Style guide

How to write and style content for Acas.

Write in the Acas tone of voice: factual, easy to understand, and knowledgeable.

Use this style guide to be consistent with:

  • words
  • phrases
  • styling

If something is not in the Acas style guide, follow the Government Digital Service (GDS) style guide.

If you have any questions or suggestions, email digital@acas.org.uk

Last updated 30 April 2025. Updated content pattern for making a claim to an employment tribunal.
Previous updates

Acas

Use 'Acas', not 'ACAS'. Acas stands for Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, but we usually do not need to explain it's an acronym.

Acas is singular. For example, 'Acas is an independent public body that receives funding from the government.'

When referring to something belonging to Acas, use Acas's, not Acas'. This is because the extra 's' is pronounced when spoken. For example, 'St James's Park' or 'the boss's decision'.

acronyms and initialisms

Always write acronyms and initialisms out in full unless:

  • something is less known by its full name, and people are more familiar with the acronym or initialism
  • you're following an organisation's own style – for example use 'HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)' the first time, then 'HMRC' after

On first mention, include the acronym or initialism in brackets. This is in case users are searching for it. For the rest of the page, write it out in full.

If there's limited space, you can use the acronym or initialism. For example, in tables.

Also check the style for capitalisation and title case

Examples where the acronym or initialism is more familiar

You do not need to write these out in full.

Examples include:

  • the CBI – not 'the Confederation of British Industry (CBI)'
  • the CIPD – not 'the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)'
  • the EU – not 'European Union'
  • HR – not 'Human Resources'
  • the TUC – not 'the Trades Union Congress (TUC)'
  • TUPE – not 'Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006'
  • the UK – not 'the United Kingdom'
  • VAT – not 'value added tax'

acts of law, legislation, regulations

Refer to legislation by name when it's useful for users.

Write the name of legislation in full. Use title case. For example, Employment Rights Act 1996.

If you're referring to the same legislation more than once on a page, you do not need to name it each time.

For example: Disability is one of 9 'protected characteristics' covered by discrimination law (Equality Act 2010).

Further references to the Equality Act 2010 on the same page could just say 'by law'.

addresses

Write each part of the address on a new line. Do not use punctuation.

For example:

Acas National
14 Westfield Avenue
Stratford
London
E20 1HZ

ADHD

Use 'ADHD'. Spell it out once in full as 'attention deficit hyperactivity disorder'.

Say someone 'with ADHD' or that someone 'has ADHD'.

Also check the style for neurodiversity

adoption and surrogacy

Use:

  • 'intended parent' when someone is having a child through surrogacy and is applying for a parental order to become the legal parent
  • 'legal parent' when someone has been granted an adoption or parental order to become the child's legal parent

Use lower case for parental order.

advice

Use 'advice', not 'guidance'.

Because:

  • it's plain English
  • it's a shorter word
  • guidance is effectively Acas's advice on how to do something

advice landing pages

When creating advice landing pages on the Acas website, use the advice landing page content pattern.

adviser

Use 'adviser'. Not 'advisor'.

ampersands (&)

Do not use '&' for 'and', unless it's part of a company's name as it appears on the Companies House register.

and/or

Do not use 'and/or'. Use 'and' or 'or', whichever is more appropriate. Or rephrase the sentence so it's clear what you mean.

Also check the style for slashes

apostrophes

Use 'straight' apostrophes, not ‘curly’ (slanted) ones, for consistency.

Do not use an apostrophe for the plural of an acronym as it's grammatically incorrect. For example, 'MPs', not 'MP's'.

archive content

Since the decommission of the old Acas website, we link to any content that has yet to be transitioned on the UK Government Web Archive. We say it is 'on an archive website'. For example: retirement.

argue

Avoid using 'argue' in advice content. Use calmer language instead.

For example, 'You could argue that…' could be softened by saying 'You could explain that…'

asking or making a request

Use 'ask about' or 'ask for' when talking about an informal request someone can make.

Use 'make a request' for formal requests. For example 'make a flexible working request' or 'make a subject access request'.

bereavement

Use plainer terms instead, for example:

  • 'death'
  • 'when someone has died'

They're simpler and easier for people to understand when in a stressful situation. You can use 'bereavement' for an official term, for example 'bereavement leave'.

Also check the style for death

blogs

When writing a blog for the website, follow the blog guidelines.

