We have been working closely with the new government and the
Department for Business and Trade on the Make Work Pay agenda. We have been able to share evidence and insight on the concerns and challenges faced by employers as well as employees in the current system, and proposed changes to help them get it right.
In 2024, Acas helped thousands of employers and employees resolve their disputes faster and earlier, which can rebuild workplace relations and bring about growth. We:
helped to resolve 90% of around 600 collective disputes, avoiding the worst impacts of bahamas phone number library action and strikes
helped hundreds of thousands of people in individual industrial disputes – we have continued to improve the service, making it easier for people to resolve their disputes
marked 10 years of early conciliation, dealing with more than 1 million notifications from more than 1.5 million claimants – fewer than a third of these notifications went on to make a claim to an employment tribunal, and of those that did, we resolved a further 76% without the need for a judicial hearing, bringing technology and software industries savings to the public purse
answered nearly 540,000 calls to our Acas helpli
Ne from businesses and employees needing help
received 18 million visits to the Acas website
ran more than 2,000 training sessions on topics businesses need extra help with
launched new digital ways to help our customers access dispute services when and how they want it, including a new Skilled Managers: Conflict Management Skills training course, collaborating with the University of Westminster
How employers and employees can avoid the costs of workforce disputes
Parties to disputes we get involved in tell us it’s important to have a calm, trusted third party who can step be numbers and listen to both sides to help create a solution everybody is happy with. It’s not showy, and it does not hit the headlines because all our work is confidential. But it is effective and makes a positive difference.
My advice in any conflict is to try to be understanding, empathetic and respectful, and to listen more than you speak. And when conversations become difficult, know where you can go to for help to de-escalate.