Acas Disability and Workplace Conflict study

About the study

Acas (the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration service) has asked the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) to carry out this study to understand better why employees with a disability or long-term condition experience higher levels of workplace conflict than the rest of the Great British population, and what can be done to prevent it or resolve it earlier. Specific questions include:

• How and why disabled people and people with long-term conditions experience workplace conflict, including with employers, managers and colleagues.
• The impact of such conflict.
• What would help to prevent or resolve these conflicts.

Acas is an independent public body that receives funding from the government. They work with employers and employees to improve workplace relationships and reduce disputes.

What does the research involve?

If you decide to take part, you will be invited to an interview with a NatCen Researcher lasting up to one hour. This interview will take place in February/ March 2026 and will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams or telephone. If you cannot take part in either of these ways, please let us know so we can find an alternative that works for you. Interviews can take place at time convenient to you.

There are no right or wrong answers, we just want to hear about your views and experiences.

Taking part in this research is voluntary. You can choose to withdraw at any time without giving a reason. You can also choose not to answer any questions during the interview.

Why have I been selected to take part?

We are contacting you because, when joining the NatCen Opinion Panel, you shared with us that you have a disability or long-term condition. You also told us in the Panel survey in August/ September 2025 that you had experienced workplace conflict.

You will be asked some questions via a short screening form about the nature of your disability or long-term health condition, whether either was linked to the workplace conflict you experienced; whether your employer knew about your disability before the conflict; and whether the conflict was resolved. This is so we can check your eligibility for the study and speak to people with a range different types of experiences.

If you are eligible for the study, we will call you within a week or two to see if you are still interested in taking part. If you are, we will arrange a convenient time to do the interview with you.

Who will have access to my information?

Only the research team at NatCen will have access to your personal information. This information is stored securely in line with data protection legislation.

With your permission we audio record the interviews to have an accurate record of what was said. The interviews are recorded using Microsoft Teams and transcribed using Microsoft Word by the research team.

We will not tell anyone, including Acas, that you have taken part or what you specifically have said. We will use what you say to write a report for Acas, but in the report, we will not name any individuals or employers so it will not be possible to identify you.

At the end of the project, NatCen will securely delete your personal information.

Please see the privacy notice for more details.

Why should I take part?

Taking part in this research will help Acas understand better why people with a disability or long-term condition experience workplace conflict with employers, managers and colleagues. Your contribution will help Acas to understand how they can advise employees and employers about how to prevent disability or long-term condition related workplace conflict and to resolve it where it arises. It will also help Acas fulfil its mission to ‘to make working life better for everyone in Great Britain’.

If you take part in an interview, NatCen will offer you a £50 shopping voucher as a thank you for your time.

Who is carrying out the research?

This research is being carried out by NatCen, Britain’s largest independent social research agency. For over 50 years, NatCen has been working with the public, employers and organisations to find out what people really think about the issues they experience. NatCen will conduct and analyse the interviews and write a report for Acas.

Contact us

If you have any questions about NatCen or about this study, please contact the research team on: acasanddwc@natcen.ac.uk or call us for free on 0808 168 1356.

You can also contact the Acas research team by email at research@acas.org.uk.

Support information for people involved in cases of disability discrimination can be found here.