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165 results · 2026
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Update on Framework for Certification of HR Professionals
Speakers: Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik, Jasmin Lau
Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik asked the Acting Minister for Manpower (a) under which current or proposed legislation or administrative framework the Institute for Human Resource Professionals certification requirement from 1 July 2028 will be imposed; (b) how compliance with this requirement will be monitored; and (c) what consequences, including financial penalties, administrative measures or effects on work pass or grant eligibility, will follow from non-compliance.
Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik asked the Acting Minister for Manpower (a) what criteria the Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP) certification applies in granting mutual recognition to overseas human resources (HR) professional certifications; (b) whether additional internationally recognised bodies are under consideration; (c) whether the certified HR professional must be based in Singapore; and (d) whether an outsourced or part-time certified HR professional engaged by an organisation will satisfy the IHRP requirements.
Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik asked the Acting Minister for Manpower (a) whether compliance with the Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP) certification requirement will be assessed continuously or at fixed points; (b) what grace period will be allowed when a replacement certified HR professional needs to be appointed or certified following a departure or extended absence; and (c) what conditions will apply during this period.
Ms Jasmin Lau: From 1 July 2028, organisations with more than 200 employees will be required to have at least one human resource (HR) professional who is certified by the Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP), at the IHRP Certified Professional level or higher. This is to help raise HR standards and enable businesses and workers to better navigate workplace and technology shifts. The requirement will be implemented administratively through the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM's) work pass framework. Cases of persistent non-compliance can result in curtailment of access to foreign workers.
MOM will monitor compliance by matching IHRP's records of certified HR professionals against MOM's administrative records. Companies which are detected to be non-compliant will be placed on notice. Companies will be given reasonable time to comply.
In keeping with the spirit of the requirement, the certified professionals should be in a position to make meaningful contributions to their organisations' employment practices and decisions. MOM has no plans to make additional specifications on the employment modality of the certified professionals at this point but will review this as needed.
Today, IHRP has mutual recognition arrangements with certain overseas HR professional bodies that uphold comparable standards of professional rigour. These include the Society for Human Resource Management based in the United States, the Australian Human Resources Institute and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development based in the United Kingdom. IHRP reviews these arrangements and the relevant recognition criteria where necessary to ensure that they remain appropriate. HR professionals holding such recognised foreign certifications will still need to complete a bridging assessment on Singapore's employment legislation and practices in order to be recognised under Singapore's certified HR professionals requirement.