CIHRM Activates Full Enforcement of Act 1020, Sets May 2026 Deadline for HR Practitioners

The Chartered Institute of Human Resource Management, Ghana (CIHRM) has announced the full activation and strict enforcement of its regulatory mandate under the Chartered Institute of Human Resource Management Act, 2020 (Act 1020).

The announcement was made at a press conference in Accra as part of a nationwide education and sensitisation campaign aimed at ensuring compliance among HR practitioners, consultants, freelancers, and organisations providing HR-related services in Ghana.

Sole Legal Regulator of HR Practice

Under Act 1020, CIHRM is the sole legally mandated regulator of the human resource profession in Ghana. The Institute is empowered to:

• Promote professional training in human resource management

• Regulate the practice of HR nationwide

• Establish and maintain a comprehensive register of qualified HR practitioners and service providers

Speaking at the press conference, CIHRM President Florence Hutchful emphasised that the era of unregulated human resource practice in Ghana has ended.

She stated that the Institute has been entrusted with the authority to ensure accountability, compliance, and professionalism across the HR space.

“We are calling on all HR Practitioners, HR Consultants, HR Freelancers, and organizations offering HR-related services to immediately take steps and register with the Institute to ensure compliance with Act 1020,” she urged.

Mrs. Hutchful stressed that with the activation of strict enforcement, non-compliance will no longer be tolerated.

New Regulatory Framework for HR Service Providers

The Chief Executive Officer of CIHRM, Dr. Francis Eduku, reiterated that HR functions in Ghana must now be performed by trained, certified, and regulated professionals.

“HR work in Ghana shall be performed by trained, certified, and regulated practitioners,” Dr. Eduku declared.

He disclosed that the Institute’s Council has developed a structured framework for registering HR solution providers. Service providers will be grouped into categories A, B, C, D, E, and F.

These categories will include:

• Multinational HR firms operating in Ghana

• Local HR firms with foreign partnerships

• Local HR consultancy firms

• HR freelancers and individual consultants

The categorised list will be published in national newspapers and on the Institute’s official website.

Legal Implications and Deadline

Dr. Eduku cautioned that practising HR without registration constitutes a breach of Act 1020.

“It is a breach of Act 1020 to perform HR functions in Ghana if you are not a registered member of the Institute and not in good standing,” he warned.

The Institute has set 29th May 2026 as the deadline for registration, urging all practitioners and firms to regularise their status before that date.

Call for Professional Standards

The Vice-President of CIHRM, Dorothy Asare, concluded the event by encouraging HR professionals to register and remain in good standing with the Institute.

The full enforcement of Act 1020 marks a significant shift in Ghana’s HR landscape, positioning the profession within a structured regulatory framework aimed at strengthening standards, protecting organisations, and promoting professional excellence nationwide.

Source: Accra Business News