Kate Wilkinson, the Minister of Labour, recently launched the Big 6, a resource to help business owners and operators deal with some of the important employment-related issues they encounter in running a business. Wilkinson says small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have been asking for easy-to-read, accessible material to aid them with employment issues for a long time. “The Department of Labour identified the big areas SMEs said they would like more help with: health and safety, hiring new employees, pay, holidays and leave, performance management and ending employment relationships. “We have now created checklists aimed at helping employers navigate their way through these areas. “These are all critical business issues. Getting them right at the start saves problems later on and allows business owners to concentrate on what they do well – employing people and contributing to the economy. The Big 6 is available at www.dol.govt.nz/big6 and content will be regularly updated.