Acas business plan 2026 to 2027

Foreword

In 2026 to 2027, the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) will continue to operate at the heart of a changing employment landscape. Legislative reform, economic pressure, evolving working practices and advances in technology are reshaping how employers and workers interact. Acas is also changing to adapt to our environment and to deliver our new strategy by 2030. Our purpose remains the same, but we need to deliver it in a swifter, simpler and more efficient manner.

This business plan sets out how we will continue to deliver while reforming our services. So alongside maintaining strong performance in conciliation and advice services, as demand continues to rise, we will modernise our processes and invest in the necessary infrastructure (digital and human) to improve our services. The Department of Business and Trade (DBT) has increased our funding in real terms this year and in previous years. The Department has rightly made clear that Acas cannot rely on this going forward. Therefore, we must invest in 2026 to 2027 to improve our efficiency to enable us to continue our high-quality service without real-term funding increases going forward.

Our principal measure of success this year is simple: customers continue to receive the expert, impartial support they rely on, while we make tangible progress towards a more modern, digital‑enabled service.

Acas is governed by an independent Council chaired by Baroness Maggie Jones, who monitors our delivery of this one-year plan and our 5-year strategy, which they have set.

Niall Mackenzie, CBE
Chief Executive Officer

Organisational overview

Acas was established under the Employment Protection Act 1975 and continues to be in existence under the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 Section 209.1 (TULRCA).

We have a general duty, set out in the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (sections 209, and 247 to 265) to promote the improvement of industrial relations. We fulfil this role through the powers and duties set out in that act.

Acas is a non-departmental public body of the Department for Business and Trade providing expert and impartial services for businesses and employees, to prevent and resolve disputes. In 2024 to 2025, Acas passed the milestone of responding to the needs of our customers for 50 years. Our public funding is provided by the Department of Business and Trade, and we generate additional income from fee-earned services.

We are governed by an independent Council made up of employer, worker and independent members appointed by the Secretary of State for Business and Trade. The Council is central to establishing new standards for workplace practices, founded on social partnership. They shape our strategic direction, policies and priorities, and oversee how we work effectively to meet our objectives and targets.

Our purpose

At the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) we exist to make working life better for everyone in Britain.

Healthy working relationships are critical to the success of workplaces and the economy, and to allow people to flourish and find meaning and purpose at work.

Where there are problems at work, relationships suffer and there is a cost. In part, this is financial, paid for by businesses, workers, and the wider economy. But there are emotional and health-related costs too, for everyone involved.

At Acas, we help people collaborate and resolve workplace relations problems. We do so by thinking first about the people involved, helping them to have the open, honest conversations that are so often the solution. Whenever we can, we prevent disputes before they happen, through training and advice. Where they cannot be avoided, we resolve them, fulfilling our legal responsibility.

Employers often come to us in their most difficult moments and workers at their lowest ebb. Both are looking for someone they can trust. To be worthy of that trust, we are:

Expert

We have been providing advice and conciliation to Britain's workplaces for over a century. While work has changed beyond recognition, our insight and experience ensure we give the most up-to-date advice. We tackle new issues with authority.

Impartial

We work with all sides to resolve conflict, treating each side equally. We can always be relied upon to give clear and confidential advice, and to be frank and honest.

Independent

We are publicly funded and have been independent since 1974. We act only to promote a better future at work.

Fair

A good workplace is a fair one. At Acas, we respect and value difference, and aim to follow the highest standards. What we ask of others, we ask of ourselves too.

At Acas, we lead the way in promoting good work and reducing disputes. Our success relies on our people working in collaboration with workers and employers, academics and policymakers, trade union and business leaders.

Together, we make working life better for everyone in Britain.

Our strategic ambitions

Our strategy is structured around 3 ambitions that articulate Acas's overarching goals for 2026 and beyond, and gives us the structure we need to deliver our business priorities.

Our commitment to creating more inclusive workplaces runs throughout our strategy: making our services and the employment relations system more accessible to all.

Acas strategy 2025 to 2030

The Acas 2025 to 2030 strategy applies to our statutory duties to today's world of work and the challenges facing employers, individuals, and our economy. 

