ACAS advice – a lost cause?
| Date | 01 April 1999 |
| Pages | 128-144 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/EUM0000000004553 |
| Published date | 01 April 1999 |
| Author | Michael Sanderson,James Taggart |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour |
Employee
Relations
21,2
128
Employee Relations,
Vol. 21 No. 2, 1999, pp. 128-144.
#MCB University Press, 0142-5455
Received October 1998
Revised/re-submitted
January 1999
Accepted February 1999
ACAS advice
± a lost cause?
Michael Sanderson and James Taggart
University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
Keywords Advisory services, Scotland, Small-to-medium sized enterprises, United Kingdom
Abstract Previous research has highlighted the trend that ACAS advice has long been held in
high esteem by both employers and employees alike. A study of small to medium sized
manufacturing establishments in Renfrewshire, Scotland, suggests that employers prefer
partial advice as opposed to impartial advice. Instead they may turn to alternative bodies other
than ACAS which have the ability to offer employee relations ``support'', which is beyond the
remit of ACAS. In light of limited resources due to funding constraints, the implications for the
provision of ACAS advice are examined in relation to alternative bodies offering employee
relations help.
Introduction
The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) was established by
the Employment Protection Act 1975, and offers employee relations services to
employers, employers' organisations, employees and trade unions. It is an
independent statutory body, and has no powers of any kind to ensure
acceptance of aid offered or to impose any solution recommended. Essential to
its function is a requirement for impartiality and independence, which is the
basis of its commission granted by Parliament.
The role of ACAS as an independent government body in the process of
industrial relations has been much praised. Its remit as an impartial provider of
advice, conciliation and arbitration to employers, trade unions, managers and
employees alike has gained ACAS an enviable reputation as a major actor in
the process of improving employee relations in the UK. This paper focuses on
one of the most popular of ACAS services ± its function as an advisory body ±
and examines views expressed by managers in manufacturing small and
medium sized enterprises (SMEs) with regard to the perceived usefulness of
this service.
The ACAS mission statement is: ``To improve the performance and
effectiveness of organisations by providing an independent and impartial
service to prevent and resolve disputes and to build harmonious relationships
at work'' (ACAS Annual Report, 1996).
Central to their remit is the fact that they will only offer impartial advice,
and a joint approach between management and employees is required in
order to satisfy this stance. ACAS can therefore be viewed as a ``special''
service offering information and advice, and can be considered as having a
niche market. Indeed in an ACAS Annual Report in 1991, of ACAS in-depth
assistance they state ``... as a tax funded body, the Service has to be
satisfied that the exercise is not one which could be undertaken acceptably
ACAS advice ±
a lost cause?
129
by other agencies, including mana gement c onsult ants. If the problem does
not require the inv olveme nt of an ind ependent organisation t hen advi sers
will recommend al ternat ive sources of help''(ACA S Annual R eport, 1991,
p. 59).
Our research interest was to consider where small to medium sized
establishments (SMEs) in manufacturing industry chose to go for advice and
help in employee relations matters. Often SMEs may be too small to have the
financial resources to employ specialist staff to deal with employee relations
issues, and so there is a need for external assistance. For SMEs a number of
sources are available, one of which is ACAS.
In this research, we interviewed 50 managers from manufacturing SMEs in
Renfrewshire, Scotland. Managers were questioned regarding their use of
ACAS, as well as on their opinions of the ACAS objective to foster harmony in
employee relations.
The major finding was that many managers used ACAS infrequently, or not
at all, and cited other bodies that they consulted for industrial relations
information and advice. These ranged from employers' associations, lawyers,
management consultants, or a specialist at corporate HQ if the establishment
was part of a multi-site organisation.
Farnham and Pimlott (1995) comment on the high regard in which ACAS
has been held, particularly from studies carried out since the mid 1980s.
According to these authors, ``. . .there is every reason to believe that most
employers and trade unions still held ACAS in high esteem a decade later.''
This paper explores the rationale behind the lack of use of ACAS advice in a
geographical area that, historically, has strongly identified with the traditional
system of British industrial relations and tends to exhibit a higher trade union
membership than in the rest of the UK. Although the geographical area of
Renfrewshire is somewhat limited in size, it is possible to detect evidence of
some interesting trends.
The paper considers where SMEs may seek information and advice, and
concludes by evaluating our finding that managers of SMEs prefer obtaining
advice that is biased towards their particular viewpoint in the area of employee
relations.
ACAS advice ± a good track record
Through its regional offices, ACAS can rightly claim to be ``. . .readily
accessible to all parts of the country and arrangements can be made to handle
cases wherever they arise'' (Salamon, 1998). Its workload can be categorised
into five main functions: arbitration, collective conciliation, individual
conciliation, advisory services, and inquiry work; however, it is the information
fact-giving and also the advisory category which is the most far-reaching.
Figures given in ACAS annual reports testify to this, showing a heavy usage
made in particular of the telephone enquiry point service. For example, the
region of Scotland (as classified by ACAS) has averaged around 40,000 calls
annually over the last three years, in response to which information and advice
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