On 4 November 2025, new regulations came into force extending the ACAS early conciliation period from six weeks to 12 weeks. The reason for this is to reduce the strain on ACAS, which currently has a substantial backlog of cases.
The new rules apply a maximum early conciliation period, but claims will still be managed in shorter periods where parties do not wish to use the ACAS conciliation service.
In the past, employers have missed the opportunity to conciliate and have been issued a certificate ending conciliation. This can cause disappointment and missed opportunities. The new rules aim to settle matters more quickly and save time and costs. The extended conciliation period will allow better prospects for both employer and employee to engage in the opportunity to conciliate.
The Employment Rights Bill also intends to increase the limitation period from the current three-month period to six months. There is no proposal to make any other changes to the ACAS early conciliation procedure.
When the Bill comes into effect, taking the extended conciliation period into account, the limitation period could therefore be nine months after the date the employment dispute arose. If the dispute is not resolved in the extended conciliation period, this will result in the case taking even longer to reach the Employment Tribunal.
If you need any further help, please do not hesitate to contact our HR/Legal advice line team on 01455 852 028. Quest can help to update your contracts and handbooks and support you with staff training on HR matters.
