Professional
Foundational
Strategic
Recertication Policies
and Procedures
Handbook
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A Message From Our CEO ........................................3
Impartiality Statement ...............................................4
Nondiscrimination Statement ....................................4
Terms and Conditions ................................................4
Accreditation ..............................................................5
Questions or Comments? .........................................5
Recertication.............................................................6
HR-Related Activities ................................................6
Self Reporting .............................................................6
Certication Cycle Dates ...........................................7
Recertication Credits and Cycles for Multiple
Designations ..............................................................8
Prorating Specied Credit Hours for Multiple
Designations ................................................................... 8
Recertication Requirements ...................................8
Ethics Requirement................................................... 8
Dening Specied Credit ............................................... 9
Recertication Surplus Credit Carry-Over Allowance
10
Recertication Application Fee ...............................12
Recertication Fees for Multiple Designations ........... 12
Suspended Status ...................................................13
Expired Status ..........................................................14
Emeritus Status .........................................................14
Life Certication .................................................14
Recertication Application Processing ...................15
Recertication Audit ...............................................16
Digital Badges .......................................................... 17
Optional Paper Certicate ........................................... 17
LinkedIn Example .......................................................... 17
Request for Reconsideration (Appeal) .............18
Name Changes ...................................................18
Recertication Activity Categories and
Subcategories ..........................................................19
HRCI Code of Ethics ................................................27
Professional Responsibility ........................................... 27
Professional Development ........................................... 28
Ethical Leadership ......................................................... 28
Fairness and Justice ...................................................... 28
Conicts of Interest ....................................................... 29
Use of Information......................................................... 29
HRCI Complaints and Disciplinary Policy................29
Denotes possible and important scenarios a candidate might
encounter that fall out of the “normal” candidate application process.
Revised January 2023
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A Message From Our CEO
Welcome!
The HRCI® community is made up of dedicated HR
professionals — just like you — who are the best and
brightest in our profession.
Since its establishment, HRCI was founded on a
commitment to credentialing excellence through providing
a suite of certications for HR and non-HR professionals
and is constantly introducing innovative ways to better
serve the global HR practitioner.
Maintaining your earned designation means you are serious
about your HR or management career and continue to
make a difference in your organization.
In this Handbook, you will nd an overview of the HRCI re-certication process. Thank
you for being a champion of people and organizations and for maintaining your HRCI
certication as an important part of your HR career journey.
Amy S. Dufrane, Ed.D., SPHR, CAE
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HRCI was established in 1976 as an internationally
recognized certifying organization for the HR
profession. More than 500,000 professionals from
over 125 countries have earned certications from
HRCI. Our certications represent a high level
of professional achievement and are valued by
employers and organizations across the globe.
Impartiality Statement
HRCI executive leadership and its management
adhere to all principles of impartiality to
ensure that its certication and other activities
are undertaken fairly and objectively. HRCI
is intentionally structured to segregate
responsibilities within the organization in order
to facilitate this commitment and to continually
monitor processes to that end. We understand
the importance of impartiality when carrying
out our certication activities, managing conict
of interest and ensuring the objectivity of our
certication activities. Any complaint or indication
of concern over impartiality is taken seriously and
acted on for immediate resolution.
Nondiscrimination Statement
We do not discriminate based on race, color,
national origin, sex, gender, gender identity, age,
religion, marital status, sexual orientation or any
other status that is protected by applicable U.S.
laws.
Terms and Conditions
As part of the certication program application
process, you must acknowledge that you have
both read and understood the following key
items:
1. Global Privacy Policy
2. Use of Information Policy
3. Code of Ethical and Professional Responsibility
4. Certication Policies and Procedures
Handbook
In addition, you must agree to the following
statements:
• I agree to inform HR Certication Institute,
without delay, of matters that can affect
my capability to continue to fulll the
certication requirements.
• In the event of suspension of my
certication, due to not recertifying within
the 3-year cycle, I will refrain from any
use and/or further promotion of myself as
certied once the credential is suspended.
• When my HRCI certication is in
suspension or withdrawn, I will discontinue
the use of any claims or reference to HRCI
certication(s) in any professional and/
or social media venues. Should I have any
purchased HRCI paper certicate(s), I will
promptly return to HRCI for disposal.
• I will comply with the relevant provisions
of the certication. I will only make claims
regarding certication that are within the
scope for which the certication has been
granted.
• I will not use the certication in such a
manner as to bring the certication body
into disrepute, and will not make any
statement regarding the certication which
HRCI considers misleading or unauthorized.
• I will discontinue the use of all claims to
certication that contain any reference
to HRCI or the certication upon being
in suspension or the withdrawal of such
certication issued by HRCI.
• I will not use my certication status or
the certicate credentials in a misleading
manner.
• I understand that HRCI conducts random
audits on recertication applications. In
order to maintain my HRCI certication
I must comply with all requirements if
selected for audit.
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Accreditation
The aPHR
®
, PHR
®
, PHRca
®
, PHRi
™
, SPHR
®
, SPHRi
™
, and GPHR
®
are all accredited by the National
Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). NCCA is an independent, third-party organization that
accredits more than 300 programs from 120 organizations in a variety of professions and industries.
The recently introduced aPHRi™ is designed to meet the high-quality standards established
by NCCA. Certication programs must demonstrate compliance with rigorous standards that
represent the best practices in the professional certication industry to earn and maintain
accreditation status.
For more information on NCCA accreditation, visit www.credentialingexcellence.org.
Questions or Comments?
Thank you for being certied by HRCI. The recertication process is a critical component
of maintaining professional certication, and HRCI is here to support you during this
process. If you have questions or comments, please feel free to contact us:
Email: info@hrci.org
Phone (US toll free): +1.866.898.4724 | +1.571.551.6700
Website: www.hrci.org
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Recertication
Earning your HRCI certication was the initial step in committing yourself to the HR
profession, but the journey doesn’t stop there! Your on-going success depends on your
dedication to performance excellence. HRCI recertication enables you to demonstrate
that continued dedication and helps you stay on top of the rapidly changing HR
profession.
Holding an HRCI credential requires that you actively demonstrate continued competence
to stay up to date with changes in the HR profession through continued professional
development and recertication. To keep your HRCI certication active, you are required
to recertify every three (3) years. This can be done either by accumulating the required
HR-related recertication credit hours through Professional Development or Professional
Achievement or by testing again to re-earn that credential.
To recertify by exam, the exam must be taken before the individual’s recertication cycle
end date. Otherwise, the certication will be considered a new one. If the exam is not
passed, a person may still recertify via continuing education, as long as it is done by the
end of the suspended period.
This handbook will guide you through the recertication policies and processes.
HR-Related Activities
All your recertication activities must be HR-related to qualify. In general, if an activity can
be tied to the specic HRCI Exam Content Outline associated with your designation and
adds to a professional’s knowledge of the HR eld, it will be awarded recertication credit.
When you submit your recertication application, you must show how the activities are all
HR-related.
Activities that focus on personal development are not eligible or accepted for
recertication credit. Examples of personal development courses or activities are “How to
Reduce Stress,” “Developing Your Network for Success,” and “Time Management.”
