Bill 28 - Registered Human Resources Professionals Association Act passes Second Reading in the Ontario Legislature

TORONTO, March 1, 2012 /CNW/ - On March 1, 2012, the Ontario Legislature passed second reading of Bill 28, the "Registered Human Resources Professionals Association Act". The legislation received strong all party support, being introduced by Liberal MPP David Zimmer as a private member's bill with co-sponsorship from Christine Elliott of the Progressive Conservative Party and Michael Prue of the NDP.

HRPA is a self-regulating professional association, under statutory authority granted by the Human Resources Professionals Association of Ontario Act, 1990. Since receiving the 1990 act, the HRPA has regulated the HR profession in Ontario by setting standards of practice to protect the public interest and by granting the Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designation.

Currently guided by outmoded, 20-year-old legislation, HRPA is seeking to update its current regulatory act to meet the needs of the numerous workplace changes of the past two decades. Bill 28 would strengthen the recognition and use of standardized HR skills and expertise to ensure all employees, regardless of background, are treated equally under the law. It would contribute to the success of a key public policy in Ontario: the creation of equitable workplaces.

"Since 1990, HRPA has ensured our members are given the professionals tools to meet the national standard of excellence in human resources management," said Bill Greenhalgh, CEO, HRPA.  "The economy and the HR profession have evolved at a tremendous rate during that period, and the time has come to move to the next step to protect employees, employers, and of course, the public interest."

Bill 28 will give the Association and its members:

• More control over their own destiny as a profession
• The ability to command a premium in the marketplace
• Increased ability to influence public policy
• Increased attractiveness of HR as a career choice
• The tools to deal with unauthorized use of the "CHRP" designation

The bill would also include HRPA in the Fair Access to Regulated Professions Act, 2006, (FARPA) as a Schedule 1 signatory. In early 2010, HRPA introduced several initiatives that have made the Association fully "FARPA-compliant":

• New methods to assess the skills of those individuals trained outside Canada;
• Alternative routes to accreditation; and
• A webpage dedicated to assisting internationally educated professionals.

The 20,000 members of HRPA work in 8,000 organizations in Ontario that employ more than 2 million Ontario workers, in all industries and across all sectors of the economy. They are committed to building fair and equitable workplaces for Ontario workers. HR professionals are the bridge between employee and employer to ensure both parties are aware of their rights and responsibilities under the province's workplace rules and regulations.

About the Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA)
The Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA) is Canada's HR thought leader and the largest HR association in the country. In Ontario, HRPA regulates the HR profession and issues the Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designation, the national standard for excellence in human resources management, as well as the Senior Human Resources Professional (SHRP) designation, reserved for high-impact HR leaders. HRPA has more than 20,000 members in 28 chapters and hosts the second largest annual HR conference in North America. www.hrpa.ca

For further information:

J. Scott Allinson
Vice President Public Affairs
Direct:   416.923.2324 x321
[e-mail]