You can't have one without the other, but which group should come first?
Local Focus put the question to four Tauranga election candidates and they almost all said the same thing - balance, equal, together, both need each other... so is there a difference in their polcies?
Labour candidate Jan Tinetti said that while employers and emplyees are vital it's important to have a government that listens to both.
"We don't want to have employers having more benefit than the employees, and vice versa," said NZ First's Erika Harvey.
"We need to make sure we've got an economy in a country that rewards all of that and I think National has the policies and plans to do that," said National's Simon Bridges.
ACT's Cameron Luxton seemed disappointed in the question, saying it's "a sad thing to hear people talk about workers versus employers".
Also standing in the Tauranga electorate:
• Paul Hignett for New Conservatives
• Tracy Livingstone for the Outdoors Party
• Daniel Crosa for Advance NZ
• James Capamagian – Independent
• Yvette Lamare - Independent
• Josh Cole for the Greens
• Andrew Caie for the Opportunities Party
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