Tables Guidelines for Acas reports

Only use tables to present numbers and percentages.

If a table only contains text, this should be in the body of the report.

Make your tables accessible

For all tables:

  • keep them simple – if there's a lot of data, think about splitting the data between tables
  • try to use more rows than columns – a tall, narrow table is easier to read than a short, wide one
  • always use a header row – to help screen readers understand the table layout
  • use a header column – if the first column contains headings
  • do not merge or split cells
  • do not have empty cells – use 'no data' or 'not applicable' instead of n/a
  • if you need a 'total' row, put this in the bottom row of the table
  • if the table includes percentages, the 'total' should be 'not applicable' (written out), not listed as 100%

Table captions

Include a table caption for each table. Keep the table caption as short as possible. Use sentence case.

Use this format: Table [number]: [Name of the table]

For example – Table 1: Survey response rates per month of call

Do not use a descriptive caption (one that describes the message of the table).

Use the style 'caption-table' to format table captions. This is built into the Acas report template.

Table source or base

If the table has a source or base that's different to the rest of the report, add this directly below the table.

Use this format: Source: [Name], Base: [Name]

For example – Source: YouGov polling data, June 2024, Base: All employer representatives

Make numbers easier to read

For all tables:

Example table

Table 1: Age group
Age group Number Percentage
16 to 24 0 0%
25 to 34 3 5%
35 to 44 8 14%
45 to 54 19 33%
55 to 64 15 26%
65 or more 0 0%
Did not answer 12 21%
Total 56 Not applicable

The style 'caption-table' in the Acas report template may display differently to this example. Please continue to use the built-in style in your document.

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