Protecting the Public

Self Regulation

To elevate the credibility of the human resources profession and protect the public interest.

For human resources to be seen as a profession on par with other leading professional groups - engineers, accountants, lawyers, etc. - the next step in our evolution is to become recognized as a true self-governing professional association.

Self-regulation is not just about CPHR Alberta regulating members, it's about members regulating members. Obtaining recognition as a self-regulated profession means that the Alberta Government has recognized that our members themselves are in the best position to regulate the standards required of the human resources profession, including registration standards and standards of professional conduct.

Becoming a 'profession' is much more than bringing together like-minded individuals for learning and networking events. It's important to distinguish that professional associations are not 'clubs'. While networking is often a benefit of membership, professional associations are about ensuring qualified professionals are providing trusted services to all their stakeholders. Professionals are needed to 'protect the public' and this is a broad concept - protecting them from what? Essentially, the incompetent practice (or work) related to the human resources profession.

For more information see:

FAQ on self-regulation

Bylaws

CPHR Alberta is incorporated under the Alberta Societies Act as a non-profit society, and CPHR Alberta (formerly HRIA) bylaws comply with requirements of the Act.

The Board of Directors proposed amendments to the bylaws that were approved by our chartered members at the annual general meeting held on May 10, 2024.

Current Bylaws (Approved 05/10/2024)

Code of Ethics & Standard of Professional Conduct

CPHR Alberta's Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct expresses the professional commitment members make to the ethical delivery of human resources practice in Alberta.

The Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct consists of two parts: the Code of Ethics, which acts as a source of assurance of the profession’s concern for the public it serves and the practice of HR within ethical principles; and, the Standards of Practice, which are a guide to the profession and the conduct of its members. In line with other professional associations, CPHR Alberta’s standards and code are directed towards upholding its members’ ethical conduct and protecting the public, first and foremost. It is also concerned with achieving skilled and appropriate conduct within the profession. It is a hallmark of a profession when its members have voluntarily accepted this responsibility and duty to the public - as CPHR Alberta members have done.

The willingness to accept this duty to the public stems from the reliance of the public, generally, and the business community, in particular, on sound and competent advice on business affairs that include the complex nature of people. The importance of that advice imposes special obligations on the HR profession and also firmly establishes the profession’s social usefulness.

The Code of Ethics

CPHR Alberta’s Code of Ethics contains seven ethical principles – fundamental statements of accepted conduct whose soundness is self-evident and are as follows:

Competence;
Legal requirements;
Dignity in the workplace;
Balancing interests;
Confidentiality;
Conflict of interest; and,
Professional growth and support of other professionals

The Standards of Professional Conduct

The Standards of Professional Conduct are derived from the seven ethical principles of the Code of Ethics. When the two are taken together, they ensure that HR professionals deliver on the special obligations entrusted to members. These standards outline specific duties that will ensure the effectiveness and relevance of the advice provided by CPHR Alberta members. The public has a reasonable expectation that a member will carry out these duties with utmost diligence. These duties are as follows:

Duties when employed by organizations
Duties when managing or supervising others
Duties when representing an individual or organization
Duties when acting as an independent consultant
Specific duties while carrying out an engagement
Specific duties regarding professional liability insurance
Specific duties regarding fees
Specific duties regarding advertising and endorsements

To download the complete CPHR Alberta Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct, click here.

Good Character Attestation

Since its inception in 1984, CPHR Alberta has relied on the honour system to ensure the good character of its members, assuming all persons applying for chartered status did so with honourable intentions and without prior legal or disciplinary problems. However, in its move toward aligning with the self-regulation policies of other professional associations, CPHR Alberta was required to develop a standardized format for requesting, tracking and enforcing behaviour among its members that will ensure the good character of the profession as a whole.

Ensuring that only reputable members of the community are eligible to join CPHR Alberta and become chartered helps establish public trust as a quasi-regulator: an association that operates much like true professional regulatory bodies do - offers designations, has a code of ethics, and complaint mechanisms – but, without specific enabling legislation. Furthermore, it serves to build confidence with the Alberta government that CPHR Alberta takes its role seriously as the professional body best able to ensure the public of the integrity, knowledge and skills of its chartered HR professionals.

Professionals, especially self-regulated professionals, serve the public interest, and their professional stature in the community is an important component of maintaining the public trust. In establishing this credibility, most self-regulated professional bodies and all major regulated professions require that members provide an attestation of their good character, either through an interview process or a questionnaire

To establish a system that reflects best practices of other professional associations, CPHR Alberta undertook research on good character requirements in several Alberta professions including the Professional Planners, Municipal Assessors, Chartered Accountants, Architects, Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians, and Naturopaths. As a result of this research, a Good Character Attestation Form was developed by staff and approved by CPHR Alberta's Board of Directors.

Reflecting the most common practice among professional associations, each year at dues renewal, CPHR Alberta members are asked to confirm their continuing “good character” over the previous 12 months by completing the questionnaire.

The purpose of a good character attestation is not to investigate each individual member on the responses to statements, but to provide clarity and set a standard for acceptable conduct within the profession. It is also designed to ensure that only reputable and honest practitioners are eligible to become Chartered Professionals in Human Resources (CPHRs).

If you believe you will answer yes to any of the questions, you may wish to contact us at registrar@cphrab.ca to discuss your particular case and if any supporting documentation is necessary. Answering yes does not result in your membership application or continued membership being denied. It starts a process of review to determine your particular situation. All decisions are made by the Registrar, at his or her discretion, and may be appealed to the Registration Committee for review.

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To elevate the credibility of the human resources profession and protect the public interest.

The Code of Ethics

The Standards of Professional Conduct