Overtime Calculator (Botswana)

Botswana overtime rule and the law

In Botswana, overtime pay is set by statute, not just collective bargaining. The governing law is the Employment Act (Cap. 47:01). Under section 95(1)(b), the ordinary working period is 8 hours in any one day and 48 hours in any one week. (Where the working week is five days, the daily hours may be increased to nine under the proviso to section 95(1).)

Under section 95(5), any hours worked in one day beyond the ordinary daily working period are deemed overtime, and the employee must be paid "one and a half times the wages he would have been paid had the time worked not been overtime" — that is, 150% of the normal rate. Work performed during a weekly rest period is paid at least double the wage under section 94, and work on a paid public holiday is paid at least double under section 99(3).

Botswana overtime and premium rates

Worked example (Botswana Pula)

Suppose an employee earns P20.00 per hour and works a 10-hour day (8 ordinary hours + 2 overtime hours).

Ordinary pay: 8 × P20.00 = P160.00.
Overtime pay: 2 × P20.00 × 1.5 = 2 × P30.00 = P60.00.
Total for the day: P220.00.

If those same 2 hours fell on the employee's weekly rest day or a public holiday instead, they would be paid at 2x (P40.00/hr), so the rest-day/holiday pay for the work would be 2 × P40.00 = P80.00 rather than P60.00 (or the employee may take a day off in lieu).

Rest days, public holidays and night work

Every employee is entitled to a weekly rest period of at least 24 consecutive hours (30 hours for shift workers), ordinarily including a Sunday (section 93). Working that rest period triggers the double-pay rule in section 94, or a substitute day off. Botswana's paid public holidays are listed in the Second Schedule to the Act; working one is paid at double the ordinary wage, or compensated with a paid day off within 10 days (section 99(3)). The Employment Act does not set a separate night-work pay premium for adult employees — section 107 only prohibits night work by children. Any night-shift allowance therefore comes from the contract of employment or a collective agreement, not from statute.

Caps, exemptions and how to complain

Overtime is capped: an employee may not work more than 14 hours of overtime in any one week (section 95(7)), and, except in emergencies, no more than 12 hours in any one day (section 95(10)). The Minister or the Commissioner of Labour may authorise exceptions in specified industries or circumstances. Section 95(6) notes that where a contract pays wages without reference to hours and provides for occasional overtime in exceptional circumstances, no separate overtime pay is owed unless the contract says otherwise. Shift workers are treated specially under section 97 (averaging 48 hours over four weeks).

Enforcement falls to the Commissioner of Labour within the Department of Labour and Social Security (Ministry of Employment, Labour Productivity and Skills Development). An employee with an unpaid-overtime claim can lodge a complaint at the nearest District Labour Office, which handles mediation; unresolved disputes can be referred onward, and a referral certificate allows the matter to proceed to the Industrial Court.

What is the overtime rate in Botswana?

1.5 times (150%) of the normal wage for hours worked beyond 8 in a day, under section 95(5) of the Employment Act (Cap. 47:01).

When does overtime start?

After 8 hours in a day (or 9 hours if you work a five-day week). The weekly ordinary limit is 48 hours (section 95(1)).

How much for working a rest day or public holiday?

At least double (200%) the normal wage, or a day off in lieu, under sections 94 and 99(3).

Is there a limit on overtime hours?

Yes — no more than 14 hours of overtime per week (section 95(7)) and, outside emergencies, no more than 12 hours of work in any one day (section 95(10)).

Is night work paid extra in Botswana?

There is no statutory night-work premium for adults. Any night allowance depends on your contract or a collective agreement.