Settlements through Acas

Acas also offers a conciliation service in employment tribunal claims. When a claim is made to a tribunal, it is copied to Acas; a conciliator then contacts the parties and tries to help them resolve the dispute without the need to go to a hearing.

Acas has the power to continue trying to settle all kinds of case right up to the date of the hearing. There are no fixed conciliation periods. Acas operates in England, Scotland and Wales. In Northern Ireland, conciliation is through the Labour Relations Agency.

From April 2014, pre-claim conciliation by Acas is expected to be mandatory. Before a claim is issued in the tribunal, the claimant will have to agree to allow Acas up to a month to explore the possibility of a negotiated settlement. These proposals appear in the draft Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill.