How ACAS reduced case allocation from 4.75 days to 25 minutes

By automating the way workplace dispute cases are categorised and allocated, ACAS created a faster, fairer and more transparent journey for service users, while freeing its teams to focus on higher-value work.

  • 92%

    of cases can now be allocated automatically

  • 25mins

    from notification to allocation, reduced from an average of 4.75 days

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About ACAS

ACAS is an independent public body that provides free and impartial advice to employers and employees. Alongside guidance on employment rights, workplace policies and good practice, its conciliators help people resolve workplace disputes and avoid employment tribunals wherever possible. Wyser worked with ACAS to improve the way dispute cases moved through the organisation, making allocation faster, reducing administrative pressure and creating a better experience for the people using the service.

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Manual case allocation was taking valuable time away from conciliation

Every case submitted to ACAS had to be reviewed and allocated manually. From the point a service user notified ACAS of a dispute, it took an average of 4.75 days for their case to reach a conciliator.

That delay mattered. Conciliation must take place within a fixed six-week period, so every day spent waiting for allocation reduced the time available to understand the dispute, engage both parties and work towards a resolution.

The manual process also created limited visibility around how cases were distributed between teams. This made it harder to demonstrate that workloads were being allocated consistently and fairly, while requiring significant staff time to manage.

ACAS needed a faster and more transparent approach that could reduce the backlog without compromising the handling of more complex cases.

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Designing a more efficient journey around the information that really mattered

Working within the Government Digital Service framework, Wyser used an agile approach to understand the existing journey and identify where unnecessary steps and delays could be removed.

Together, Wyser and ACAS established the minimum information required before a case could be allocated. Details that were not essential at this stage could instead be gathered naturally during the service user’s first conversation with their conciliator.

We then developed a rules-based allocation engine capable of categorising and directing cases according to:

  • The type and complexity of the case
  • The capacity of each conciliator and team
  • Conciliator availability

Cases requiring additional preparation continued to be directed to the relevant team. All other eligible cases could move directly to an available conciliator without waiting for manual review.

This created a more streamlined journey while retaining human involvement wherever a case genuinely required it.

Faster allocation and more time to reach a resolution

Following the changes, 92% of cases became capable of automatic allocation. Eligible cases can now be allocated within 25 minutes of notification, rather than waiting an average of 4.75 days.

For service users, this means faster contact from a conciliator at what can be a stressful and uncertain time. For conciliators, it means having the full six-week conciliation window available in most cases, giving them more time to understand the circumstances and help both parties work towards a resolution.

The new process also identifies linked cases sooner and provides greater visibility over how work is distributed across teams.

By significantly reducing the administration involved in case allocation, ACAS was able to redirect people towards higher-value work and areas experiencing greater demand, including its employment tribunal caseload.

Technology that supports better public services

This project demonstrates how thoughtful process design and automation can remove delays without removing human judgement.

By automating the routine parts of the journey, Acas gave its people more time for the work that required their knowledge and experience—while creating a faster and more consistent service for employers and employees.

AI where it helps. Human where it matters.

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