Last week, the government announced that the ACAS conciliation period is doubling from 6 to 12 weeks.
Whilst on the face of it, increasing the period in which conciliation can take place looks like it should make things easier, it is only likely to cause further issues in reality.
It increases the amount of time in which those whose cases going to conciliation get heard. However, it does nothing to address the core issue that there are simply not enough resources at ACAS, and many cases are not being conciliated at all.
Those of us involved in this area have been trying to raise concerns around delays for some time. When changes proposed under the Employment Rights Bill come into effect, the majority of which remain likely despite the current Parliamentary ping pong, there will more than likely be a significant increase in matters going through these processes.
All of which means delaying access to justice for those taking cases to conciliation even further, potentially creating even more backlogs in the Employment Tribunals system, where cases are already being listed for 3 or even 4 years’ time.
Delays leave worry hanging over the heads of both parties for several years, causing issues around employment relations or career progress, particularly where the litigant remains working in the organisation, and making financial planning for employers even more difficult in a climate where budgets are already being squeezed by tax increases and employment overheads.
10th November, 2025