As CPHR Manitoba continues down the road to self-regulation, staff are here and available to answer any questions you have along the way.

Below is our library of research findings, listings of frequently asked questions and member inquiries we've received (to date) - we invite you to take a few minutes to read through them and contact us at hello@cphrmb.ca if you have any further questions.

Self-Regulation and CPHR Manitoba Members

What are the benefits of self-regulation to an HR professional?

While the main reason for self-regulation is protection of the public, there are ancillary benefits to the profession of HR. Self regulation will:

• Enhance the credibility and legitimacy of the HR profession, the CPHR designation and CPHR Manitoba to both internal and external stakeholders. This would mean:

o More control over your career path
o Ability to command a premium in the marketplace
o Increased opportunity to influence public policy
o Increased attractiveness of HR as a career choice
o Protection against the use of the CPHR designation by unauthorized individuals

• Acknowledge that CPHRs possess a high-level of ethics, knowledge and skill and are protected by regulatory safeguards to complete this work, to create value for the organizations that employ them and protect the legal rights of workers in the workplace
  
  

Our 2013 Professional Practice Analysis, conducted nationally, made several recommendations on how to elevate the CPHR designation to be on par with other professional regulatory bodies. We have been working with our provincial counterparts to introduce these recommendations. While some have been introduced, there are still more recommendations to be introduced, which you will see happen over the next year. These recommendations will elevate the CPHR designation.

Are there any additional financial costs if you’re a member?

No - if you’re a member of CPHR Manitoba, there will be no cost increases due to self-regulation. CPHR Manitoba’s strategic goal for self-regulation is for the benefit of the CPHR Manitoba member and the future role of the Human Resources profession in the province of Manitoba.

How will Self-regulation affect those HR practitioners who are not CPHRs? Will this restrict non-designated HR professionals from practicing HR?

Because we are seeking ‘certification’ and not ‘licensure’, HR practitioners who are not CPHRs would still be able to practice HR. This is about providing the public and HR professionals with a choice. Individuals practicing HR do not need to be members of CPHR Manitoba, just as they do not need to be members of CPHR Manitoba now. For our part, however, the Association intends to make the public aware of the advantages of dealing with regulated professionals. Other regulated occupations, including accounting, have voluntary or non-compulsory certification or licensing requirements. This means you can do the work of the profession without registration, but if you want to use the protected title of the profession you must register with the regulatory body first and meet all conditions of the designation.

Will all HR practitioners need to be members of CPHR Manitoba?

No. We continue to advance the profession, increase the knowledge and skills of HR practitioners and encourage those who fulfill HR roles to take advantage of our services and our accredited programs for professional development (PD); but there is no requirement for non-CPHRs to do so. Only designated CPHRs are required to fulfill their annual PD requirements.

Is there an advantage to being a regular member over not being a member at all?

CPHR Manitoba has a Code of Ethics & Rules of Professional Conduct (the Code) that sets out the ethical standard for the human resources profession. This national standard maps out ethical conduct, competent service and good character that all CPHRs and members of CPHR Manitoba must abide by.

Whether working as employees, consultants or independent practitioners, CPHR Manitoba members represent our national standard for excellence in workplaces throughout Manitoba and across Canada. Our HR professionals help employers address issues such as protecting businesses from unnecessary risks, attracting and keeping quality talent, connecting business goals to job performance, meeting employment standards and regulatory requirements, and enhancing leadership skills at all levels. They also help employers grow through workforce management, innovation programs and accountability – all in an ethical, professional manner.

As CPHR Manitoba continues down the path towards being legislated, we recognize the evolving landscape of the HR industry and how the Code supports every step. HR professionals have the expertise, the best practice industry standards, the skills and experience to help employers address key issues while serving the four areas of the Code.

What happens if a CPHR Manitoba member, designated or not, does not abide by the Code and/or nationally recognized standards that come with self-regulation?

