Acas early conciliation

Notification protects the route, not the claim

A prospective claimant must usually notify Acas before making an Employment Tribunal claim in England, Wales or Scotland. Acas checks basic details and offers conciliation, where an impartial conciliator speaks to each side separately. Participation in settlement discussions is voluntary.

The Acas early-conciliation guidance explains the notification process and exemptions. Acas does not decide who is right, represent either party or force a settlement.

Time keeps its own rules

Notification should be made within the relevant tribunal time limit. When it is made in time, the early-conciliation period pauses the clock and the certificate affects the final calculation. Different claims can have different starting events and limits.

Do not wait for a grievance, appeal or informal negotiation to finish before checking the tribunal deadline. Those processes do not usually stop the clock.

The Acas time-limit guidance gives the general calculation, but case-specific dates can be complex. Employers should record when notification arrives and preserve the material needed to assess the dispute without treating contact from Acas as proof that a claim will be filed.

Give the conciliator an authorised position

Identify the issues, evidence, possible remedy and person authorised to negotiate. Separate wages, notice, redundancy, compensation, reference wording and non-financial actions so each term can be understood and implemented.

If agreement is reached, Acas records it in a binding COT3. If not, Acas issues a certificate that is normally needed for the claim. Northern Ireland uses the LRA early-conciliation process, not the Acas route.