Kiwi small businesses thinking of hiring new staff now have access to a new tool to calculate the cost of a new employee, giving them more clarity when making these important decisions.

A new Employee Cost Calculator launched today by Small Business Minister Craig Foss. Developed by Business.govt.nz at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), business owners can now quickly estimate the fixed and discretionary costs of a new employee.

Often when businesses are in growth mode, they're bringing on staff to drive demand and handle that growth. This can be dangerous when you don't have a good view of what your staff costs will look like a year on. And unfortunately I've worked with a few businesses who have got themselves into trouble by not anticipating exactly how expensive their staff costs might be. This tool will be immensely helpful to understand exactly how much it will cost and to grow with confidence.

Owners can select from various categories in th…

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