Britain

Only use 'Britain' when talking about Acas's vision 'Making working life better for everyone in Britain'.

In other contexts use 'England, Scotland and Wales' instead. This is because users might not know which countries are in Britain.

Put the countries in alphabetical order when listing them together.

bullet points

Use the content pattern for bullet-point lists

callouts

When using callouts on the Acas website, use the callouts content pattern.

capitalisation and title case

Use lower case for most things. For example:

  • statutory sick pay (SSP)
  • statutory maternity pay
  • early conciliation
  • trade union

Use title case when writing anything that is officially title case. For example:

  • an act of law
  • the name of an organisation
  • the National Minimum Wage

Also use title case in some contexts for:

  • job titles
  • team names
  • regions of England

Also check the style for acronyms and initialisms

Job titles

Use lower case when writing about a type of job. For example:

  • 'speak to an adviser'
  • 'company directors'
  • 'as a content designer'

Use title case when writing about a specific person. For example:

  • Jay Surname, Helpline Adviser
  • Acas's Chief Executive
  • 'in their role as Senior Content Designer'

Team names

Use title case when writing about a specific, named team within an organisation. For example, Acas's Customer Services team.

Regions of England

Use title case for official regions in England. These are:

  • East Midlands
  • East of England
  • London
  • North East
  • North West
  • South East
  • South West
  • West Midlands
  • Yorkshire and The Humber

For areas such as 'north' or 'south' use lower case. For example, the north of England.

challenge

Avoid using 'challenge' in advice content. Use calmer language instead.

For example, 'You can challenge the employer's decision' could be softened by saying 'You can ask the employer to reconsider their decision'.

claimant, respondent, representative

You can use these terms when writing about early conciliation:

  • 'claimant' – the person considering making a claim to an employment tribunal
  • 'respondent' – the organisation or person the claim is against
  • 'representative' – someone acting on behalf of a claimant or respondent, for example a lawyer

Explain what they mean the first time you use them.

Take care with 'respondent' and 'representative' – users can confuse them.

Code of Practice

Use title case: 'Code of Practice' not 'code of practice'.

When referring to a specific Acas Code of Practice, use its full name in the first instance. Use 'the Acas Code' or 'the Acas Code of Practice' after that.

When linking to an Acas Code of Practice, use the Acas Code of Practice links content pattern. 

colleague

Use 'someone you work with' or 'anyone you work with', instead of 'colleague' or 'co-worker'.

This is because in user research some users were confused about who a colleague might be. For example, if it's someone on the same level as them.

contact details

Do not include any other organisation's contact details on the Acas website. Instead, link directly to the organisation's website and give a brief description of who they are.

For example, 'Refuge – national domestic abuse charity, also provides a 24-hour helpline.'

contractual

Use the content pattern for enhanced and contractual entitlements

covid-19 (coronavirus)

Write as 'covid' when it's in a title.

Write as 'covid-19 (coronavirus)' when you first mention it in the text, then as 'covid' after that.

In link text, follow the same rule. For example, 'covid guidance on GOV.UK' (if 'coronavirus' has already been mentioned in previous text).

Only use a capital C for 'covid' if it's at the start of a sentence.

Use 'pandemic' when referring to the pandemic period itself. For example, 'during the covid pandemic' or 'during the pandemic'.

Also check the style for long covid

county court and sheriff court

Use lower case: 'county court' and 'sheriff court' not 'County Court' and 'Sheriff Court'.

Do not use 'civil court'.

If you need to write about county courts, you should also mention sheriff courts. Give the names of both courts and the countries they exist in. For example, 'You can go to county court in England and Wales, or sheriff court in Scotland'.

Where it's relevant, make it clear if there are different time limits for making a claim to each court.

customer services

When writing for the Acas website, use the Acas customer services content pattern.

dashes and hyphens

Only use hyphens to join words together.

In other cases use an en dash, for example when separating groups of words.

An en dash (–) is longer than a hyphen (-) but shorter than an em dash (—).

Consider whether you definitely need to use an en dash. An en dash draws attention to what comes after it, so a comma or full stop might be more appropriate. Using an en dash can also make a sentence longer than necessary.

Also check the style for hyphenated words

DBS check

On first mention, say 'Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check'. Explain that this is a criminal record check.

