ACAS Early Conciliation Explained
A simple guide to ACAS Early Conciliation, what happens during the process, and what your options are if a settlement cannot be reached.
Most Employment Tribunal claims begin with ACAS Early Conciliation. The process is designed to help employers and employees resolve disputes without a tribunal hearing. CaseIntel helps you understand how comparable disputes have historically been resolved — so you can weigh up settlement versus a tribunal claim with real evidence on your side.
What is ACAS Early Conciliation?
ACAS — the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service — is an independent public body that helps resolve workplace disputes. Early Conciliation is a free service ACAS provides to give employers and employees a chance to settle a dispute before it ever reaches the Employment Tribunal.
A trained ACAS conciliator acts as an impartial go-between. They don't decide who is right or wrong, and they don't take sides. Their role is to explore whether there is room for an agreement that both parties can live with — often a financial settlement, sometimes other terms such as an agreed reference or a clean exit from employment.
Do I have to use Early Conciliation?
In most cases, yes — at least as a procedural step. For the vast majority of potential Employment Tribunal claims, a claimant must notify ACAS and obtain an Early Conciliation Certificate before they can issue a tribunal claim. Without that certificate, the tribunal will normally reject the claim form.
However, "using" Early Conciliation doesn't mean you have to negotiate or accept any offer. You can notify ACAS, decline to engage in detailed discussions, and ask for the certificate so you can proceed to tribunal. The requirement is to go through the process — not to settle.
Usually required
A certificate from ACAS is normally needed before issuing a claim for unfair dismissal, discrimination, unpaid wages and most other employment claims.
Limited exceptions
Some claim types and situations are exempt — for example certain multiple claims, interim relief applications and where another party has already started conciliation.
How does the process work?
Every dispute is different, but Early Conciliation usually follows the same broad sequence — from the initial workplace problem through to either a settlement or a certificate that unlocks the tribunal route.
- Step 01
Workplace dispute
Something goes wrong at work — a dismissal, redundancy, discrimination complaint or unpaid wages — and internal processes haven't resolved it.
- Step 02
Contact ACAS
The employee (or sometimes the employer) notifies ACAS using their Early Conciliation notification form. This starts the formal process and pauses the tribunal time limit.
- Step 03
Conciliator appointed
ACAS assigns a trained conciliator who contacts both sides, explains the process and explores whether a discussion about settlement is possible.
- Step 04
Discussions between both parties
The conciliator shuttles between the parties, exploring positions, financial expectations and possible terms. Conversations are confidential and 'without prejudice'.
- Step 05
Settlement reached OR certificate issued
If terms are agreed, ACAS records them in a binding COT3 settlement. If not, ACAS issues an Early Conciliation Certificate to the claimant.
- Step 06
Tribunal claim (if required)
With the certificate, the claimant can submit an ET1 form to the Employment Tribunal within the relevant deadline and the formal litigation stage begins.
Possible outcomes
Early Conciliation can end in a number of ways. In practice, most cases resolve into one of three patterns.
Settlement reached
Both sides agree terms — typically a payment and an agreed exit, recorded in a binding COT3 agreement drawn up through ACAS. The dispute ends there.
No settlement — certificate issued
The parties can't agree, or there's no realistic prospect of agreement. ACAS issues an Early Conciliation Certificate, which the claimant can use to issue a tribunal claim.
One party declines
Either side can choose not to take part in detailed discussions. Where that happens, ACAS will normally close the file and issue a certificate fairly quickly.
What happens next?
If conciliation doesn't resolve matters, there are still several paths open to you. Receiving a certificate from ACAS isn't an "end" — it's the start of the next phase.
Issue a tribunal claim
With your certificate in hand, you can complete an ET1 claim form within the relevant deadline. Our Employment Tribunal Timeline guide walks through the steps from there.
Continue negotiating
Settlement discussions don't have to stop. Many cases settle later — after a claim is issued, before the hearing, or even at the door of the tribunal.
Get legal advice
A short call with an employment solicitor can sharpen your sense of the case's strengths, weaknesses and likely value before you commit to a route.
Prepare your evidence
Gather emails, contracts, payslips, meeting notes and witness details early. Even if you settle, having the evidence organised strengthens your position.