Self Reporting
If an activity has not been pre-approved by HRCI, through its HRCI Learning Center and/
or Approved Provider Program, you must be prepared to explain how it is related to
your HR responsibilities. When describing such activities, you should always relate them
to the relevant Exam Content Outline associated with your credential(s). Additionally,
uploading any relevant documents for such activities will provide reviewers with relevant
documentation in support of your request.
On occasion, a random audit or an HRCI Reviewer may not accept an activity if it does not
seem to be HR-related. In that case, we will contact you and ask for more information to
better understand if such activity is appropriate for the requested recertication credit(s).
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Certication Cycle Dates
If the month in which you are due to
recertify is the same as your birth month,
your cycle end-date will remain the same.
Test Date 5/12/2022
3 Year Cycle 5/31/2026
Birth Month May
Birthday Rule Adjustment 5/31/2026
If the month in which you are due to
recertify occurs earlier in the year than
your birth month, your cycle end-date
will be extended to the end of your birth
month, later that same year.
Test Date 5/12/2022
3 year Cycle 5/31/2026
Birth Month July
Birthday Rule adjustment 7/31/2026
If the month in which you are due to
recertify occurs later in the year than your
birth month, your cycle end-date will be
extended to the end of your birth month
in the following year.
Test Date 5/12/2022
3 year Cycle 5/31/2026
Birth Month March
Birthday Rule Adjustment 3/31/2027
• Your recertication account will be created
once HRCI receives and uploads your ofcial
exam results.
• Your certication cycle will end on the last day
of your birth month. Depending on when you
earn your certication, your initial certication
cycle could be longer than three years.
• The earliest you may submit your recertication
application is exactly 12-months after the cycle
start date and only after the recertication
requirements for the designation have been
auto-created by HRCI in your prole.
• Recertication credits must be earned during
your current three-year recertication cycle.
• Your subsequent 3-year recertication cycle will
always begin the day after the previous cycle
ended.
• Your certication cycle dates may be found in
your online prole “My Recertication” and by
clicking on your digital badge.
• Early Recertication: If you recertify early,
your three-year recertication cycle timing for
renewal will not change. For example, you are
due to recertify by 8/31/2023. You realize that
you have an abundance of activities and credits
to meet the recertication requirements.
Therefore, you decide to submit these early, in
March 2022. Your next three-year recertication
cycle will still be on 8/31/2026, based on the
current recertication requirements.
• Earning Additional Credentials and
Recertication: When an HRCI-certied
professional earns an additional HRCI
designation, the cycle dates for the newest
credential requirements are pro-rated and
synchronized into the current cycle dates of
that rst designation. The end date of the new
designation will now be the same as the end
date of the designation that was earned rst.
Here are some examples of how the
recertication cycles are determined:
• This simplies the recertication process
resulting in you submitting one application
to recertify two (or more) designations only
one time during the 3-year cycle period.
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Recertication Credits and Cycles for Multiple Designations
Prorating Specied Credit Hours for Multiple Designations
If you earn a second designation in the middle of your current certication cycle, the end date
of the second certication will be synchronized to the end of your initial certication cycle that
coincides with your birth month. Additionally, if required, the specied credit hours needed
to recertify the second designation will be prorated. After the initial recertication period is
complete, all credentials will remain on the same recertication cycle.
If you are earning prorated credit hours, you must still earn the specied credit hours on that
prorated basis. The section below explains this process further and gives helpful example:
• For instance, if you earn the GPHR designation after the PHR, SPHR, or SPHRi, the
requirement to obtain 15 global recertication credit hours over a three-year period would
be adjusted on a biannual basis (for example, 2.5 global HR recertication credit hours every
six months) for the rst certication cycle.
• Or, if you earn the SPHR or SPHRi designation after the GPHR, the requirement to obtain
15 business credit hours over a three-year recertication period would be adjusted on a
biannual basis (for example, 2.5 business recertication credit hours every six months) for
the rst certication cycle.
In some cases, one continuing education activity may count toward specied credit hours
for more than one certication. For example, a ve-hour seminar on global demographic
workforce trends could count toward meeting the specied credit hours requirement for both
the GPHR and SPHR designations. However, those ve hours can only be counted once toward
the overall requirement of earning 60 credit hours.
Your prorated specied recertication credit hours will be available in your online prole along
with your certication cycle dates.
Recertication Requirements
Some designations are distinguished by the specic HR experience needed to pass the exam
(SPHR
®
, SPHRi
™
, GPHR
®
, and PHRca
®
). Likewise, the standards to recertify these designations
include activities specic to this expertise.
Ethics Requirement
HR professionals play an important role while leading ethical practices in today’s workplace.
Effective January 1, 2021, all certicants (excluding Lifetime and Emeritus) must fulll one ethics
credit as part of the total 45/60 recertication credits requirement. This requirement ensures
our certicants remain aware of crucial ethical practices and behaviors in the workplace. There
is NOT a specic “Ethics Credit” designation to select from when entering the activity. Simply
include one ethics-themed activity in your recertication plan and check the required “ethics
afrmation box” to submit your recertication application.
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45
None
1
Ethics
60
None
1
Ethics
60
15
Business
1
Ethics
60
15
California
1
Ethics
60
15
Global
1
Ethics
45
None
1
Ethics
60
None
1
Ethics
60
15
Business
1
Ethics
Designation
Total # of
Credit Hours
Specied
Credit Hours
Ethics Credit
Required
Note: If you hold multiple credentials, as an example the SPHR and SPHRi, you only need to meet the 15
business credit AND 1 ethics credit a single time to satisfy your recertication requirement.
Please note, this ethics credit is one of the UNCHANGED total number of recertication
credits requirement: 45 for aPHR®/aPHRi™ and 60 for PHR®/PHRi™/SPHR®/SPHRi™/
GPHR®/PHRca®.
The chart below illustrates the updated ethics credit requirement for all HRCI certications.
Recertication activities/credit hours requirements are as follows:
Dening Specied Credit
As an SPHR, GPHR, and/or PHRca certied professional, a certicant must demonstrate
expertise in specic areas of HR. To recertify and maintain these designations, professionals
are expected to pursue specialized experiences and continuing education options to remain
current in those specialized areas.
The specialized Business and Strategy credits are in line with the “Responsibilities
& Knowledge” requirements of “Functional Area 01” of the SPHR / or the SPHRi
designations. A certicant must demonstrate:
• Pursuit of results-focused experiences that enhance business strategy and HR expertise.
• Measurable impact to organizational values: revenue, bench strength, community
involvement/recognition, employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction, etc.
• Experiential learning focused on leading/developing/aligning with human capital
strategy, people mentoring/coaching, change management, relationship building and
risk mitigation.
SPHR/SPHRi Recertication Requirements:
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Recertication Surplus Credit Carry-Over Allowance
HRCI® offers certicants the option to carry-over surplus recertication credits. The
surplus activities must be earned during the last 12 months of a certicant’s active three-
year recertication cycle. To qualify, actively-certied individuals must submit more than
the normally required 45 credits for aPHR®/aPHRi™ OR the 60 credits for PHR®/PHRi™/
SPHR®/SPHRi™/GPHR®/PHRca®).
Surplus credits are any additional qualifying activities/continuing education courses
submitted that are more than, or in addition to, your respective 45/60 recertication
credits requirements. Having surplus credits is optional. You do NOT have to participate
or submit additional credits if all you want is to just meet the standard 45/60
recertication credits requirements.
