What Free Advice and Templates Does Acas Offer?

Updated

Acas provides free, impartial advice on workplace rights, rules and best practice for both employers and employees in England, Wales and Scotland, along with free letters, forms and policy documents you can adapt for your own use. Both are available through the relevant sections of acas.org.uk. The advice covers general employment rights and good practice rather than case-specific legal representation, and the templates are starting points to adapt rather than finished documents.

Free advice: what it covers

Acas describes its advice as free, impartial guidance on employment rights, rules and best practice. In practice this means:

  • Employment rights — the statutory entitlements and protections that apply to workers and employers.
  • Rules — how workplace processes are expected to work, including the Acas Codes of Practice that employment tribunals take into account.
  • Best practice — what good workplace practice looks like beyond the legal minimum.

The advice is written for both sides of the employment relationship. An employer checking how to handle a process and an employee checking what they are entitled to are both within scope. Because the service is described as impartial, it does not act as an advocate for either party.

One current example of how advice is kept up to date: Acas has been consulting on updates to its Code on flexible working, with a senior policy adviser explaining why the Code is changing and how people can get involved. Acas also maintains a page on the Employment Rights Act 2025 setting out which laws have already changed and what further changes are expected in 2026 and 2027. If you are relying on advice in a fast-moving area, check the page's updated date.

Free templates: what you get

Acas offers free letters, forms and policy documents that you adapt for your own situation. The site describes them as templates to adapt — so treat them as a structure and wording to adjust, not a document to send unchanged.

Typical uses include:

  • Letters — written communications for common workplace situations.
  • Forms — records and requests that need a consistent format.
  • Policy documents — workplace policies you can tailor to your organisation.

For an employer, adapting a template means inserting your organisation's details, checking it matches your existing policies, and making sure it reflects current law. For an employee, a template letter can provide a clear structure for raising a workplace issue in writing.

How to decide whether Acas fits your need

Your situation Acas resource to start with What it will and won't do
You want to understand a workplace right or rule Free advice section Explains rights, rules and best practice; does not give case-specific legal advice
You need a letter, form or policy to adapt Templates section Gives a free starting document; you must adapt it to your facts and check it is current
You want training or tailored support Training section (courses, events, tailored support) Training is offered as a separate service from the free advice and templates
You have a dispute and want to avoid a tribunal Dispute resolution services Acas can help you reach a legal agreement without going to an employment tribunal, or help resolve a dispute
You want updates on employment law changes News and updates, plus the Employment Rights Act 2025 page Summarises what has changed and what is expected; check the page's updated date

The free advice and templates are the right starting point when you need orientation and a usable document. If your matter is a live dispute, the dispute resolution services are the more relevant route. If you need organisation-specific training, that sits under the training offering rather than the free advice pages.

Practical steps to use the site

  1. Identify your need — a question about rights or rules, a document to produce, a dispute, or training.
  2. Go to the matching section — advice, templates, dispute resolution services, or training.
  3. For templates, adapt before use — add your details, check consistency with your own policies, and confirm the content reflects current law, especially where the Employment Rights Act 2025 page flags upcoming changes.
  4. Check currency — pages carry updated dates; where a Code or law is under consultation or change, confirm the position before relying on it.
  5. Sign up for updates — Acas offers free updates by email, useful if you need to track changes such as the flexible working Code or the Employment Rights Act 2025 timetable.

Common sticking points

  • Expecting case-specific legal advice. The advice is general and impartial; it explains rights and rules rather than telling you what outcome you will get.
  • Using a template unadapted. Templates are explicitly for adaptation; an unmodified policy or letter may not fit your organisation or your facts.
  • Assuming advice is current indefinitely. Employment law is changing through 2026 and 2027; check the updated date and any consultation status before relying on a page.
  • Confusing the free services with paid ones. Training and tailored support are listed separately from the free advice and templates, so check which offering you are using before assuming it is free.