Professional Governance & Continuous Competency
Key Takeaways
HRPA operates under Ontario’s Registered Human Resources Professionals Act, 2013; the Act protects specified professional titles and regulates members and registered firms.
Section 4 sets HRPA’s objects, including public-interest regulation and standards of qualification, practice, ethics, knowledge, skill, and proficiency. Section 3 continues the Association as a corporation.
Section 12 requires Complaints, Discipline, Review, Capacity, and Appeal Committees. The Registrar is an officer, not a committee.
CHRP, CHRL, and CHRE holders require 66.67 qualifying CPD hours per three-year cycle, with no fixed annual hours or published mandatory three-hour ethics quota; the first cycle is longer to align with June 1–May 31.
CHRP has four education or equivalent routes and no universal diploma or degree requirement. CHRL separately requires a degree and qualifying professional HR experience, as well as its own Knowledge and Employment Law Exams.
Professional Governance & Continuous Competency
In Ontario, the Registered Human Resources Professionals Act, 2013 (S.O. 2013, c. 6) provides HRPA with statutory self-regulatory authority. HRPA sets professional standards, governs its members and registered firms, administers protected designations, and carries out regulatory processes under the Act and by-laws. The protected CHRP, CHRL, and CHRE titles do not mean that every HR role in Ontario legally requires one of those designations.
HRPA’s Statutory Objects
Section 4, rather than section 3, sets out HRPA’s objects. They include:
- Protecting the public interest through governing and regulating member and firm practice, including standards of qualification, practice, ethics, knowledge, skill, and proficiency.
- Increasing the knowledge, skill, and proficiency of members, firms, and students.
- Promoting the welfare and interests of the Association and the HR profession.
- Promoting collaboration with other professional bodies and addressing other member-regulation matters considered appropriate by the Board.
The Code’s ethical-conflict guidance connects these standards to practice: uphold employee legal rights, follow employer legal obligations, and provide objective, fact-based advice. Section 3 continues HRPA as a corporation; it is not the section listing its objects.
Statutory Committees & the Registrar
Section 12 requires the Board to establish Complaints, Discipline, Review, Capacity, and Appeal Committees. The Registrar is an officer under section 11. Their roles are distinct:
| Committee / Official | Primary Function | Powers and Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Registrar | Performs registration and register functions and other duties assigned under the Act and by-laws. | Receives complaints and specified notices; refers matters to the appropriate committee. The Registrar is not a committee. |
| Complaints Committee | Investigates complaints about member or firm conduct under sections 31–32. | May refer a matter to Discipline, decline referral, attempt settlement, or issue a caution or admonishment after considering the investigation and submissions. |
| Discipline Committee | Hears matters referred by Complaints and determines professional misconduct as defined in the by-laws. | Section 34 permits reprimands, restrictions, rehabilitation, fines, suspension, and membership/firm-registration revocation. Revocation under section 34(4)1 requires at least two-thirds of the hearing panel to agree. The section does not specify a $10,000 fine cap or payment to the Minister of Finance. |
| Capacity Committee | Considers impairment from a physical or mental condition that could render member practice unsafe. | Under sections 45–47, may require assessment and impose suspension, restrictions, or conditions through the statutory capacity process. |
| Review Committee | Reviews bankruptcy or insolvency events referred by the Registrar under sections 40–41. | May investigate, request information, and impose statutory measures such as suspension or restrictions. Section 41(8) prohibits revoking membership or firm registration under that section. It is not the CPD-audit committee. |
| Appeal Committee | Reviews or hears specified committee decisions. | The Act provides for review of a Complaints non-referral decision and appeals from Discipline, Review, and Capacity decisions under sections 33, 36, 42, and 48. |
Practice inspections are addressed separately in section 43. Keep the statutory Review Committee’s bankruptcy/insolvency role distinct from inspections and HRPA’s CPD administration.
Source: Registered Human Resources Professionals Act, 2013, sections 3–4, 11–12, 31–48.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
Professional designation requires ongoing learning to maintain current HR knowledge and skills.