GPHR Recertication Requirements:
PHRca Recertication Requirements:
The specialized global credits require a GPHR certicant to demonstrate:
• Understanding of US Employment Law and regulations and how to integrate with the
employment law, culture and environment impacting employees in other countries.
• Practical experience in managing cross-border employees while supporting
organizational growth through balancing and prioritizing business operations between
these separate cultural/geographic environments.
• Experiential learning focused on global HR strategies, policies, global stafng and
talent development, compensation and benets, and risk mitigation.
The specialized California credits require a PHRca certicant to demonstrate:
• Understanding and practicing California-specic business operations to maximize
employee performance and organizational success.
• Experiential learning focused on employment, compensation and benets, employee
relations, health and safety laws and regulations specic to state of California.
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Allowed
Active, within 3-year recertication
cycle
Maximum 15 credits
HRCI pre-approved or self-reported
credits:
• General HR
• Specied (Business, Global or
California) credits
• A combination of the credit types
listed above
Surplus credits are auto-calculated
and conditionally carried over as
general HR Credits
Surplus credits must have been
most recently earned within the last
12-months prior to submitting your
renewal application during an active
three-year recertication cycle.
For example: Certicant’s three-year
recert cycle begins in 2020 and ends
on 31 July 2023. The qualied and
allowed carry-over credits must be
earned between 1 July 2022 to 31
July 2023
Regardless of which surplus credit
types are conditionally carried over,
HRCI automatically considers these
as General HR credits
Not Allowed
Suspended, 12-months before
expiring
Unqualied/incomplete credits
Any activities/credits:
• being audited/waiting for
additional information
• that do not meet/qualify for the
requested credit type, etc.
• HR Association membership
Surplus credits above the
maximum 15 will not be carried/
re-used in future three-year
recertication cycle
Surplus credits earned during the
rst two-years of a three-year
recertication cycle or while in
Suspended Status.
For example: Certicant’s three-
year recert cycle started in May
2019 and ends on 31 May 2022,
credits earned between 1 June
2019 and 31 May 2021 do not
qualify and cannot be allowed as
carry-over credits
No exceptions, carried-over
surplus activities will automatically
become General HR credits
Situation
Certication
Status
Carry-over Limit
Activity/Credit
Status
Carry-over Credit
Status
Date Range
Conditionally
Approved Credit
-Type
To participate, submitted activities/credits must meet specic requirements. Here is a list
of some of the major rules:
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Methods of Payment:
All payments and fees must be in U.S. Dollars (USD). HRCI accepts VISA, MasterCard,
American Express, money order, certied check, cashier’s check and company/
organization checks. Certied and cashier’s checks must be made payable to HR
Certication Institute, in U.S. Dollars (USD) and drawn on a U.S. bank. Cash or personal
checks are not accepted. For payments by certied check or money order, the candidate
must complete the online application, send payment via mail and include a photocopy
of the recertication application summary page and the candidate’s email address with
payment.
Recertication Application Fee
Once you complete your recertication continuing education credits, you can submit your
recertication application for review and approval. HRCI cannot begin the review until all
payments have been received and processed. Recertication fees are non-refundable.
Recertication Fees for Multiple Designations
HR professionals may hold any of HRCI’s certications separately or in combination with
each other. HR professionals need to decide for themselves which of these certications
relate to their HR experience and bring value to their current and future career goals.
Below are the prices for recertifying your active designation within your three-year cycle:
Number of Designations*
One Designation
Two Designations
Three Designations
Four Designations
Five Designations (or more)
Price
169 USD
219 USD
269 USD
319 USD
369 USD
*All fees are subject to change without notice. Those holding multiple designations must meet
recertication requirements for each of the designations that they wish to retain.
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Suspended Status
It is your primary responsibility to keep your certication active by complying with all
recertication requirements on or before your cycle end date. Your certication cycle end
date occurs at the end of your birthday month and is displayed in your online prole and
on the digital badge. HRCI will send periodic email reminders of recertication end dates
and available opportunities to earn recertication credit hours.
NOTE - To receive these emails, make sure to keep your contact information
current. Failure to receive any such reminders and/or e-mails are not grounds for
missing your cycle end date AND not recertifying on time.
Applications for recertication received the same day as the cycle end date, by 11:59PM,
Eastern Time, are considered on-time submissions. If you fail to submit your application by
the last day of your cycle, your credential(s) will be placed in Suspended status for up to 12
months.
Once your designation is in suspension, a $100 USD Suspended Fee is automatically
added to the fees due when you submit the application for review.
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
First Recertication Cycle
Second Recertication Cycle
Suspended
Status
While your credential(s) are in Suspended status:
• You cannot use or represent yourself as certied;
• Your name will not appear in our Directory of Certied Professionals; and
• HRCI will not be able to verify your credentials to your current or potential employers.
To regain use of the designation, you must successfully recertify to resume using the
designation or apply, qualify, and successfully pass that corresponding exam type.
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Expired Status
Failure to recertify during the 12-month Suspended Status period will result in the
credential being irrevocably Expired. Once any credential is in the expired status, you
must reapply, qualify, and successfully pass the current edition of the exam to regain the
use of such credential(s).
HRCI does not grant credential extensions. On a case-by-case basis, we will review
hardship cases with extenuating circumstances (i.e. serious health conditions, proof of
termination of employment, etc.) if you submit the adequate and timely documentations
when requested by HRCI. To inquire about such exception, please send an e-mail
describing your hardship to the recertication team at info@hrci.org. including
documentation of such hardship (lay-off, unemployment payment, etc.) Once you provide
the requested documentation, it will be reviewed and a determination will be sent via
e-mail to inform you of HRCI’s decision.
Emeritus Status
HRCI Emeritus status allows currently certied HR professionals whose status is still active
(not suspended or expired) to continue to use their designation(s) after they retire from the
HR profession. This means that the certicant will no longer have to recertify every 3-years
going forward. There is a one-time $150 fee to apply for Emeritus status.
Please consider the Emeritus Status carefully before you apply and request this
change. If you are awarded the Emeritus Status and later decide to re-enter the HR
profession, you will forfeit the Emeritus Status and must re-apply and re-take the qualifying
HRCI exam to regain the designation(s) you previously had. To apply, please complete the
Emeritus application.
Life Certication
Prior to 1996, HRCI granted Life Certication to certied HR professionals who had
successfully completed two sequential recertication cycles. In 1996, HR Certication
Institute’s Board of Directors discontinued this option, recognizing that a constantly
changing profession requires continual professional development.
If you hold a Life Certication and then earn another designation, you will have to recertify
by completing the required credit hours (including any specied credit hours) only for the
additional designation.
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Recertication Application Processing
Each certication holder with an active HRCI credential has an online recertication prole
which may be accessed here.
Log on to record your recertication
activities and upload documentation
in your application every time you
complete them.
We recommend that you do not wait
until the end of your three-year cycle
to record all the activities you’ve
completed.
1
Enter the required number of
recertication hours plus any
specied hours if required for your
designation.
2
Receive an approval email once
your application is reviewed and
approved. You will receive a
conrmation email with instructions
on how to claim, share, and print
your digital badge.
Check out the many benets of digital
badging. if you still wish to purchase
the optional paper certication, you
may do so at the HRCI Online Store.
