Acas

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) is a non-departmental public body of the Government of the United Kingdom. Its purpose is to improve organisations and working life through the promotion and facilitation of strong industrial relations practice. Acas provides employment law and employment relations advice for employers and employees through its website and helpline. It also offers dispute resolution services such as arbitration or mediation, although the service is perhaps best known for its collective conciliation function – that is resolving disputes between groups of employees or workers, often represented by a trade union, and their employers.

For other meanings, see ACAS (disambiguation) and TCAS.

Acas
The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service
Formation1896 (1896)
Typenon-departmental public body
HeadquartersWindsor House, 50 Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0TL
Coordinates51.497778°N 0.135°W / 51.497778; -0.135
FundingDepartment for Business and Trade
Websiteacas.org.uk
Formerly called
  • 1960: Industrial Relations Services
  • 1972: Conciliation and Advisory Service

Acas is an independent and impartial organisation that does not side with a particular party, but rather will help the parties to reach suitable resolutions in a dispute.

Today, the employment world has mostly moved away from large-scale industrial disputes that characterised the late 1970s to the mid-1980s, when Acas became a household name. Accordingly, Acas' emphasis has shifted towards helping businesses to prevent problems before they arise, by means of, for example, its telephone helpline and training sessions. Furthermore, much of Acas' conciliation work is now focused on individual complaints to an employment tribunal (i.e. where individuals claim their employer has denied them a legal right).

History
Conciliation Act 1896
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long titleAn Act to make better Provision for the Prevention and Settlement of Trade Disputes.
Citation59 & 60 Vict. c. 30
Dates
Royal assent7 August 1896

The service's roots lie in 1896, when the Conciliation Act 1896 was passed, and the government launched a voluntary conciliation and arbitration service, which also gave free advice to employers and unions on industrial relations and personnel problems.

There was a name change in 1960, to Industrial Relations Services, and again in 1972 to Conciliation and Advisory Service. Up to this point in its history the service remained firmly under the government's wing.

In 1974, the service was renamed the Conciliation and Arbitration Service and separated from government control, with an independent council to direct it.

'Advisory' was added to its name in 1975 to reflect its full range of services, then finally in 1976 Acas was made a statutory body by the Employment Protection Act 1975.

In 2010, there was speculation that the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government's plans to reduce the number of quangos might threaten Acas, but the organisation survived the cuts.[1]

The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 contained a number of employment law changes, including the introduction from April 2014 of a new 'early conciliation' service under which all claims relating to alleged infringements of individual employment rights will come to Acas in the first instance, rather than the Tribunals Service. Acas will then have a short window of opportunity (up to a month) to try to help to resolve the issue before the claimant can apply to a tribunal.

Structure

Although Acas is largely funded by the Department for Business and Trade, it is a non-departmental public body, governed by an independent council that is responsible for determining Acas's strategic direction, policies and priorities, and ensuring that its statutory duties are carried out effectively. This allows Acas to be independent, impartial and confidential.

The council consists of a chair and eleven members, some representing employers and trade unions and others independent, all appointed by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Acas's current chair is Clare Chapman who replaced Sir Brendan Barber in 2020.

Acas's day-to-day operations are managed by its chief executive and a management board that includes its national and regional directors. Acas's current chief executive, Susan Clews, was appointed in November 2018, replacing Anne Sharp, who had been in the post since 2013.[2] Acas has around 800 staff, based in its London head office and 11 main regional centres across England, Scotland and Wales. Acas's chief conciliator is Marina Glasgow.[3]

List of chairs
1974: Jim Mortimer
?: Professor Sir John C. Wood[4]
1981: Pat Lowry
1987: Douglas Smith
1993: John Hougham CBE
2000: Rita Donaghy
2007: Ed Sweeney[5]
2014: Brendan Barber[6]
2020: Clare Chapman[7]

References
  1. Porter, Andrew (24 September 2010). "Quango cuts: 177 bodies to be scrapped under coalition plans". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 25 September 2010. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
  2. "Big shot: Anne Sharp". The Times. 14 November 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  3. Quinn, Carolyn (8 November 2010). "Behind the scenes with Acas". BBC News. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
  4. "obit". Archived from the original on 17 January 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  5. "New ACAS chair appointed | Department for Business, Innovation and Skills".
  6. "Building back: Making working lives better | Acas".
  7. "Clare Chapman announced as new Acas Chair | Acas".
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