After that use 'DBS check'.

death

Use clear language:

  • 'if someone has died'
  • 'when someone dies'
  • 'after a death'

Avoid euphemisms and unclear language such as:

  • 'bereavement' (except for official terms you introduce, like 'bereavement leave')
  • 'loss'
  • 'passed away'

Avoid assuming how people will be feeling when there's been a death. Do not use emotional language like 'sad', 'upset', 'loved one', 'difficult time'.

Read a blog post on designing content for people dealing with death, from DWP

detriment for enforcing a right

When you need to explain that employees must not experience a detriment, use the content pattern for detriment for enforcing a right.

disability

We use the social model of disability. This says people are disabled by barriers in society, not by their impairment or difference.

Where possible, use language like:

  • 'disabled person'
  • 'someone who's disabled'

Where it fits better in context, you can also use things like:

  • 'someone who has a disability'
  • 'because of someone's disability'
  • 'your / their disability'

Do not use words that are offensive or negative. For example, 'suffering from', 'handicapped', 'special needs', 'wheelchair-bound'.

Read more about:

Also check the style for:

disciplinary procedure

Use 'disciplinary procedure', not 'disciplinary process'. We use 'procedure' because disciplinary procedures are formally recognised or official.

disclose

Do not use 'disclose' to describe someone sharing something about themselves. For example, a disability or their sexual orientation.

This term can suggest someone has something bad to hide.

Use words like 'tell' or 'share' instead.

For example, say 'someone might not want to tell others about their neurodivergence'. Not 'someone might not want to disclose their neurodivergence'.

discrimination

Use 'discrimination' and 'discrimination at work' as broad terms. Where it's relevant, make it clear that harassment and victimisation are types of discrimination.

For example:

  • 'Discrimination law (Equality Act 2010) protects people against discrimination at work – this includes harassment and victimisation.'
  • 'You should try to work out the type of discrimination you've experienced.'

Do not use 'treated unfairly' or 'unfair treatment' when you're defining discrimination. These terms can be subjective.

For direct discrimination, use:

  • 'treated unfavourably' – for pregnancy and maternity discrimination
  • 'put at a disadvantage and treated less favourably' – for all other protected characteristics

Avoid 'discrimination, bullying and harassment' where possible. This is because harassment is a type of discrimination, and bullying is not covered by discrimination law. However, it's okay to use it when:

  • you're talking about a policy, for example 'Your organisation might have a policy on discrimination, bullying and harassment'
  • you have limited space and need to make it clear that what you're writing about includes bullying and harassment

Also check the style for:

early conciliation

Use lower case, not 'Early Conciliation'.

In content for claimants, use the content pattern for explaining that early conciliation is free and confidential.

Also check the style for claimant, respondent, representative

early conciliation certificates

Use 'early conciliation certificate' for the certificate Acas issues when someone wants to make a claim to an employment tribunal.

When referring to a COT3 – an agreement reached between parties during early conciliation – use:

  • 'conciliation agreement (COT3)' on the first mention
  • 'COT3' on following mentions

e-learning

Use e-learning with a hyphen – not elearning. Only use a capital E if it's at the start of a sentence.

Use the content pattern for linking to Acas training for links to e-learning from advice.

email addresses

If you want to direct users to an email address, make sure it's at the end of a sentence. Do not use a full stop because users might accidentally copy this as part of the email address.

For example:

If you need the template in a different format, or you cannot download it, email digital@acas.org.uk

Also check the style for:

employee, worker

Use 'worker' as a general term when rights apply to anyone with the legal status of either employee or worker.

Avoid using 'staff' or 'individual' to refer to workers.

When advice applies only to someone with the legal status of employee, use the employee status content pattern.

employee assistance programme

On first mention, write as 'employee assistance programme (EAP)'. After that, write as 'employee assistance programme'. Use lower case. Do not use EAP on its own.

employee representative

Use the content pattern for employee representative

employer and employee (your)

Refer to 'your employer' or 'your employee' where possible to add a more personal feel. Avoid things like 'the employer or employee' if you can use 'your'.

employment tribunal

Use the phrase 'make a claim to an employment tribunal'.

Do not write 'at employment tribunal', 'take to court' or 'make a court claim'.