4
If selected for random audit, you will
receive conditional approval* and
instructions on how to complete the
audit process.
*Conditionally-approved: HRCI has pre-approved
your application pending nal review. If additional
information is needed, you will be notied and must
submit supporting documents. Once reviewed and
approved, your recertication status will change from
Conditionally Approved to Approved.
5
Pay for and submit your
recertication application online.
HRCI only reviews applications once
they have been submitted with
payment. Application fees are non-
refundable.
3
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Recertication Audit
HRCI randomly audits applications to ensure certication holders comply with the
recertication requirements and to protect the quality and integrity of our certication
programs. If your application is selected for an audit, you will immediately receive
conditional approval via email with instructions on how to proceed. Conditional approval is
valid for 60 days and allows you to submit the required audit documentation and maintain
your active digital badge.
To assist you in a random audit, it is best practice that you fully describe your activities
and how they are HR-related and in alignment with the HRCI Exam Content Outline(s). We
encourage you to consistently upload any relevant documents, and follow the directions
given within the application. Once your application is selected for an audit, it is considered
incomplete until you submit and document all activities you had listed in your application.
HRCI will assist you in successfully completing the audit process. Please follow these steps
when entering audit documentation:
Log in to your recertication application.
1
Find the activity and add the document and necessary information.
2
Follow the instructions and steps within the application. As an example, click
on the “Submit Audit Docs” button to proceed.
3
In that section, upload documents and then click the submit button
4
To complete the entry please select “Yes” in the “I attest” box located at the
bottom of the page.
5
Repeat this process to attach documentation for at least 60 hours of
submitted activities.
6
Once you have submitted all the required credit hours of documentation,
click “Submit for Audit.” Please allow up to 14 business days to hear back on
your Recertication audit submittals.
7
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Digital Badges
When a candidate recerties, HRCI will send information on how to claim the digital
badge. The digital badge is the ofcial documentation of having earned an HRCI
credential. It can be claimed to display your achievements and capabilities on social
media, emails, personal websites and resumes. Additionally, learn how to access, claim
or print a PDF version of this digital certicate. A digital badge protects the integrity of
a professional’s credentials by providing a link to veried data from HRCI that cannot be
falsied. HRCI digital badges allow the credentialed professional to provide employers
with easy, valid verication of earned credentials, while positioning the professional at the
forefront of this new technology for communicating professional skills.
LinkedIn Example
Optional Paper Certicate
In addition to the free digital badge, if a certicant still wishes to have a traditional paper
certicate, HRCI works with a fulllment vendor to provide this option. To purchase this
optional paper certicate*, please login to access the online store at www.hrci.org.
Once ordered, the certicate will be sent using a traceable delivery service.
*Fees are subject to change at any time and without prior notice. Please refer to www.hrci.org for
the most current information about fees.
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Request for Reconsideration (Appeal)
A request for reconsideration of a recertication decision allows an individual to appeal an
adverse non-disciplinary decision made as part of the recertication processes.
A request must be made using the Request for Reconsideration (Appeal) Form and
submitted within ten (10) business days of receiving the adverse determination. The
written request must include date of determination, details of the circumstances, the
reason for the appeal (including relevant supporting materials not previously submitted),
and individual’s email address, postal address, and a phone number at which the individual
can be reached.
The request will be reviewed by an HRCI Customer Experience Manager in combination
with any additional information relevant to the appeal within ten (10) business days of
receipt of the request.
HRCI will notify the individual of the decision within ve (5) business days of the
determination. The determination will be nal. There shall be no subsequent discriminatory
action against the appellant.
Name Changes
Once you create your HRCI prole and submit your application, you must contact HRCI if
there is a mistake or your name legally changes.
To change a legal name, complete and submit the Name Change Request form.
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Recertication Activity Categories and Subcategories
Categories at-a-glance Maximums
Professional Development
Pre-Approved Activities (activities that contain an HRCI pre-approval code:
• Webinars / Podcasts
• Conferences
• Workshop
• Courses
• In-House Training
• Seminars
• E - l e a r n i n g
No Maximum- All credits
may be earned with
these types of activities
Instructor-Led Continuing Education (Activities that do not have an HRCI
pre-approval code but are HR-related*:
• Webinars / Podcasts
• Conferences
• Workshop
• Courses
• In-House Training
• Seminars
• E - l e a r n i n g
No Maximum- All credits
may be earned with
these types of activities
Self-Directed Learning (Activities dened on pg. 21)
30-Hour Maximum
Professional Achievement
Subcategories include:
• Instruction
• On-the-Job Activity
• Leadership
• Research and Publishing
• HR Membership
40-Hour Maximum,
including a 12-hour
maximum for HR
membership
The following section is a detailed outline of what is required and counted toward your
recertication application and submittal:
All recertication activities must be HR-related. In general, if an activity can be related to the Exam
Content Outline for the certication type an individual has earned and it adds to the certicant’s
knowledge of the HR eld, it is considered “HR-related” and recertication credit will be awarded.
Submitted recertication activities are all subject to HRCI’s recertication review process.
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Category /Sub-category Rules/Exceptions/Audit Requirements
Professional Development
An individual may earn all recertication credits
in the Professional Development category. There
are no credit limits for pre-approved or instructor-
led programs. This includes classroom, e-learning,
and web-based programs.
Maximum
No maximum with the exception of Self-Directed
Learning which has a limit of 30 credit hours. Self-
Directed categories include HRCI pre-approved
books and experiences where the recertication
applicant was mentored by a peer.
Pre-Approved Program:
You can earn credits from programs offered by
HRCI Approved Provider Organizations. Attending
pre-approved HR programs allows you to use the
credits earned toward your recertication. All pre-
approved programs can be viewed at:
http://www.hrci.org/recertication/pre-approved-
activity-search.
Business Rules
• The HRCI pre-approved program ID can only
be obtained when you attend/complete a
program and only distributed by the host
organization. HRCI cannot provide you this ID
number directly.
• Once you enter the program ID, the
corresponding credit type and hours will auto
populate into your recertication application.
• It is important that the program ID and event
dates exactly match the pre-approved date(s)
and conditions under which they were awarded
to the organization.
• Specied credit (business, global, and
California) may also be earned through pre-
approved programs.
No Maximums
Exceptions: For conference submission:
• For conferences, you can only use the pre-
approval program ID to claim general HR
credits.
• Do not use a pre-approved code when
reporting specied credits for conference
sessions (Business, Global, California and Ethics).
Instead, you must self-report these sessions
individually under the Continuing Education
(Instructor Led) Category.
NOTE: If you enter a pre-approved ID that results
in an error message, please enter this activity
under the “Professional Development; Continuing
Education (Instructor Led)” Category.
Audit Documentation
Certicate or letter of attendance, registration
form, receipt, or email conrmation are all
acceptable forms of documentation.
All recertication activities must be HR-related. In general, if an activity can be related to the Exam
Content Outline for the certication type an individual has earned and it adds to the certicant’s
knowledge of the HR eld, it is considered “HR-related” and recertication credit will be awarded.
Submitted recertication activities are all subject to HRCI’s recertication review process.
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Category /Sub-category Rules/Exceptions/Audit Requirements
Instructor-Led Continuing Education
Courses that are led by an instructor whether live
or recorded and have expected learning outcomes
for participants.
