One of the most important new issues to understand is the employer’s obligation to keep records and provide pay slips

Not only are these a legal obligation but they will help employers keep track of their employment arrangements with their staff if a dispute over pay or entitlements should arise.

Employers must create an individual written record for every person they employ in their business containing this specific information:

• the business name
• the employee's name
• whether the employee's employment is full-time or part-time
• whether the employee's employment is permanent, temporary or casual
• the date on which the employee's employment began
• on and after 1 January 2010 you must include your Australian Business Number, also known as an ABN
• supply each worker with a written pay slip

Pay slips are important documents because they not only confirm to an employee how much they have been paid, but they also provide a written record for employers to show their workers what they are being paid.

Employers must provide each of their employees with a pay slip that contains the following information:

• the full legal name and the Australian Business Number (ABN) of their business
• the employee's name
• the employee's classification under any applicable award (recommended only)
• the date on which the payment was made
• the period of employment the payment covers
• any amount paid as overtime or enough information to allow the employee to calculate the amount of overtime they have been paid
• the gross amount of remuneration (including overtime and other payments) - this is the total amount of pay before any tax has been taken out
• the amount deducted for taxation purposes
• any amount deducted as employee contributions for superannuation purposes
• particulars of any other legal deductions that the employee is authorised to make
• the net amount paid to the employee (this is the final amount paid to them after all the deductions had been made)

NSW Industrial Relations has a link to a  sample pay slip that you can use.