a buddy program.
Grow globally with G-P.
G-P never forgets that behind every hire is a human being. That’s why we’ve backed our fully customizable suite of global employment products with our robust team of HR and legal experts, so we can remain at your side, ready to support you as you build your global teams. With the #1 Global Growth Platform™, you have the recruitment tools and services you need to find your perfect full-time or contract match.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you recruit, hire, and onboard anyone, anywhere.