Credits can be earned by completing a course
offered by:
• a college or university,
• attending a non-pre-approved program or
conference that adds to your HR knowledge,
• participating in E-learning, online training, in-
house work training, or
• attending a professional HR association hosted
program.
Business Rules
• Programs must be HR-related and be at least
45 minutes long (30 minutes of content and 15
minutes of Q&A).
• Credit(s) may be recorded in quarter-hour
increments such as 1.25 for a program that is 1
hour, 15 minutes in length.
• Pre-conference sessions may be awarded
additional credit if submitted separately from
the main conference.
• Exam preparatory courses to attain a general
HR certication (ex. HRCI or SHRM certications)
cannot be awarded recertication credits.
College and University Courses
HR Certication Institute accepts continuing
education units (CEUs) awarded through the
International Association for Continuing Education
and Training (IACET).
• If you audit a course (meaning you attend the
class but are not responsible for completing
coursework) an HR-related college or
university course, you can claim a maximum
of ten recertication credit hours on your
recertication application.
• For each college credit hour earned, ten
recertication credits can be awarded. For
example, a three-credit semester course, 30
recertication credit hours will be awarded.
• To receive recertication credit for a college or
university course, a maximum grade of “C” must
be earned.
Specied credit (Business, Global, California
or Ethics) may be earned through continuing
education/instructor-led courses.
No Maximum
Conferences and Seminars:
Credit may be given for a general (plenary) session
if the presentation is at least one-hour long and is
specically HR-related.
• Typically, a maximum of eight credit hours per
one-day conference are awarded for attending
all conference educational sessions.
• Additional credit hours may be awarded for
any HR-related activities if you provide/upload
additional information and documentation
about them on your recertication application.
Specied credit (Business, Global, California
or Ethics) may be earned through continuing
education/instructor-led courses and must be self-
reported.
If you have additional questions about how to
determine how much credit you can potentially
earn for taking a college or university course,
please contact our client relations team at info@
hrci.org.
Examples of College and University Courses
• A course awarded three CEUs using IACET
criteria is equivalent to 30 classroom hours.
aPHR, PHR, PHRca, SPHR, GPHR, aPHRi, PHRi,
and SPHRi certied HR professionals would
receive 30 recertication credit hours for each
course.
• For courses containing more contact hours
than the IACET guidelines allow, please upload
documentation (like a detailed syllabus) to
illustrate the requested number of hours.
Audit Documentation
Certicate or letter of attendance, registration
form, course syllabus, unofcial transcript, grade
report, or other course material are all acceptable
forms of documentation.
All recertication activities must be HR-related. In general, if an activity can be related to the Exam
Content Outline for the certication type an individual has earned and it adds to the certicant’s
knowledge of the HR eld, it is considered “HR-related” and recertication credit will be awarded.
Submitted recertication activities are all subject to HRCI’s recertication review process.
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Category /Sub-category Rules/Exceptions/Audit Requirements
Self-Directed Learning
Credit will be awarded in this category for 3 types
of experiences:
• Reading HRCI pre-approved books.
• Facilitating a Book Discussion Group using
books that have been submitted and approved
by the HRCI Approved Provider program
• Being coached or mentored in HR by peer or
professional coach
HRCI Pre-approved Books: a facilitator of a
pre-approved book discussion may earn credit
for the discussion portion. For example, leading
a discussion about the impact of a book on HR
practices.
Maximum: 30 hours/credits
Credit can be recorded in quarter-hour
increments such as 1.25 for a program that
is one hour and fteen minutes in length.
Specic applications to HR knowledge must be
demonstrated upon submission of activity.
Policy
Credit will only be awarded on an hour-for-hour
basis if you are a mentee or are being coached.
Specically, you are in a situation where you are
the mentee and have a mentor/coach, OR you
have read an HRCI pre-approved book.
Audit Documentation
Notes and specic learnings from the activity or
a letter from a mentor or coach verifying time are
acceptable forms of documentation.
Professional Achievement (B)
Subcategories of Professional Achievement
Activities:
A. Instruction
B. On-the-Job Activity Leadership
C. Research and Publishing
D. HR Membership (12-Hour Maximum)
Maximum: 40 hours/credits
The 40 hours may come from one subcategory
(except for membership which has a 12 hour
maximum) or any combination of the ve
subcategories.
All recertication activities must be HR-related. In general, if an activity can be related to the Exam
Content Outline for the certication type an individual has earned and it adds to the certicant’s
knowledge of the HR eld, it is considered “HR-related” and recertication credit will be awarded.
Submitted recertication activities are all subject to HRCI’s recertication review process.
Facilitated Book Discussion
For a facilitated book discussion to be awarded
credit through a facilitated book discussion, a
book must be submitted by the facilitator for pre-
approval through HRC’s Approved Provider (AP)
program. The following criteria must be met for
the submitted book to receive pre- approval:
• Book must be pre-approved through the HRCI
Approved Provider (AP) Program
• There must be an ofcial facilitator for each
book club discussion.
• The facilitated book discussion must meet at
least once for a minimum of one hour.
• Specied credit (Business, Global, or California)
may be earned.
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Category /Sub-category Rules/Exceptions/Audit Requirements
Subcategory A: Instruction
Presenting on an HR topic using different
resources. You can earn credits for making
a formal HR-related presentation such as: A
Workshop; In-House Training; External Training;
A College/University Course Book; An industry
specic required reading that is HR-relevant; A
podcast/webcast/webinar
Upload any proof/syllabus/e-mail related to one of
these categories.
Business Rules
Presentations/podcasts/webcasts/webinars
must be at least 60 minutes in length and HR-
related. To account for course preparation time,
instructors earn two recertication credit hours
for each hour of presentation time. Credit will
only be awarded the rst time a presentation is
given. Presentations that communicate company
policies do not earn credit.
Audit Documentation
A copy of the presentation, syllabus/agenda, or
the book discussion questions are all acceptable
forms of documentation.
Specied credits: Business, Global, or California
credits may be earned through this category.
All recertication activities must be HR-related. In general, if an activity can be related to the Exam
Content Outline for the certication type an individual has earned and it adds to the certicant’s
knowledge of the HR eld, it is considered “HR-related” and recertication credit will be awarded.
Submitted recertication activities are all subject to HRCI’s recertication review process.
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Category /Sub-category Rules/Exceptions/Audit Requirements
Subcategory B: On-the-Job Activity
Work-related activities that lead to new HR
learning. Earn credit for an HR activity that adds
to your HR knowledge gained through work
experience:
• First-Time Activity: If the HR activity is
something that you have never done before,
credit will be earned for rst-time on-the-job
activities.
• Repeat Activity: If the overall HR experience is
something you have done before, credit will be
earned only if something has been added or
changed that requires you to learn something
new.
Business Rules
Hour-for-hour credit is awarded up to
the maximum amount in the Professional
Achievement Category.
If you spend more than 40 hours on a single
project, submit for the maximum amount of 40
hours. The following information will be required
upon submission:
• Title and description of the activity.
• Description of specic role in the project and
length of time spent on the activity.
• Related Exam Content Outlines functional
areas.
