Acas has said it will explore the use of AI and new digital services to drive innovation in dispute resolution, as polling shows nearly half (44%) believe conflict in their organisation has increased.
Launching a new five-year strategy to modernise how disputes at work are handled across Britain, the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service said it will help support economic stability by reducing the cost of conflict – estimated to be £28.5bn – through increased prevention, improved management, and earlier resolution of disputes.
Building on results from its previous strategy, which saw record levels of disputes resolved without the need for an employment tribunal, the conciliation service is facing increased demand for its services as provisions in the Employment Rights Bill begin to roll out this autumn.
Acas strategy 2025-30
‘Be direct’ to avoid escalating conflict, advises Acas
A YouGov poll of 1,081 employees in Great Britain, commissioned by Acas, found that 44% of workers who knew of conflict in their organisation over the past three years said it has increased, compared to just 13% who say it has decreased.
It found that pay, working patterns, capability and performance are among the top causes of workplace conflict.
Niall Mackenzie, Acas chief executive, said: “Britain is a great place to work and grow a business; but we can do even better to ‘disagree agreeably’ in the workplace.
“Our strategy for the next five years will give employers and workers the skills and knowledge they need for the healthy employment relations that prevent conflict.
“By supporting employers and workers to build stronger relationships, we will protect productivity, safeguard jobs, and strengthen the foundations for sustainable economic growth.”
The new Acas strategy for 2025-30 will:
- Prevent more disputes before they arise by targeting industries and groups where conflict is most likely
- Support employers to manage conflict well with clear guidance, tools and training offers
- Equip workers and employers with the skills and confidence to resolve problems earlier, including doubling the number of SMEs Acas is equipping to manage conflict well
- Harness technology and data more effectively to focus Acas’s efforts where they can have the greatest impact
- Drive innovation in dispute resolution, maintaining Acas’s settlement rates (70% for individual disputes and 90% for collective disputes) while exploring the use of AI and new digital services to make support faster and more accessible.
Latest figures show Acas handled 117,000 individual disputes in 2024-25, the highest number since the pandemic.
Rain Newton-Smith, chief executive of the CBI, said: “Acas has an important role to play in supporting the economic growth that is needed to drive up living standards and fund public services. Rising employment costs are already colliding with flatlining productivity, forcing firms to make tough trade-offs about jobs, pay and working conditions, putting a strain on the relationships between employers and workers. At the same time, the unintended consequences of the Employment Rights Bill will mean an increase in workplace disputes that need to be resolved.
“Acas has rightly identified that its impartial support and early intervention will be more critical than ever in helping employers and employees navigate these threats and unlock the potential of the UK workforce.”
Clare Chapman, Acas chair, said: “The world of work is changing, and this is an ambitious strategy for a landmark period in Britain’s labour market history. Over our last strategy period of 2021-25, Acas successfully changed the ways in which we work. This strategy sets out how Acas will contribute even further to improve British workplace relations.
“We will do more to help prevent conflict arising. If conflict can’t be prevented, Acas will be there to help workplaces manage it by disagreeing well. And if conflict continues, Acas will help parties resolve disputes quickly and fairly.”
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