If a member of CPHR Manitoba or member of the public believes that an active member of CPHR Manitoba has committed a breach of the CPHR Manitoba Code of Ethics & Rules of Professional Conduct they can make a formal complaint to the Professional Conduct Committee of CPHR Manitoba care of the CPHR Manitoba CPHR Registrar. For more detailed information about CPHR Manitoba’s complaints process, click here.

General FAQs About Self-Regulation

What does it mean to protect the public interest?

In exchange for regulatory powers, the regulatory body is expected to operate in the public interest, whether this is stated explicitly in the enabling legislation or not. The fundamental principle of professional self-regulation must be in the interest of the public. It is true that the being self-regulated does provide benefits to the profession but the main reason to be self-regulated is to protect the public, not to enhance the status of the profession (however, that is an ancillary benefit).

Essentially, the primary purpose behind all regulatory body activity should be to protect the public from incompetent or unethical practitioners and to ensure the effective provision and access to professional services not to forward the interest of the profession and its members.

What constitutes a Profession?

HR professionals perform a unique, definite, and essential service to society, relying on a body of knowledge, specialized training and influencing skills in the performance of their duties. In performance of their responsibilities, they can have challenging and sometimes conflicting demands placed upon themselves and their decisions. These considerations entrench the need to abide by a professional code of conduct and ongoing professional development.

These are just a few of the hallmarks of a ‘profession’ and not simply an occupation. The HR role has evolved to that of a profession. The field of human resources has a designation, a code of conduct, exercises significant influence within an organization and impacts the working population. It is safe to say that human resources is now a profession.

When would a government be more likely to regulate professions?

The overarching reason to regulate a profession is to ensure the public is protected from incompetent or unethical choices of its professionals.

What this boils down to is that it is not whether the profession ‘deserves’ to be recognized as a profession that concerns government; rather, it is whether the public needs protection that will motivate a government to regulate a profession.

What is the difference between professional association and professional regulatory body?

The difference between professional associations and professional regulatory bodies is that the former serve the interests of their members whereas the latter serve the interests of the public. This is a fundamental difference.

The mission of professional regulatory bodies is to minimize and mitigate the risks to the public that may arise from the practice of the profession.

That being said, there are some overlaps in activities between professional regulatory body and professional association but the reason for doing those activities will differ. For example, both will provide professional development opportunities however the professional association offers these workshops to help members advance their careers while the professional regulatory body will offer the workshop because it remedies a specific knowledge or skills gap which poses some risk to the public.

While there is potential for conflict between the two mandates, member interests must yield to public interest whenever the two conflict. It is our intention to be a dual-object regulatory body. We would focus on protection of the public above all else.

When might there be a conflict between mandates?

It’s important to note that the interest of the public and the interests of the profession are not always in conflict but that it can happen. An example would be in regard to setting standards for entry into the profession. Professional regulators in their concern for the safe practice of the profession may set requirements which limit the number of individuals who may qualify whereas professional associations are often interested in attracting as many members as they can.

Another example would be that professional regulators might set a number of limits on the behaviour of professionals and introduce mechanisms to assure continued competence. These measures may be seen as burdensome by members.

There are three levels of regulation (registration, certification and licensure). Which are we pursuing?

We are seeking ‘certification’ which would mean those professionals who hold the designation would essentially have a ‘stamp of approval’ and would include ‘protection of title’ for the CPHR. Certification is often associated with monopoly use of a specific title or professional designation (“protection of title”). This model protects the public by providing information about the qualifications of designation holders so that the public can make an informed decision about who they want to receive services from. We are not seeking scope of practice meaning there would not be any HR activities which would be restricted to only CPHRs or our members.

What is a dual-object professional organization?

In some professions, you will see two separate bodies: a professional association and a regulatory body. In others, you may find that one body is both the regulator and the association. This can happen for a few reasons: profession is newly regulated; the profession is fairly small; or, the risk of harm to the public is relatively low. While there is potential for conflict between the two mandates, member interests must yield to public interest whenever the two conflict.