First-Time Activity Example: If you need to
create a performance appraisal program for
your company, you would submit the activities
undertaken to accomplish this goal as your
documentation for recertication credit. Other
examples:
Creating a Handbook; Implementing and HRIS
system, Merging & Acquisition; completing an
OSHA audit
Repeat Activity Example: You have already
implemented a performance appraisal program,
but you decide to add a new feature, such as
360-degree feedback. Likewise, change in
industry or regulations that necessitated you
to revise an HR process would also qualify (ex.
Acquired a new plant and had to do an additional
OSHA audit, create a new onboarding procedure;
etc.). You must learn the details of this approach
so that you can present to key stakeholders.
These new HR-related learnings would be eligible
for recertication credit.
Audit Documentation
A detailed letter from your employer; an example
of the work done, email proof, etc. in pdf and
uploaded to your recertication record.
All recertication activities must be HR-related. In general, if an activity can be related to the Exam
Content Outline for the certication type an individual has earned and it adds to the certicant’s
knowledge of the HR eld, it is considered “HR-related” and recertication credit will be awarded.
Submitted recertication activities are all subject to HRCI’s recertication review process.
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Category /Sub-category Rules/Exceptions/Audit Requirements
Subcategory C: Leadership
Volunteer your HR knowledge and expertise
outside of your organization.
Earn credit by contributing your HR expertise to
individuals or organizations (non-compensated
time only).
All recertication activities must be HR-related. In general, if an activity can be related to the Exam
Content Outline for the certication type an individual has earned and it adds to the certicant’s
knowledge of the HR eld, it is considered “HR-related” and recertication credit will be awarded.
Submitted recertication activities are all subject to HRCI’s recertication review process.
Audit Documentation
Letter from organization that includes a
description of the panel, board, or committee and
your specic role in the group, exam development
panel, or focus group invitation/agenda, mentor
guidelines, survey invitation, and proof that
survey was completed are all acceptable forms of
documentation.
Business Rules:
Credit may be earned in the following ways (role
must be HR-related):
• Restricted to HRCI Exam Development Panel
• Ofcer position on a board
• Committee chair
• Committee member
• Mentoring or coaching others*
• Focus group participation
• Human resources Competency Study (HRCS)
surveys
• Survey related to HR work or practices
• 3 credits per full meeting day
• 10 credits per year
• 5 credits per year
• 2.5 credits per year
• Awarded hour-for-hour credit
• 1 credit hour of focus group
• 1-3 credits (1 credit for taking the survey
2 credits if you serve as the designated
organizational champion)
• 1 credit per year, maximum
*Only if you were the mentor/coach to someone
else. You cannot submit in this category if you
were the mentee. That must be reported under,
Professional Development, Self-Directed Learning
Subcategory.
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Category /Sub-category Rules/Exceptions/Audit Requirements
Subcategory D: Research and Publishing
Earn credit for HR-content professionally
published in a journal, article, or book, or for HR-
related videos/webinar/blogs.
Business Rules
Credit on an hour-for-hour basis may be
earned in the following ways for an HR-related
publication, provided it was published within the
recertication cycle you are submitting:
• Authored a professionally-published book can
earn up to 40 recertication hours.
• Co-authored or content edited a professionally
published book for up to 30 recertication
hours.
• Authored an article appearing in a professional
publication or academic journal for up to 30
recertication hours.
• Co-authored or content edited an article for
up to 20 recertication hours.
• A published PhD. dissertation can earn up to
40 recertication credits.
• Created content and production for an HR-
related video/webinar can earn up to ten
recertication hours.
Policy
Earn credit by conducting primary research on an
HR-related topic for publication.
Blog Requirements:
• HR-themed and contain 700 words or more.
• Must be available.
• The link must be provided to the post in the
“Description” box when submitting the blog
for credit.
Audit Documentation
Summary of publication, documentation of time,
letter from publisher are all acceptable forms of
documentation.
Subcategory D: HR Membership
Participation in an HR association at the national
or local level.
Policy
Earn credit for participation in a national,
international, and local HR association.
Business Rules
Must be a member for at least six months to earn
one recertication credit.
Maximum: 12 hours/credits
Only two credits per year per organization, not to
exceed 12 in a 3-year recertication cycle.
Audit Documentation
Membership card, dues receipt, or a letter
from the association are all acceptable forms of
documentation.
All recertication activities must be HR-related. In general, if an activity can be related to the Exam
Content Outline for the certication type an individual has earned and it adds to the certicant’s
knowledge of the HR eld, it is considered “HR-related” and recertication credit will be awarded.
Submitted recertication activities are all subject to HRCI’s recertication review process.
Blog Credits
Each blog post is awarded one recertication
credit.
Maximums: Two recertication credits per year for
a maximum of six for a three-year recertication
cycle.
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APPENDIX
HRCI Code of Ethics
The HRCI Code of Ethics has been adopted to advance and uphold the highest standards
of service and conduct recognized by all certicants using any of the following credentials:
aPHR
™
, aPHRi
™
, PHR
®
, PHRi
™
, PHRca
®
, SPHR
®
, SPHRi
™
and GPHR
®
.
An HRCI certication implicitly obligates the user to comply with the mandates and
requirements of all applicable laws and regulations. Certicants are required to act in
an ethical and professional manner by adhering to these standards and ensuring public
condence in the integrity of their professionalism.
Those holding an HRCI credential commit to the following:
Professional Responsibility
As an HRCI certicant, you accept professional responsibility for both your individual
decisions and actions. As an advocate for the HR profession, you engage in activities that
enhance the credibility and value of the organizations, while contributing to their ethical
success.
You will:
• Adhere to the highest standards of ethical and professional behavior.
• Effectively achieve the organization’s HR goals.
• Work consistently within regulatory requirement of the HR profession.
• Strive to achieve the highest levels of service, performance and social responsibility.
• Appreciate and value the contributions of employees and associates.
• Advocate within established forums to inuence innovative decision-making and results.
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Professional Development
As an HRCI certicant, you must meet the highest standards of competence and commit
to strengthen your competencies.
You will:
• Commit to continuous learning, skills development and application of new knowledge
related to both human resource management and the success of the organizations you
serve.
• Contribute to the body of HR knowledge, the evolution of the profession and the
growth of individuals through teaching, research and global dissemination of sound
practices.
Ethical Leadership
As an HRCI certicant, you are expected to exhibit individual leadership and serve as a
role model while maintaining the highest standards of ethical conduct.
You will:
• Act ethically in every professional interaction.
• Advocate for the ethical application of all transactions, regardless of the source.
• Ensure decisions are of the highest ethical standards.
• Acquire expert guidance, as needed, about ethical proprieties.
• Champion and mentor the development of other ethical leaders.
Fairness and Justice
As an HRCI certicant, you are ethically responsible for promoting and fostering fairness
and justice for all employees and their organizations.
You will:
• Respect the uniqueness and intrinsic worth of every individual.
• Treat people with dignity, respect and compassion to foster a trusting work
environment free of harassment, intimidation and unlawful discrimination.
• Assure an environment of diversity and inclusivity.
• Conrm everyone can develop their skills and new competencies.
• Develop, administer and advocate policies and procedures that foster fair, consistent
and equitable treatment for all, regardless of geographical location.
• Regardless of personal interests, support decisions made by your organizations that are
both ethical and legal.
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Conicts of Interest
As an HRCI certicant, you must maintain a high level of trust and protect the interest of
your stakeholders, as well as your professional integrity. You should refrain from engaging
in any activities that create actual, apparent or potential conicts of interest.
