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The Department of Labour has produced a new resource called the Big Six. This resource assists small and medium businesses manage employment relations and health and safety.

The Big 6 covers areas which employers commonly seek information, and as well as checklists detailing the main things employers need to know, there are also links to information and areas of further support. The Big 6 is divided into the following key areas:

Health and safety
Businesses with good health and safety management practices encourage staff retention and increased productivity and efficiency. Safe and healthy work environments assist to avoid costly and tragic work accidents. The Health and Safety Guide will take you through the key steps associated with good health and safety management.

Recruiting
Businesses recruiting and hiring new employees, whether full-time, part-time, permanent, casual, or fixed-term employees will find this guide a useful resource. It will help with finding the right person for the job, and providing a base for building a good employment relationship. The Recruiting Guide will take you through the four main stages involved in hiring new employees.

Pay
Businesses employing staff will find this resource useful in understanding minimum pay entitlements, ensuring the correct calculation of wages, keeping accurate records, and minimizing employment relationship problems. The Pay Guide will take you through the three main steps in paying wages.

Holidays and leave
Businesses which manage holidays and leave and ensure employees have time to rest and attend to personal and family matters, often find an increase in employee loyalty, reduced staff turn over, and increased productivity. The Holidays and Leave Guide will take you through the five main steps in managing holidays and leave for employees, whether they are full-time, part-time, casual or fixed term employees.

Performance management
Businesses which manage performance using a fair and clearly defined process may avoid problems later. Ensuring employees understand what is expected of them will enhance their contribution to your business, helping you to achieve your business targets. It is also more likely to result in higher productivity and motivation through increased job satisfaction. The Performance Management Guide will take you through the four main steps involved in performance management.

Ending employment relationships
Businesses have a core requirement to act in good faith and to follow fair and reasonable processes. Employment relationships that are ended fairly by following a correct process helps to avoid costly mistakes. The Ending Employment Relationship Guide will take employers through ways of ending an employment relationship by way of: resignation, retirement, restructuring and redundancy, and dismissal.

The Big 6 helps employers, particularly those with small and medium businesses, to understand the law relating to employment relations and health and safety. For further information on these guides visit the Department of Labour's web site.