Acas has published its Annual Report and Accounts for 2025–26, revealing a year of rising demand for its services against the backdrop of the Employment Rights Act 2025 (ERA 2025) changes and wider labour market pressures.
According to the report, Acas received over 150,000 early conciliation notifications during 2025–26, which represents a 27% increase compared to the previous year. Conciliation results for the period reached an all-time high, with 9 in 10 early conciliation cases resolved without the need to go to an employment tribunal. Record settlement rates were also reported in collective conciliation services, with 93% of the cases which were brought to Acas being between employers and trade unions and 80% for individual cases.
Despite these figures, the Ministry of Justice has reported a 39% rise in single claims in employment tribunals during 2025–26. Pressure on the tribunal system is expected to increase further as the remainder of the ERA 2025 reforms come into force during 2026–27.
Acas reports seeing a growing proportion of cases involving sensitive and complex issues, including discrimination-related matters and disputes arising from organisational change, highlighting that early intervention remains critical to preventing escalation of workplace disputes.
Clare Chapman, Chair of Acas, said: “The Employment Rights Act and preparatory work for the Government’s Make Work Pay programme represent both a major legislative shift and a significant change for the labour market”. Acas aims to meet these challenges by offering simpler services, better use of data, strengthened digital guidance and a more coherent experience for users.