When writing for the Acas website, use the content pattern for making a claim to an employment tribunal.

employment tribunal form ET1

Use the following:

'form ET1, for making an employment tribunal claim'.

employment tribunal time limits

Use the content pattern for employment tribunal time limits

enhanced

Use the content pattern for enhanced and contractual entitlements

entitlement

Although not plain, we use 'entitlement' if users are familiar with the word as part of a well-used term. For example, 'your holiday entitlement', 'your National Minimum Wage entitlement'.

But where it's likely to be less understood, replace with 'rights'. For example, 'your employment rights'.

examples

Use examples to make things clearer. Do not rely on them – users can skip examples, so the content needs to make sense without them.

When writing examples for the Acas website, use the content pattern for examples.

names and pronouns

If you use names in examples:

  • do not use names that imply the person must be a man or a woman
  • use the pronouns 'they', 'them' and 'their'
  • use a diverse range of names

Avoid using lots of names in one example. It can be clearer to name one person and then refer to others without using their name. For example, 'their manager'.

Avoid using names for a company or organisation. If you need them to make examples clear:

  • check they're not real company or organisation names
  • do not portray the company negatively
  • make the names as different from each other as possible, to avoid confusion

fire and rehire

Use 'dismiss and rehire', not 'fire and rehire'.

The first time we mention it on a page we can give the legal term 'dismissal and re-engagement' and say this is sometimes known as 'fire and rehire'.

We avoid using 'fire and rehire' because Acas does not encourage fire and rehire practices.

garden leave

On first mention, say 'garden leave (or gardening leave)'. Explain that this is when an employer tells an employee not to work some or all of their notice.

After that use 'garden leave'.

GDPR or UK GDPR

Use 'GDPR' when talking about data protection generally.

For example, 'You should check all relevant policies, including data protection (GDPR)'.

Use 'UK GDPR' if you’re referring to the specific legislation.

For example, 'This privacy notice explains how and why Acas processes your personal data under the General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)'.

good practice

Not 'best practice'.

grievance procedure

Not 'grievance process'. We use 'procedure' because grievance procedures are formally recognised or official.

Also check the style for raising a problem at work

guidance

Check the style for advice

harassment

Make it clear that harassment is a type of discrimination covered by discrimination law (Equality Act 2010). This is relevant for 7 of the 9 protected characteristics.

The law on harassment does not cover the protected characteristics 'marriage and civil partnership' and 'pregnancy and maternity'.

Also check the style for:

headings

Do not use:

  • questions
  • technical terms unless you've already explained them
  • 'introduction' as your first section – just give the most important information

Write short, descriptive headings.

Use H2 and H3 headings to structure a page. If a page has multiple heading levels, follow each heading with some paragraph text to help explain the section. Do not go straight from a H1 to a H2, or a H2 to a H3, without any text in between.

Also check the style for titles for webpages

hearing or meeting

Use 'hearing' to refer to what is usually the final meeting in the following procedures:

  • disciplinary
  • appeal – this could be for a disciplinary or grievance outcome

Use 'meeting' when referring to:

  • any investigation meetings
  • grievance meetings

On first mention of 'hearing' or a grievance meeting, use the content pattern for discipline, grievance or appeal hearing or meeting.

helpline

When referring to the Acas helpline:

  • always use 'Acas helpline' – never just 'helpline'
  • use 'contact the Acas helpline'

Avoid phrases like 'call the Acas helpline' or 'speak to an adviser'. 'Contact the Acas helpline' is more inclusive and more accurate – if someone cannot use a phone or Relay UK to call us, they can contact us by email.

When writing for the Acas website, use the content pattern for the Acas helpline.

holiday entitlement

Use 'holiday entitlement', not 'annual leave', as the default term.

Use 'holiday entitlement' to refer to statutory holiday entitlement. If referring to non-statutory holiday entitlement, follow the enhanced and contractual entitlements content pattern.

You can use slightly different language if you need to. For example:

  • 'paid holiday' when you need to be specific about the pay aspect
  • just 'holiday' when referring to the general concept of holiday, for example 'taking holiday'
  • just 'holiday' where it's clear that you mean 'holiday entitlement', to avoid repetition

hybrid working

When addressing employers, use 'hybrid working':

  • as a noun, preferably
  • as a verb, only when unavoidable

Do not use:

  • 'hybrid work' or other derivatives – for example, 'as a hybrid worker'
  • 'hybrid' separately – for example, 'in a hybrid way'
  • 'hybrid working' prefixed by 'do', 'doing' or 'done' – for example, 'if you're doing hybrid working'

Avoid using 'hybrid working' when addressing employees. Consider using 'working from home' or 'flexible working' instead.