You will:
• Adhere to and advocate the use of published policies on conicts of interest within your
organization.
• Refrain from using your position for personal, material or nancial gain or the
appearance of such.
• Abstain from giving or seeking preferential treatment in the human resources
processes.
• Prioritize your obligations to identify conicts of interest or the appearance thereof.
When conicts arise; you will disclose them to relevant stakeholders.
Use of Information
As an HRCI certicant, you must consider and protect the rights of individuals, especially
in the acquisition and dissemination of information, while ensuring truthful communications
and facilitating informed decision-making.
You will:
• Acquire and disseminate information through ethical and responsible means.
• Ensure only appropriate information is used in decisions affecting the employment
relationship.
• Investigate the accuracy and source of information before allowing it to be used in
employment-related decisions.
• Maintain current and accurate HR information.
• Safeguard restricted or condential information.
• Take appropriate steps to ensure the accuracy and completeness of all communicated
information about HR policies, training and practices.
HRCI Complaints and Disciplinary Policy
A. Introduction
1. HR Certication Institute (HRCI) is an independent certifying organization for
the human resources profession. As a certifying organization, HRCI evaluates
individuals who wish to enter, continue and/or advance in the profession through
the certication process. HRCI is governed by the Board of Directors (Board). HR
Certication Institute Certication Council (Council) was established in 2016 as a
Special Purpose Council within HR Certication Institute. The Council is established
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in HR Certication Institute Bylaws, which authorize the Council to have autonomy in
decision making regarding the development and administration of HR Certication
Institute’s certication programs.
2. Those certied by HRCI (referred to as “certicants”) have successfully completed
the required certication process, which includes meeting certain eligibility
requirements and passing a certication examination. HRCI certicants subscribe
to a Code of Ethical and Professional Responsibility. By applying for certication or
recertication, HR professionals agree that they have read and will comply with the
Code of Ethical and Personal Responsibility, the Complaints and Disciplinary Policy
and other certication program policies. These disciplinary procedures are not formal
legal proceedings, thus many formal rules and practices of a court proceeding are
not observed. The rules are intended to afford due process and fairness.
3. Successful candidates are granted certication by HRCI and may hold themselves
to the public as such. In order to maintain and enhance the credibility of HRCI
certication programs, HRCI has adopted these Administrative Procedures (the
“Procedures”) to allow consumers and others to bring complaints concerning a
certicant’s conduct to HRCI. If a violation constitutes grounds for sanctions as set
forth below, the Certication Council established by the HRCI Board may reprimand
or revoke the individual’s certication.
The grounds for sanctions under these Procedures are as follows:
a. Violation of established HRCI certication program policies, rules, and
requirements;
b. Fraud or misrepresentation in the application for, or maintenance of, certication;
c. An irregular event in connection with HRCI examination, including (but not limited
to) copying examination materials, causing a disruption in the testing area, and
failure to abide by reasonable test administration rules;
d. Taking the exam for any purpose other than that of becoming credentialed in the
area referenced in the title of the exam;
e. Disclosing, publishing, reproducing, summarizing, paraphrasing, or transmitting
any portion of the exam in any form or by any means, verbal, written, electronic or
mechanical, without the prior express written permission of HRCI;
f. Unauthorized possession or misuse of HRCI credentials, examinations, and other
intellectual property, including but not limited to: aPHR, aPHRi, PHR, PHRca, PHRi,
SPHR, SPHRi, and GPHR;
g. Misrepresentation of credential status;
h. Failure to provide requested information in a timely manner;
i. Conviction of a felony under federal or state law in a matter related to the practice
of, or qualications for, professional activity.
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4. HRCI will ensure that information concerning the complaint process, as developed
by the Certication Council, will be available to applicants, certicants, consumers
and the public at appropriate locations. These Procedures apply to all complaints or
inquiries received about an HRCI certicant.
5. It should be emphasized that actions taken under these Procedures do not constitute
enforcement of the law, although referral to appropriate federal, state, or local
government agencies may be made by HRCI regarding the conduct of the certicant
in appropriate situations.
Individuals who submit complaints are not entitled to any relief or damages by virtue of
these Procedures, although they will receive notice of the actions taken if the submitter
agrees in advance and in writing to maintain any such information in condence.
B. HRCI Certication Council
1. The Certication Council is responsible for development and administration of the
HRCI certication programs and for the implementation of these Procedures.
2. The Certication Council Chair is specically responsible for ensuring that these
Procedures are implemented and followed.
3. All Certication Council members, HRCI staff, and other individuals engaged in
investigations or decisions with respect to any complaint under these Procedures
may be indemnied and defended by HRCI from and against liability arising from
HRCI-related activities to the extent provided by law.
C. Complaints
1. Complaints must be submitted in writing by an individual or entity. Inquiries or
submissions other than complaints may be reviewed and handled by HRCI at its
discretion.
2. The submitter may be asked to complete the HRCI Complaint Submission Form and
include the specic grounds for sanctions as reference above in Section A.
3. HRCI will not review or further pursue any complaints which:
a. Contain unreliable or insufcient information;
b. Are patently frivolous or inconsequential;
c. Allege general unethical or unprofessional behavior by a certicant;
d. Do not expressly reference specic grounds for sanctions;
e. In HRCI’s sole reasonable discretion may choose not to review or further pursue a
complaint based on the date of the violation; or
f. In HRCI’s sole reasonable discretion, are more appropriately addressed by an
administrative, regulatory, or law-making entity.
Upon receipt and preliminary review of a submission involving an HRCI certication
program or the grounds for sanction, the Manager, Customer Experience
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(“Manager”) may conclude, in his/her sole discretion that the submission does
not constitute an actionable complaint as described above. If not an actionable
complaint, the submission is disposed of by notice from the Manager to its submitter,
if the submitter is identied. All such preliminary dispositions by the Manager are
reported to the Certication Council in writing in an annual summary. If the Manager
determines that the submission is a valid and actionable complaint, the Manager
may contact the submitter or the accused for any additional information that may
be necessary. The individual will have 30 days to submit any and all applicable
documentation. This documentation may be presented to the Certication Council.
If no applicable documentation is submitted within the 30 days, the Manager may
proceed with making a determination. The Manager may consult with the additional
HRCI staff and/ or legal counsel as needed to make either determination.
4. If a submission is deemed by the Manager to be a valid and actionable complaint,
the Manager shall see that written notice is provided to the certicant whose
conduct has been called into question. The certicant whose conduct is at issue
shall also be given the opportunity to respond to the complaint. The Manager also
shall ensure that the individual submitting the complaint receives notice that the
complaint is being reviewed by HRCI. The Manager will determine if the submission
is worthy of an investigation and gather information as necessary. Upon completion
of the investigation, the Manager will provide the ndings to the Certication Council
for a decision.
5. The Manager shall make the decisions described above and provide the notices
required here under within 60 days of receipt of the complaint.
D. Review of Complaint
1. For each submission involving an alleged violation of the grounds for sanctions that
the Manager concludes is a valid and actionable complaint, the Certication Council
authorizes an investigation by HRCI staff into its specic facts or circumstances
to whatever extent is necessary in order to clarify, expand, or corroborate the
information provided by the submitter.