Our 3 ambitions

The strategy is structured around 3 new ambitions that articulate Acas's overarching goals for 2025 to 2030:

Prevent workplace conflict – healthier employment relations

Acas has a critical role to help employers, workers and their representatives prevent conflict arising in the first place. We will focus more than ever on preventing conflict at work, helping employers and workers build healthy relationships from the start. 

Manage – better conflict management at work

Where conflict cannot be prevented, Acas will be there to help employers and workers manage it by disagreeing well. 

Resolve – earlier dispute resolution

If individual or collective conflict continues, Acas will help parties resolve disputes quickly and fairly, reducing stress, duration and cost. 

For you, that means practical support every step of the way, including: 

• up-to-date guidance
• help to prevent, manage and resolve conflict
• reduced stress
• a healthier, more productive time at work

Find out more about the Acas strategy 2025 to 2030

Our business priorities for 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027

These priorities set out what we will deliver in 2026 to 2027 and how this annual business plan supports the longer-term direction of the Acas 2025 to 2030 strategy. It includes the key performance indicators (KPIs) we will report on, and highlights where we will focus our resource to:

• enhance operational processes
• pilot digital innovation
• strengthen management information to drive productivity

Across Acas in 2026 to 2027, we will:

• sustain delivery of our core statutory services while demand continues to rise
• modernise how we operate by improving processes, data and digital channels
• use 2026 to 2027 as a transition year to invest in change that supports longer‑term operational sustainability
• continue delivery of our sustainability strategy by reducing environmental impact

Prevent workplace conflict – healthier employment relations

We will help employers and employees address issues early to prevent conflict by:

• delivering new and updated Acas Codes, communications and guidance to help customers understand and implement Employment Rights Act reforms
• building partnerships in Scotland, Wales, English regions and priority sectors to promote better workplace relations
• delivering research and insight into good practice that reduces conflict and dispute

Manage – better conflict management in workplaces

Where conflict cannot be avoided, we will help employers and employees manage it well by:

• modernising how we manage demand and deliver services by improving operational processes, piloting digital innovations and strengthening management information
• strengthening data governance, analytics and insight so we can manage performance and prioritise resources effectively
• continuing to build our resilience and capability to deliver change, including improved ways of working, skills and leadership

Resolve – earlier dispute resolution

When conflicts remain unresolved, we will focus on securing earlier resolution and better outcomes for employers, individuals and the wider economy by:

• sustaining high performance in conciliation and dispute resolution, including maintaining strong settlement outcomes in collective and individual dispute resolution
• improving the early conciliation journey and supporting guidance, including reviewing and refining the notification process and related service information (as part of multi‑year improvement)
• progressing work on digital approaches to dispute resolution, including online dispute resolution development activity (multi‑year improvement)

Key performance indicators for 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027

These tables show the performance targets to be reported to the Department for Business and Trade and in our annual report for the financial year April 2026 to March 2027.

As we reform our services in 2026 to 2027 to meet rising demand and changing customer expectations, we are changing metrics for our helpline and training services. We will not therefore report against the key performance indicators (KPIs) we have used in previous years as we no longer believe they give the best indication of the impact of our service effectiveness.

The introduction of a new telephony system and associated software will give us the capability for more dynamic measurement of our impact. The new system also means the methodology of the survey data we use will differ from historic data and be more accurate. We will trial new metrics throughout 2026 to 2027, testing them against our performance in the historic key performance indicators. Similarly, we will trial new survey methodology to enable comparable gains in insight on the impact of our training offer. Work will continue throughout 2026 to 2027 to devise sharper key performance indicators on training and helpline for 2027 to 2028 and beyond. We will continue to collect data in line with the historic key performance indicators (albeit with some methodology changes), so that we can pilot new metrics with the historic key peformance indicators Acas has used.

Service volumes for 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027

Corporate governance

Acas is governed by an independent Council, which sets our strategic direction and holds us to account for delivering our objectives. During 2025 to 2026, we approved the streamlining of our internal governance, bringing together decision-making into fewer boards with clearer responsibilities.

This helps us make decisions more quickly, reduce duplication and ensure we focus time and resources on delivery.

Clear delegated authorities, simple routes for escalation, and stronger reporting and assurance mean performance, risks and progress are reviewed consistently, transparently and more efficiently.

Financial allocation for 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027

This table shows the amount of money allocated to Acas by the Department for Business and Trade for the financial year April 2026 to March 2027. The allocation includes funding related to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) 16.