Business Botswana has raised concern over the readiness of the new Employment and Labour Relations Act, warning of missing regulations, guidelines and limited communication from government ahead of the planned commencement date
BONGANI MALUNGA
Just one day before the proposed commencement of the Employment and Labour Relations Act (ELRA) of 2025, Business Botswana has raised serious concerns about the government’s lack of preparation and communication.
The advisory, dated June 30th, 2026, strongly advises employers that crucial steps are missing. “No official written communication has been received confirming the commencement of the Act on 1st July 2026,” Business Botswana stated.
DEEPER ANXIETY
Beyond the lack of a final green light, the business representative body expressed deeper anxiety regarding the necessary infrastructure. They stressed the importance of supporting regulations which would provide practical guidance to understand and implement the provisions of the Act and allow businesses to review workplace policies, update internal procedures, train staff and prepare their organisations for compliance.
According to the statement, the vital draft regulations required to operationalise the Act are yet to be shared with Business Botswana, and in turn the private sector at large, for review and consultation.
JULY 1 DATE NOT FEASIBLE
The advisory reveals that in recent high-level talks between Business Botswana and the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs, it was agreed that the implementation of the Act on the 1st July 2026 would not be feasible, considering this critical outstanding matter.
“Employers have not been provided with implementation guidelines or transitional arrangements to support compliance,” Business Botswana highlighted.
Despite the 11th-hour challenges, the organisation affirms it remains actively engaged with the Government to seek clarity on the implementation process and is pushing for a “timely finalisation of the regulations to ensure that Employers are afforded a reasonable opportunity to prepare.”