What does it mean to be a member of a regulated profession?

There is a difference between being professional and being a professional. Many individuals who are not members of a regulated profession would say that they ascribe to professional attitudes and values. The key difference is the existence of a professional regulatory body and the acceptance on the part of the professional of the authority of the professional regulatory body.

Regulated professionals accept that their regulatory body can:

• Establish standards of qualification, ethics, competence, and professional practice;
• Take action to ensure that such standards are maintained;
• And that their regulatory body can hold its members accountable for upholding these professional standards.

No – in fact, self-regulation saves money. CPHR Manitoba is seeking title protection under a public act, not scope protection. This means that employers (including government) are not required to hire CPHRs or to ensure that their current HR staff meet CPHR standards, so there is no inherent salary or training cost increases tied to self-regulation.

There is also evidence that CPHRs, performing to the full extent of their professional capacity, significantly reduce risk for employers in many areas, reducing unnecessary expenses.

Self-regulation also improves business systems and reporting to government, as CPHRs are often the primary contact point, regarding time and effort in government oversight on compliance in matters of labour legislation and other required reporting.

Is self-regulation a deterrent to business growth in Manitoba?

No - Business needs a strong, stable environment to thrive. Across North America, businesses are struggling to keep pace with our rapidly changing environments and cultural expectations. Self-regulation helps strengthen our business and employment environment.

As more employers adopt stronger HR practices, the systems that protect organizations and employees from unnecessary financial and physical risks will be constantly improved.

According to the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce’s Business Outlook Survey in 2018 and 2019, the top challenge for business is hiring and retaining talent, something CPHRs are equipped to do well. Additionally, our research shows that the cost of turn-over per employee in Manitoba is $21,000 as of Spring 2017 (see HR Trends Report Spring 2017).

How does this affect post-secondary education?

In Manitoba, the major post–secondary institutions have become accredited by CPHR Manitoba over the last five years. This means that their curriculum meets 80% of our CPHR Competency Framework.
Graduates of an accredited program may be eligible to apply for a waiver for the National Knowledge Exam bringing them one step closer to becoming designated. Additionally, these accredited programs support self-regulation for CPHR.

The Regulation of the HR Profession in Other Provinces

Which provinces are regulated?

The HR profession is regulated in three provinces: Saskatchewan, Quebec and Ontario, who are regulated at the certification level. All other provinces are currently working with their respective governments to advance self-regulation.

The Chartered Professionals in Human Resources Act (Manitoba) will come into effect on June 1, 2025.

CPHR: Nationally recognized through mutual recognition

What is mutual recognition?

As mentioned previously, professional designations are provincially legislated. Provincial associations can enter into agreements with other provincial associations whereby they will agree to mutually recognize equivalent designations granted in other jurisdictions. This is called mutual recognition and is governed, in part, by inter-provincial agreements such as the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT) (Provincial legislation).

Mutual recognition is not the same as 'multi-jurisdictional validity'. An individual who has been certified in one province does not, by the same fact, 'have the designation' in all other provinces. To have the right to use the CPHR designation in Manitoba, one must be a member of CPHR Manitoba.

CPHR Canada (formerly known as The Canadian Council of Human Resources Associations (CCHRA)), of which CPHR Manitoba is a member, is a coordinative body - it is not a professional association and it is not a regulatory body. Provincial associations belong to CPHR Canada, individuals do not.

Essentially, the CPHR is not a national designation, it is a nationally recognized designation through the mechanism of mutual recognition.

What is the process for a new Canadian or landed immigrant to become designated?

New Canadians and landed immigrants would follow the same process outlined on page 33 of the submission. Degrees from outside of Canada can be validated by any of the Credential Evaluation Service providers, as listed on the Immigrate Manitoba website. Additionally, we accept international work experience as part of the Validation of Experience Assessment.

Further questions?

Please contact us at hello@cphrmb.ca.