HR professionals urged to uphold ethics

The Chartered Institute of Human Resource Management Ghana (CIHRM) has called on human resource professionals to uphold accountability and ethical conduct as the Human Resource Management Professionals Act, 2020 (Act 1020) took full effect.

Speaking at the CIHRM’26 Conference, the President of CIHRM, Florence Hutchful, said the profession needed practitioners who exercised their responsibilities fairly and placed professional obligations above personal interests.

She said HR professionals played a critical role in organisations and were expected to demonstrate integrity in their decisions and actions.

Mrs Hutchful said the credibility of the profession depended on practitioners maintaining high ethical standards and ensuring fairness in the workplace.

She noted that the implementation of Act 1020 marked a new phase for the profession, as only certified members of CIHRM would be permitted to perform human resource management functions in the country.

She said the enforcement of the law was intended to strengthen professionalism and accountability across the sector.

Act enforcement

Mrs Hutchful said the full implementation of Act 1020 made it unlawful for individuals to practise human resource management in Ghana without certification from CIHRM.

She said the measure was aimed at protecting the integrity of the profession and ensuring that practitioners possessed the required qualifications and competence.

“The implementation of the law was intended to ensure that HR practice remained professional, accountable and guided by recognised standards across the country,” she said.

According to her, the legislation would help improve confidence in HR practice and support organisations in building stronger workplace systems.

She added that the institute remained committed to ensuring compliance with the law while supporting practitioners to meet the required standards.

Research plans

Mrs Hutchful also announced plans by CIHRM and the University of Ghana Business School to establish the country’s first Human Resource Professorial Chair.

She said the initiative was expected to promote research, support policy development and contribute to the growth of the HR profession.

“The Professorial Chair is expected to create opportunities for research and provide solutions to emerging workplace challenges,” she said.

Mrs Hutchful expressed confidence that the partnership would strengthen evidence-based decision-making and contribute to the development of human resource management in Ghana.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CIHRM, Dr Francis Eduku, said the profession was evolving rapidly due to technological changes, shifting workforce expectations and growing demands for accountability within organisations.

He said the institute continued to focus on certification, professional development and training programmes aimed at enhancing the capacity of HR practitioners.

Dr Eduku said the enforcement of Act 1020 represented an important milestone in the professionalisation of human resource management and would help improve standards and service delivery.

“The implementation of the law was expected to strengthen the role of HR practitioners and position them to contribute more effectively to organisational and national development,” he said.