Early Conciliation

Early Conciliation is the process which an employment tribunal must go through first. Neathouse Partners can advise you on the correct processes.

author

James Rowland

Commercial Director James leads Account Management, Sales and Marketing at Neathouse Partners.

Date

05 October 2018

Updated

01 October 2024
2 min read

Early Conciliation: The Process

Before a claim can be brought to the Employment Tribunal, it must go through the Early Conciliation process with the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS). The tribunal will not accept a claim unless it has been through the ACAS Early Conciliation process.

For early conciliation to begin, a notification form must be first filled out and submitted. It is important to note that employers, as well as employees, can use Early Conciliation if there is a workplace dispute which they think will lead to a claim.

Once Acas receives the form, the Claimant will receive a call from their ACAS conciliator, confirming whether or not they still want to go ahead with the claim. The conciliator will then approach the employer to begin the process.If Acas do not hear from the Claimant, or cannot make contact with them over a long period, they will close the case, and an Early Conciliation certificate will be issued.

How Long Does It Last For?

Early Conciliation is scheduled to last one calendar month, to allow Acas enough time to contact both the parties and reach an agreement. This period may be extended for a maximum of fourteen days if agreed by both parties.

Time Limits

An employee either has three months or twelve months to bring a claim to an Employment Tribunal. The time limit for bringing a claim is paused once a Claimant contacts ACAS. Early Conciliation will pause the time limit for up to one calendar month, extendable by a further fourteen days if needed. Once Early Conciliation has ended, and the Claimant receives their formal acknowledgement, the time limit will start running again.

If Early Conciliation is Successful

If the parties reach an agreement through Early Conciliation, the conciliator will document what has been agreed on an Acas form, namely a COT3. This is essentially a settlement agreement that both parties will sign. The COT3 is legally binding, meaning that the Claimant will not be able to take the claim to Tribunal at a later date.

If Early Conciliation is Unsuccessful

If the matter cannot be resolved, then Acas will end Early Conciliation, leaving the Claimant to make a Tribunal claim if they still wish to do so. The Claimant will receive a formal acknowledgement (Early Conciliation certificate), confirming that conciliation has ended. The employer will also receive a formal acknowledgement that conciliation has finished if they have been involved in the conciliation process.In order to submit a claim, the Claimant must put their unique reference number from their Early Conciliation certificate onto the tribunal claim form.If both parties want to continue discussions after the Early Conciliation period has ended, the conciliator will be available on request to assist the parties. If the Claimant pursues a Tribunal claim, the conciliator will still offer to help the parties to resolve the matter without needing to go to a tribunal hearing.

Neathouse Partners: Your Trusted Partner

We empower employers across the UK with tailored advice, offering strategic guidance that aligns with business needs and goals.

99.2 %

Customer happiness rating

99.2 %

Customer happiness rating

banner

100%

Qualified experts

Chester Headquarters

Regus House, Chester CH4 9QR

Success stories
Having used Neathouse for some time now, I can highly recommend their services. I always get a quick response from my lawyer, the advice is practical, and I always feel confident that they’re helping us with the correct approach.
avatar
Jasmin Bemmelen Head of People and Culture @ Action Tutoring Ltd

Have questions?

Get in touch today

Contact us, and our team will get back to you within 24 hours. We value your questions and are committed to getting them answered quickly.

Get a quote
banner
photo@2x

Hello! I am Nicky

Just fill in the form below with your details, and I will arrange for a member of our team to give you a call.

By clicking, you agree to our Privacy Policy