As with the employee, the employer must take all reasonable steps to make it possible for the employee to carry out their part of the agreement and must not deprive the employee of the opportunity to perform the work.

The law increasingly has been suggesting that an employer does not have the right to simply have someone sitting around so long as the employer pays them. In other words, there may also be an obligation to give an employee something meaningful to do. This is still a developing area of law and if an employer has no work to provide it may lead to the employee's retrenchment.

Under the national system employers have a duty to keep employee records and to provide payslips to employees within one working day of paying the employees wages [Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) ss 535-536 ].

Employers also have a duty to pay superannuation to almost all employees, the Australian Tax Office has a guide to assist employers know whether they must pay superannuation. Superannuation is additional to pay and is a minimum payment of 11.5% of gross income (as at 1 July 2024) [Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992 s 19(2)].

Employers also have responsibilities to ensure safe work places - see the Handbook sections on Workplace Bullying and Safety Legislation.