A prospective claimant must contact Acas in accordance with the early conciliation rules before bringing an employment tribunal claim. If both parties agree, Acas will provide a free conciliation service, with the aim of reaching an agreement.
Settlements reached with the help of Acas are binding; the agreement will be in "full and final settlement" of the claims and the claimant will not be able to pursue the matter further.
Acas can also conciliate on a claim after tribunal proceedings have been commenced, and certain types of claim can be decided under the Acas arbitration scheme, as an alternative to the tribunal.
