Sharp increase in use of Acas conciliation service

Sharp increase in use of Acas conciliation service

New figures released this month by Acas have revealed a sharp increase in the use of the pre-claim conciliation service by businesses and employees trying to avoid employment tribunal claims, with around 300 referrals being received every week on average.

Monthly calls to the Acas helpline which have resulted in cases being referred to the early conciliation service – pre-claim conciliation (PCC) have almost doubled since September 2009. The free service aims to settle workplace issues which could escalate to an expensive tribunal. The PCC service was launched in April 2009 alongside the new Acas Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures.

By the end of February 2010, 8,304 PCC referrals had been made from the Acas helpline since the service was launched to accompany changes to the Employment Act in April last year. Acas estimates that over 5,000 tribunal claims have been avoided already.

Rising demand for the service has resulted in a steady increase in referrals culminating in over 2,700 in the last quarter of 2009. The first quarter of 2010 is on track to exceed this figure by at least 20%. At the moment around 300 referrals are being received every week on average, and Acas expects this number to rise to about 400 during 2010.

 

Read more

Latest News

Read More

The ESOP “not to do” list – 10 mistakes to avoid

2 July 2025

Newsletter

Receive the latest HR news and strategic content

Please note, as per the GDPR Legislation, we need to ensure you are ‘Opted In’ to receive updates from ‘theHRDIRECTOR’. We will NEVER sell, rent, share or give away your data to third parties. We only use it to send information about our products and updates within the HR space To see our Privacy Policy – click here

Latest HR Jobs

University of Bath – Human ResourcesSalary: £24,344 to £25,733 pro rata per annum, Grade 4 This provides summary information and comment on the subject areas

University of Strathclyde – Professional Services – Human Resources DirectorateSalary: £59,139 to £66,537 This provides summary information and comment on the subject areas covered. Where

University of Strathclyde – Professional Services (Continuous Improvement, Estates, Finance, HR) – Human Resources DirectorateSalary: £37,174 to £45,413 This provides summary information and comment on

You will lead HR Business Partnering, OD, and Learning & Development, and also oversee HR related managed services. You may already be an HR Director

Read the latest digital issue of theHRDIRECTOR for FREE

Read the latest digital issue of theHRDIRECTOR for FREE