Also check the style for working from home

hyphenated words

Use hyphenated words when they form an adjective. For example:

  • 4-week notice period
  • lay-offs
  • pro-rata
  • rolled-up holiday pay
  • short-time working
  • work-life balance
  • zero-hours contract

Someone can 'work full time' (no hyphen) or do 'full-time work' (hyphen).

intersex

Use 'variations of sex characteristics (VSC)'.

Use either 'people with' or 'people who have'.

On first mention, say that some people use the terms 'intersex' or 'differences in sex development (DSD)'.

Also check the style for sex and gender

inverted commas or 'quote marks'

Use 'straight' inverted commas, not ‘curly’ (slanted) ones.

If the term is a link, do not use inverted commas. For example: constructive dismissal

Also check the style for legal terms

italics

Do not use italics because:

  • they can make text more difficult to read
  • people who use screen readers will not get any meaning from them

lawful and unlawful

Avoid using 'lawful' or 'unlawful'.

Instead of using 'lawful', use:

  • 'legal'
  • 'by law'
  • 'following the law'

Instead of using 'unlawful', use:

  • 'against the law'
  • 'not following the law'

This is because users do not always understand the difference between 'legal' and 'lawful' or 'illegal' and 'unlawful'.

You can use 'lawful' and 'unlawful' if it's part of the name of a legal claim, for example 'unlawful deduction from wages'.

Also check the style for acts of law

legal advice

Use 'legal advice'. Do not use 'legal opinion', 'independent advice' or 'professional advice'.

Avoid linking to the legal advice page. The Acas helpline is almost always a better next step.

Also check the style for helpline

legal terms

Use 'inverted commas' for legal or official terms being introduced for the first time. Do not use them after that.

When using a legal term, put the legal term first, followed by the plain English definition. Avoid putting definitions in brackets where possible.

Example in a bulleted list:

  • 'express terms' – specific terms agreed in writing, such as the employee's pay and working hours

Example in a paragraph:

'Failure to make reasonable adjustments' is a type of discrimination. It can happen when an employer does not make reasonable adjustments for someone who needs them.

Also check the style for inverted commas

length of service

When referring to situations where someone needs to have worked for their employer for a certain length of time, use the content pattern for length of service.

LGBT+

Use 'LGBT+' as a general term.

On first mention, explain that this stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, plus other groups.

Also check the style for sexual orientation

links

When adding links, use the content pattern for linking.

long covid

Use 'long covid'.

Only use a capital 'L' if it's at the start of a sentence.

may

Avoid using 'may' if it could be wrongly interpreted as permission to do something. Use 'might' instead.

mental health

Use 'mental health' as a broad term, for example when you mean both good or poor mental health.

Use 'mental health problems' as a general term for when poor mental health affects day-to-day life.

You can also use:

  • 'poor mental health'
  • 'mental health condition' – when you're writing about a diagnosed condition
  • 'mental ill health' – this is a term often used in HR

Use language like:

  • 'someone who has schizophrenia'
  • 'someone with depression'
  • 'someone with poor mental health'

Do not use 'mental impairment' unless you need to quote the law.

Do not use words that are offensive or negative. For example 'suffering from depression'. Instead use 'someone who has depression'.

Also check the style for disability

might

If you use 'might', try to explain how it would apply.

For example, 'You might be able to make a county court claim if your employer's reference was misleading or inaccurate'. This is more useful than 'You might be able to make a county court claim'.

minimum wage

Use 'the minimum wage' as a general term.

Use 'the National Minimum Wage' or 'the National Living Wage' when referring to these specifically.

mother or birth parent

Use 'mother or birth parent' when talking about someone who is pregnant or gives birth.

Take care when using 'birth parent' in a different context as it can have a wider meaning. For example, 'birth parents' can mean the parents of a child who's being adopted.

must

Use 'must' if there is a legal obligation for someone to do something.

Use 'can' or 'should' if something is guidance or good practice.

Where possible use active sentences, for example 'you should'.