Current CPD Requirements
- Hours and cycle: CHRP, CHRL, and CHRE holders must earn 66.67 qualifying hours per three-year CPD cycle. HRPA sets no fixed number of hours per year.
- First cycle: It begins when the designation is granted and is longer than three years to align with the June 1–May 31 cycle. Logs are due May 31 in the year the member is required to submit.
- Qualifying activities: The five categories are Continuing Education, Leadership, Instruction, Significant Work Projects/Initiatives, and Research or Publication. Category caps and detailed eligibility appear in HRPA’s CPD log. Members need not earn hours in every category.
- Ethics learning: It may be useful qualifying development, but the current requirement does not publish a mandatory three-hour ethics module or quota.
- Pre-approval: Activities may qualify without HRPA pre-approval; the member must assess eligibility and keep suitable evidence.
Audit and Compliance
HRPA randomly audits 3% of submitted logs each year for accuracy and qualifying activities. Selected members must respond to the audit notice and documentation deadlines to avoid suspension. The statutory Review Committee’s bankruptcy/insolvency role is separate from CPD administration. Keep evidence and follow the current log, category rules, and submission instructions.
HRPA Designation Requirements: CHRP, CHRL, and CHRE
These are HRPA designation pathways and competency levels. The Act protects titles; it does not establish exclusive job tasks for each designation.
| Requirement | CHRP | CHRL | CHRE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practice Focus | Foundational HR knowledge and predominantly tactical or administrative practice. | Professional HR practice including advisory and strategic responsibilities. | Executive HR leadership. |
| Education or Equivalent | One of four accepted routes: approved coursework; combinations of coursework, challenge exams, or course approvals; alternate academic preparation; or alternate experience. No universal diploma or degree requirement. | The education or equivalent requirement plus a degree in any discipline. | Written executive-experience application assessed by a peer panel through the current traditional or pilot pathway. |
| Experience | No separate professional-experience requirement to earn CHRP; candidates using the alternate-experience education route must meet that route’s requirements. | Three years of qualifying professional HR experience in the preceding ten years, including at least three months in the preceding two years. | Demonstrated executive-level experience assessed through the application and panel process; check HRPA’s current pathway instructions. |
| Knowledge and Law Exams | CHRP-KE or CHRL-KE, then an accepted CHRP-ELE or CHRL-ELE; CHRL-ELE eligibility requires CHRL-KE. | CHRL-KE and CHRL-ELE. Degree and experience validation are separate requirements. | Executive assessment pathway rather than the KE/ELE pathway. |
| Other Requirements | Job Ready Program and continued good standing/CPD. | Completion of applicable designation requirements and continued good standing/CPD. | Approval of the executive application and continued good standing/CPD. |
Under Route 1, approved courses require at least 65% in each of nine courses and an overall average of at least 70%. Other routes have their own HRPA confirmation criteria. Knowledge-exam results are valid for 15 years and Employment Law Exam results for 10 years; complete the remaining designation requirements within the applicable validity periods.
Sources: HRPA CPD requirement, designation pathways, and CHRE requirements.
What is the primary statutory purpose of the Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA) under the Registered Human Resources Professionals Act, 2013 (RHRPA)?
To act as a labor union bargaining wages for HR employees across Ontario.
To protect the public interest by regulating HR qualification, competence, and professional conduct.
To lobby the government for reduced employment standards regulations on employers.
To maximize corporate profits for Ontario businesses by lowering labor costs.
A CHRP holder is in a regular three-year CPD cycle. Which requirement does HRPA currently publish?
Log 30 hours of general reading without any ethics requirements.
Log 100 hours of volunteer work exclusively within non-profit organizations.
Earn 66.67 hours of qualifying professional development and submit the log by the applicable May 31 deadline.
Pass the HRPA CHRP Knowledge Exam again every three years.
Which HRPA statutory committee hears referred professional-misconduct matters and may order membership suspension or revocation?
Review Committee
Board of Directors
Public Relations Committee
Discipline Committee
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.