Early Conciliation Statistics & Trends
This section will shortly contain original CaseIntel analysis drawn from our database of more than 54,000 published Employment Tribunal decisions — looking at how disputes move through ACAS Early Conciliation and what happens next.
Settlement rates
How often disputes that enter ACAS Early Conciliation settle before a tribunal claim is issued, broken down by claim type and sector.
Time spent in conciliation
Typical duration of Early Conciliation — from initial ACAS notification through to settlement or certificate.
Claims proceeding to tribunal
What share of cases that complete Early Conciliation go on to issue tribunal proceedings, and how those cases ultimately resolve.
Outcomes by claim type
How settlement and tribunal outcomes vary across unfair dismissal, discrimination, redundancy and other common claim types.
Historical trends
How conciliation outcomes and the wider employment dispute landscape have shifted year on year across our 54,000+ decision dataset.
Award benchmarks
How tribunal awards compare to settlements reached during Early Conciliation in comparable cases.
ACAS explains the process. CaseIntel helps you decide what to do.
During Early Conciliation, most people end up asking the same three questions: Is my settlement offer reasonable? How strong is my claim? What usually happens in cases like mine? CaseIntel compares your situation against thousands of published tribunal decisions so you can answer those questions with real evidence.
Settlement Offer Checker
Benchmark an ACAS offer against awards in comparable cases before deciding whether to accept, counter or proceed.
Claim Success Checker
See how often comparable employment claims succeed at tribunal, based on real published decisions.
Tribunal Outcome Predictor
Model the likely outcome and award range if your dispute went all the way to tribunal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ACAS Early Conciliation mandatory?+
For most potential Employment Tribunal claims, yes — at least as a procedural step. You normally need an Early Conciliation Certificate from ACAS before a tribunal will accept your claim form.
You don't have to negotiate or settle. You can notify ACAS, decline detailed discussions and ask for the certificate so you can proceed.
How long does Early Conciliation take?+
The standard Early Conciliation period is up to six weeks from the date ACAS receives the notification, though many cases conclude sooner.
If one party doesn't want to take part, the conciliator can close the file and issue the certificate quite quickly. If both sides are engaged, the conciliator will usually use the available time to explore settlement properly.
Can I refuse a settlement offer?+
Yes. Early Conciliation is voluntary in substance — you can decline any offer, ask for more, or walk away. The process is about giving you the option to settle, not forcing one on you.
Before deciding, it's sensible to compare the offer against awards in similar cases. Our Settlement Offer Checker is designed to help you do exactly that.
What happens if no agreement is reached?+
ACAS issues an Early Conciliation Certificate with a unique reference number. You'll need that number to submit a tribunal claim using the ET1 form.
From there, the case enters the tribunal process — acknowledgement, response from the employer, case management and, eventually, a hearing if it doesn't settle along the way.
Will my employer know I've contacted ACAS?+
Yes. As soon as conciliation begins, ACAS will contact the employer to let them know a notification has been made and to ask whether they want to take part.
Conversations with the conciliator are confidential, however, and detail shared with the conciliator isn't automatically passed to the other side without your agreement.
Do I need a solicitor for Early Conciliation?+
You don't have to use one — many people go through the process unrepresented, and ACAS conciliators are used to dealing with individuals directly.
A short call with an employment solicitor before you respond to offers can be valuable, particularly for working out what a fair number looks like and what terms to insist on.
Is what I say to ACAS confidential?+
Discussions with the ACAS conciliator are 'without prejudice', which broadly means they can't be referred to in later tribunal proceedings if the case doesn't settle.
That gives both sides room to be frank about how they value the case without worrying that figures or admissions will be used against them later.
Does Early Conciliation affect my tribunal time limit?+
Yes — and this is one of the most important practical points. Notifying ACAS pauses the clock on the limitation period for most claims, and a minimum period is also added back on after the certificate is issued.
The rules can be intricate, so if you're close to a deadline, notify ACAS without delay and consider taking legal advice. Our Employment Tribunal Timeline guide explains how the stages fit together.
Still deciding whether to settle or continue?
CaseIntel helps you compare your circumstances against thousands of real Employment Tribunal decisions, so you can make important decisions about settlement and litigation with evidence on your side.
This guide is for general information only and is not legal advice. Always consult a qualified employment solicitor before making any legal decisions.