Use the content pattern for navigation boxes.

neurodiversity

Use:

  • 'neurodiversity' – to describe the natural differences in how people's brains behave and process information
  • 'neurodivergent' – to describe someone whose brain works differently to what is considered more typical
  • 'neurodivergence' – as a broad term for neurodivergent conditions like ADHD, autism, dyslexia and dyspraxia
  • 'neurotypical' – to describe someone who is not neurodivergent
  • 'neurodiverse' – to describe a group that includes neurodivergent and neurotypical people
  • 'neuroinclusion' and 'neuroinclusive' – to describe actively including neurodivergent people

Do not use the following terms interchangeably:

  • 'neurodiversity' and 'neurodivergence'
  • 'neurodivergent' and 'neurodiverse'

For example, you could say:

  • a neurodivergent worker
  • someone's neurodivergence
  • types of neurodivergence
  • a neurodiverse team
  • a neuroinclusive organisation

Where possible, use identity-first language when writing about specific types of neurodivergence. For example:

  • say someone 'is autistic' instead of 'has autism'
  • say 'dyslexic worker' instead of 'worker with dyslexia'

Avoid terms that suggest neurodivergence is an illness. For example, do not use 'suffering from' or 'symptoms'.

Also check the style for:

non-binary

Use 'non-binary' not 'nonbinary' or 'non binary'.

Define a non-binary person as 'someone who does not see themselves as exclusively a man or a woman'.

Also check the style for sex and gender

okay

Use 'okay'. Not 'ok' or 'OK'.

organisation

Use 'organisation' instead of 'business', 'company' or 'workplace'. This is to include non-commercial employers like charities.

Also check the style for workplace

partner, spouse

Use 'partner' to refer to the person someone is in a relationship with whether they're married or not.

Do not use 'spouse'.

If you need to talk about specific types of partner:

  • try to use 'married to' instead of 'husband or wife'
  • always include 'civil partner' when talking about being married
  • list them alphabetically

pay and wages

Do not use pay and wages interchangeably. Pay is a broader term and covers all of wages. Wages do not include payments such as redundancy, expenses or tips.

When to use pay

You should use pay when talking about:

  • calculating pay
  • equal pay
  • gender pay gap
  • guaranteed pay
  • holiday pay
  • itemised pay statement
  • maternity pay
  • pay reference period
  • payslip
  • rate of pay
  • redundancy pay
  • sick pay
  • gross pay

When to use wages

You should use wages when talking about:

  • deduction from wages
  • failure to pay wages
  • National Minimum Wage
  • National Living Wage
  • overpayment of wages
  • unlawful deduction from wages
  • unpaid wages

When it's not clear

In some situations, it's not clear whether to use pay or wages. Check with a subject matter expert. For example, when referring to:

  • usual pay
  • normal pay
  • final pay

payslip

One word, no hyphen. Not 'pay slip'.

please

Avoid using 'please' in calls to action. 'Read the full CIPD report', not 'Please read the full CIPD report'.

We might include please if we're asking the user to do us a favour. For example, 'please take part in our survey'.

policy

A policy is the rules an employer has for handling a specific issue or situation. The employer's procedure or process for handling a specific issue or situation will be outlined in the policy.

For example, an employer's grievance policy will outline the grievance procedure everyone should follow.

pregnancy and maternity

Use 'and' when you mean the protected characteristic, not 'pregnancy or maternity'.

When you're writing about pregnancy and maternity discrimination, in most cases write that out in full. 

Where it fits better in context, you can use 'pregnancy discrimination' or 'maternity discrimination'. But only if you use the full term at least once.

Also check the style for:

procedure

A 'procedure' is a process that is formally recognised or is an official way of doing something.

Also check the style for:

protected characteristics

Use lower case. Use 'protected characteristics' with inverted commas the first time you mention the term. List them in alphabetical order.

When you need to write out the full list, use this wording:

  • age
  • disability
  • gender reassignment
  • marriage and civil partnership
  • pregnancy and maternity
  • race
  • religion or belief
  • sex
  • sexual orientation

Check which ones you need to include. For example, the law on harassment does not cover marriage and civil partnership or pregnancy and maternity.

Also check the style for:

putting something in writing

Always explain how to put something in writing.

For example: 'You should put this in writing, for example in a letter or email'.

Where it means something different, make that clear. This will depend on the context. For example, it could mean writing something in an employment contract or sharing a written policy.

race and ethnicity

Be as specific as possible when you're talking about ethnicity.

