The primary role of the Office of the Employment Advocate was to accept the lodgement of Australian workplace agreements.
The Authority's director, Barbara Bennett, was responsible for assessing whether agreements lodged on or after 7 May 2007 passed the Fairness Test.
However she also agreed to be the front of the Howard Government's WorkChoices advertising campaign in 2007 and received heavy criticism for her role.
[1] The Authority also received strong criticism concerning the enormous backlog of unassessed Workplace Agreements lodged after Bennett's appointment.
Additionally, the Authority provided free support and advice to employers, particularly those in the small business sector, and employees, in the areas of agreement-making and lodgement of agreements, as well as advising on prohibited content and whether agreements met the minimum requirements as set in the Australian Fair Pay and Conditions Standard.