The employer/employee relationship should be a co-operative effort in which you share values and goals and are equally dedicated to meeting the needs of the organisation and its customers or clients.  Employees should be committed to helping their employer produce high quality products or service.

As an employee, you owe your employer hard work, loyalty and goodwill.  You are expected to be honest, conscientious and committed.  You should come to work punctually every day with a positive attitude, well rested and prepared to put in a full day’s work.

In the most successful organisations, employers and employees support each other.  Your employer is making a considerable investment in you.  The employer pays you and many employers offer training and benefits such as health, disability and life insurance, paid leave and sick days.  Employers have significant overhead expenses, include rent, utilities, taxes, liability insurance, equipment and supplies.  Your work contributes to the profits that pay these expenses.  When you work productively, the money spent on your salary and benefits is a good investment.

In many organisations, you will have a formal job description that outlines your duties and your role in the organisation.  Nearly every job description for an administrative professional ends (or should end) with the words “others duties as assigned.” When your manager asks you to do something, you should never take the attitude “that is not in my job description” unless the request is illegal, unethical or completely unreasonable.

Your employer should provide a safe and healthy work environment so that you are comfortable and able to focus on the job.  Your employer should give you the tools, equipment and supplies you need to get your work done.  Training should be available, usually on the job, to help you master the skills you need to perform well.

A good employer will offer frequent, constructive comments on your job performance to help you learn the job the way the employer wants it done.  In many jobs, you will have a formal performance appraisal (typically once a year), to help you understand what you are doing well and how you can improve to become an outstanding employee through training and development.