Where you need to group people from different ethnic minority backgrounds, use 'ethnic minorities' or 'ethnic minority'. For example 'ethnic minority employees'.

Do not use BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic) or BME (black and minority ethnic). Unless you're explaining terms people use.

Refer to race when you're talking about:

  • the protected characteristic
  • an employee race network or race allies

In most other cases, refer to ethnicity.

When talking about ethnicity, use the guidance on writing about ethnicity from the Race Disparity Unit on GOV.UK.

raising a problem at work

When writing for the Acas website, use the content pattern for raising a problem at work.

reasonable adjustments

Do not use inverted commas.

Always link to the reasonable adjustments advice in website content.

Use the content pattern for reasonable adjustments.

references

Research reports use Harvard referencing style.

We follow the GDS style guide for punctuation and styling.

We differ from the GDS style guide in the use of some Latin terms:

  • we use 'et al' (meaning 'and others'), as this is expected in Harvard referencing style
  • we do not use 'ibid' (short for 'ibidem', meaning 'in the same place'), or replace it with an English alternative – we just repeat the reference

For example, this sentence contains a simple reference (Abbott R et al, 1985). This sentence repeats the same reference (Abbott R et al, 1985).

Find more guidance on:

related content

Use the content pattern for related content links when adding links in the 'related content' section of a page.

Relay UK text relay

Use Relay UK text relay the first time it's mentioned, then 'Relay UK' or 'text relay' after that.

Include the link to Relay UK in the first mention.

Do not say Relay UK is for people with specific disabilities or conditions. Say 'if you cannot hear or speak on the phone' instead. Find example wording on the contact page.

remote working

Use 'remote working' for definitions. Use 'working from home' in all other instances.

We use 'remote' to be factually accurate in definitions. But 'working from home' is the most common type of remote working and the most popular search term.

For example, 'Hybrid working is a type of flexible working where an employee splits their time between the workplace and remote working.'

Also check the style for working from home

representative

Check the style for claimant, respondent, representative

respondent

Check the style for claimant, respondent, representative

roleplay

In content about Acas training, use 'roleplay'. Not 'role-play' or 'role play'.

sex and gender

It's okay to use 'male' and 'female' or refer to how someone identifies if:

  • you're asking about protected characteristics, for example in an equality and diversity monitoring form
  • someone is describing themselves

Only use these terms in limited circumstances. Check with a relevant subject matter expert.

In all other cases, use the following language.

sex

Use 'sex' when you mean the protected characteristic.

Use man, men, woman and women. Do not use male and female.

This is because the law (Equality Act 2010) defines sex using the terms man and woman.

Do not use 'opposite sex' unless you're quoting the law. In most cases, you can rewrite using man and woman, or men and women. Use 'other sex' or 'another sex' if you need a general term.

Do not use 'sex' and 'gender' interchangeably.

gender

Do not use 'gender' unless it's in the name of something. For example:

  • gender pay gap
  • gender reassignment (the protected characteristic)
  • Gender Recognition Act
  • Gender Recognition Certificate

Do not use 'gender identity' or 'identifies as'.

If there are other terms you're not sure about, check with a subject matter expert.

Also check the style for:

sexual orientation

Use 'sexual orientation':

  • as a general term
  • when you mean the protected characteristic

Where it fits better in context, you can also use 'sexuality' as a broad term.

Use adjectives, not nouns. For example, use language like:

  • 'gay and lesbian employees' – not 'gays and lesbians'
  • 'is bisexual'
  • 'someone who's heterosexual'
  • 'same-sex partner'
  • 'gay couple'

Use LGBT+ if you're talking about the wider community.

Do not use 'homosexual', 'queer' or 'straight' unless you're explaining terms people use.

Be sensitive with the terms you use. Terms that some people are comfortable with might be offensive to others. There's more about appropriate language in our advice on preventing sexual orientation discrimination. You can also talk with a relevant subject matter expert.

Also check the style for LGBT+

signpost

Do not use the verb 'signpost'. Use plain English.

For example, do not write 'signpost staff to any support that's available'. You could write 'tell staff how to get support'.

slashes

Do not use slashes to mean 'or'. For example:

  • 'an employee or worker', not 'an employee/worker'
  • '3 or 4 times', not '3/4 times'

Also check the style for and/or

small and medium-sized enterprise

Write as 'small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)' on first mention.

