Independent research has found that a free helpline has averted around 14,000 employment tribunals a year.

The helpline run by employment relations organisation Acas is a confidential national service available for anybody who has questions about workplace issues or employment rights, which can help both employers and employees avoid the cost, stress and time of an employment tribunal.

Acas announced in February that during 2012 the helpline dealt with 925,000 calls from employers, employees or their representatives.

The research, commissioned by Acas, found that more than nine out of ten employers (96 per cent) who call the Acas helpline would recommend it to a colleague.

A third of employers (33 per cent) implemented new policies after speaking to Acas and nearly half (47 per cent) reported they had updated or improved the policies at their workplace after speaking to Acas.

A total of 23 per cent of employees who were considering making a claim to an employment tribunal didn’t pursue a claim following the advice they received. In total, 95 per cent of all callers would use the helpline again for employment issues.

The most common workplace concerns worrying employers and employees were discipline, dismissal and grievance (27 per cent), redundancies or lay offs (23 per cent) and contracts (19 per cent).

The Acas helpline – 08457 47 47 47 – is available from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday and from 9am to 1pm on Saturdays. Advice is free and confidential.

Link: Helpline information