Strengthening support for people teams as employee rights and trade union engagement evolve
The CIPD is pleased to announce a strategic collaboration with Acas - at a time of significant change in the employment landscape. The collaboration aims to strengthen the support and development available to people professionals as organisations navigate evolving employee rights, expectations, and new legal frameworks.
Acas (the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) is an independent public body that works with employers and employees to improve workplace relationships. They provide trusted guidance, training and dispute-resolution services to help organisations prevent and manage conflict effectively.
"People professionals need access to training and CPD opportunities that genuinely helps them navigate change. Partnering with Acas on this course enables us to offer members insight and support that strengthens confidence, improves capability and reflects the realities of modern employee relations.”
This collaboration comes as the Government’s Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces measures that place a greater emphasis on worker voice, fair consultation, and constructive engagement with trade unions. As organisations prepare for these changes, the ability to build and sustain positive employer-union relationships will become an increasingly vital capability for HR and people teams.
As part of this collaboration, CIPD members will have access to a new co-developed learning course: “Working effectively with trade unions: Acas in collaboration with the CIPD.”
The collaboration is founded on a shared goal to help people professionals strengthen their confidence and capability in employee relations and organisational change.
The new course “Working effectively with trade unions: Acas in collaboration with the CIPD” offers practical guidance on navigating union engagement in modern workplaces. Combining Acas’s established expertise in dispute resolution with the CIPD’s evidence-based approach, the programme supports professionals seeking to build constructive partnerships, reduce conflict, and manage change effectively.
The launch of this new course marks an important step in our collaboration, and the CIPD remains focused on expanding the breadth of development opportunities available to members. We will continue to explore further initiatives and partnerships that can enhance access to high-quality CPD and equip people professionals for a rapidly evolving world of work.
Join this webinar exclusively for CIPD members to explore how the Employment Rights Bill is reshaping employer-union dynamics.