2. Both the individual submitting the complaint and the certicant who is the subject of
the investigation (or his or her employer) may be contacted for additional information
with respect to the complaint. HRCI may at its discretion contact such other
individuals who may have knowledge of the facts and circumstances surrounding the
complaint.
3. All investigations and deliberations of the Certication Council are conducted
in condence, with all written communications sealed and marked “Personal
and Condential,” and they are conducted objectively, without any indication of
prejudgment. An investigation may be directed toward any aspect of a complaint
which is relevant or potentially relevant. Formal hearings are not held, and the parties
are not expected to be represented by counsel, although the Certication Council
may consult HRCI’s counsel.
4. HRCI shall undertake all reasonable efforts to ensure that the review process set
forth in this section shall be completed within 90 days of the determination to
investigate.
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5. HRCI initially determines whether it is appropriate to review the complaint under
these Procedures or whether the matter should be referred to another regulatory,
administrative, or other entity engaged in the administration of law.
6. HRCI may be assisted in the conduct of its investigation by additional HRCI staff and/
or legal counsel. The Manager, Customer Experience exercises general supervision
over all investigations and is responsible for presenting the ndings of any complaint
investigation that has been escalated to the Certication Council for disciplinary
action.
E. Determination of Violation
Upon completion of an investigation, the Certication Council may make a determination
that there has been a demonstrable and serious violation based on the grounds for
sanction. The determination of the disciplinary decision is prepared under the CEO’s
supervision and is presented to the Certication Council along with the record of the
investigation.
1. If the Certication Council determines that a violation has not occurred, the
complaint is dismissed with notice to the certicant and the individual or entity
who submitted the complaint. The complaint is included in an annual summary
Certication Council report.
2. If the Certication Council determines that a violation has occurred, the Council will
decide on an appropriate sanction.
3. This determination and the imposition of a sanction are promulgated by written
notice to the certicant and to the individual submitting the complaint, if the
submitter agrees in advance and in writing to maintain in condence whatever
portion of the information is not made public by the Council.
4. In certain circumstances, the Certication Council may determine that the certicant
who has committed an actionable sanction, should be offered an opportunity to
submit a written assurance that the conduct in question has been terminated and will
not recur. The decision of the Certication Council to make such a determination is
within their discretionary power. If such an offer is extended, the certicant at issue
must submit the required written assurance within 30 days of receipt of the offer, and
the assurance must be submitted in terms that are acceptable to the Certication
Council. If the Certication Council accepts the assurance, notice is given to the
certicant and to the submitter of the complaint, if the submitter agrees in advance
and in writing to maintain the information in condence.
F. Sanctions
1. Any of the following sanctions may be imposed by the Certication Council upon
a certicant whom the Certication Council has determined to have violated the
grounds for sanctions, although the disciplinary decision applied must reasonably
relate to the nature and severity of the violation, focusing on reformation of the
conduct of the member and deterrence of similar conduct by others:
a. Written reprimand to the certicant;
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b. Suspension of the certicant for a designated period; or
c. Termination of the certicant’s certication from HRCI.
The HRCI database and certicant’s le will be promptly updated to reect any
certication suspension or termination.
2. Reprimand in the form of a written notice from the Certication Council normally
is sent to a certicant who has received his or her rst substantiated complaint.
Suspension normally is imposed on a certicant who has received two substantiated
complaints. Termination normally is imposed on a certicant who has received
two substantiated complaints within a two (2) year period, or three (3) or more
substantiated complaints. The Certication Council may at its discretion, however,
impose any of the sanctions, if warranted, in specic cases.
3. Certicants who have been terminated shall have their certication revoked and may
not be considered for HRCI certication in the future. If certication is revoked, any
and all certicates or other materials requested by HRCI must be returned promptly
to HRCI.
G. Appeal
1. Within 30 days from receipt of notice of a determination by the Certication Council
that an individual committed an action resulting in grounds for sanctions, the
affected certicant may submit to HRCI in writing a request for an appeal. Upon
receipt of a request for appeal, the Chair of the Certication Council will appoint a
three (3) person Appeal Panel. Individuals appointed to serve on the Appeal Panel
cannot be current members of the HRCI Board of Directors or Certication Council.
Appeal Panel members will sign a condentiality and conict of interest statement
prior to beginning their service on the committee.
This Appeal Panel may review one or more appeals, upon request of the HRCI
Certication Council Chair. No HRCI staff may serve on the Appeal Panel; further, no
one with any personal involvement or conict of interest may serve on the Appeal
Panel.
2. The Appeal Panel may only review whether the determination by the Certication
Council was inappropriate because of:
a. material errors of fact, or;
b. failure of the Certication Council or HRCI to conform to published criteria,
policies, or procedures.
Only facts and conditions up to and including the time of the Certication Council’s
determination as represented by facts known to HRCI are considered during an
appeal. The appeal shall not include a hearing or any similar trial-type proceeding.
Except as otherwise set forth herein, legal counsel is not expected to participate in
the appeal process, unless requested by the appellant and approved by the HRCI
Certication Council and the Appeal Panel. The Certication Council and Appeal
Panel may consult HRCI legal counsel.
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3. The Appeal Panel conducts and completes the appeal within 90 days after
receipt of the request for an appeal. Written appellate submissions and any reply
submissions may be made by authorized representatives of the appellant and of the
Appeal Panel. Submissions are made according to whatever schedule is reasonably
established by the Appeal Panel.
4. The decision of the Appeal Panel either afrms or overrules the determination of the
Certication Council but does not address a sanction imposed by the Certication
Council. The decision of the Appeal Panel, including a statement of the reasons for
the decision, is reported to the HRCI Certication Council in writing. The Appeal
Panel decision is binding upon the Certication Council, the certicant who is subject
to the sanction, and all other persons.
H. Resignations
If a certicant who is the subject of a complaint voluntarily surrenders his or her HRCI
certication(s) at any time during the pendency of a complaint under these Procedures,
the complaint will be dismissed without any further action by the Certication Council
or an Appeal Board established after an appeal. If this occurs, the information will be
retained in HRCI’s permanent le for future reference. However, the Certication Council
may authorize the Certication Chair to communicate the fact and date of resignation,
and the fact and general nature of the complaint which was pending at the time of the
resignation, to or at the request of a government entity engaged in the administration
of law. Similarly, in the event of such resignation, the person or entity who submitted the
complaint are notied of the fact and date of resignation and that Certication Council
has dismissed the complaint as a result.
HRCI® is the premier global credentialing organization for the human resources profession. For more than
45 years, HRCI has set the standard as the most well-regarded and rigorous certication provider. HRCI
develops and administers certications that benet the careers of HR professionals and the organizations
they serve—advancing worldwide HR competency and excellence. HRCI’s suite of eight credentials is
designed to meet the standards of the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). With a
community of HRCI-certied professionals in more than 125 countries, HRCI ensures, strengthens and
advances the strategic value and impact of HR.
The aPHR®, aPHRi™, PHR®, SPHR®, GPHR®, and PHRca® are trademarks of HRCI®, registered in the U.S.
and other countries. PHRi™ and SPHRi™ are trademarks of HRCI. aPHR®, PHR®, SPHR®, PHRi™, SPHRi™,
GPHR®, and PHRca® exam content outlines are copyrighted by HRCI.
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