After that, use 'small and medium-sized enterprise'.

statutory leave and pay for parents

Always write these entitlements in full. Use lower case and do not use initialisms:

  • statutory maternity leave
  • statutory maternity pay
  • statutory paternity leave
  • statutory paternity pay
  • shared parental leave
  • shared parental pay
  • statutory adoption leave
  • statutory adoption pay

Also check the style for capitalisation and title case

subject access request

Use 'subject access request (SAR)' instead of 'personal data request'. This is because 'subject access request' or 'SAR' are more popular Google search terms.

summaries

Pages on the Acas website have 'summaries'. These:

  • are not displayed to users on the published page
  • appear in search results

Write search summaries that:

  • are shorter than 160 characters, including spaces
  • describe the page's content in a sentence or short paragraph
  • include words and phrases that do not appear in the title
  • use full sentences and the active voice

Also check the style for:

surrogacy

Check the style for adoption and surrogacy

telephone numbers

Use 'phone' rather than 'telephone', but use 'contact' wherever possible because it's more active and inclusive.

Also check the style for:

time periods

When writing about time periods you should follow what the relevant legislation says.

For example, if the legislation uses '12 months', use that instead of 'a year' or '1 year'.

titles for webpages

Every page on the Acas website has a title. It appears on the page as an H1 heading.

Write titles that:

  • are shorter than 65 characters, including spaces
  • describe the page's content and purpose in a few words
  • have the most important and specific words first
  • are unique – different to any other page's title

In multi-chapter guides, each page title is in this format: [guide title] - [chapter title]. This means the chapter title and guide title together should be under 65 characters. This includes spaces and the dash.

For publication titles, use colons. For example, 'Managing workplace conflict: the changing role of HR'.

For public consultation titles, use en dashes. For example, 'Call for evidence on non-statutory flexible working – Acas response'.

Also check the style for:

Tourette's syndrome

Use 'Tourette's syndrome'. Not 'Tourette syndrome' or 'Tourette's'.

Say someone 'with Tourette's syndrome' or that someone 'has Tourette's syndrome'.

Also check the style for neurodiversity

trade union representative

When saying that someone can get advice or support from a trade union representative, use the content pattern for trade union representative.

transcripts

When publishing a transcript for an audio or video file, follow the transcript guidelines.

transgender

Use 'transgender' as the main term when writing about gender reassignment.

Use 'trans', 'trans man' and 'trans woman':

  • if you're explaining other terms people might prefer
  • in examples

Do not use 'transsexual' unless you're quoting the law.

Also check the style for sex and gender

trigger points

When referring to absence trigger points:

video meetings or calls

Use 'video meetings' or 'video calls' instead of 'video conference-calling technology'. These terms are easier to understand and are more popular Google search terms.

Avoid giving examples of technology like Zoom, unless it's necessary.

If you need to mention the technology, say 'using', not 'over' or 'through'. For example, 'Acas training is provided remotely using Zoom'.

working from home

Use 'working from home' instead of:

  • 'homeworking'
  • 'home working'
  • 'remote working'

Also check the style for remote working

workplace

Use 'work' or 'at work' instead of 'workplace' if we’re talking about something that happens while working. For example, 'managing discrimination at work'.

This is because not everyone has a workplace, for example they could be a driver or working from home.

You can use 'workplace' where it means an actual place of work, for example a factory, an office or a shop. It's still best to be specific, for example use 'shop' if the only workplace you're referring to is a shop.

Also check the style for organisation

workplace adjustments

In most cases use 'reasonable adjustments'.

You can use 'workplace adjustments' if you're referring to physical changes at the place of work, for example installing a ramp.

Also check the style for reasonable adjustments

written statement

On first mention, write the full legal term 'written statement of employment particulars'.

After that, use 'written statement', not 'written terms'.

Also check the style for legal terms

zero-hours contract or worker

Not 'zero-hour' or 'zero hours'.

zero tolerance

Do not use 'zero tolerance'.

Use language like:

  • 'will not be tolerated'
  • 'is not acceptable'

This is because 'zero tolerance' means a policy of giving the most severe punishment possible. Acas does not recommend this as good practice. It does not fit with the approach of dealing with problems informally.

There are rare exceptions. For example, it's appropriate to use 'zero tolerance' in our modern slavery statement.