HR professionals can add real value to today’s business decisions by being able to anticipate, evaluate and advise key stakeholders about the implications of employment legislation.

The Advanced Certificate in Employment Law will give you the knowledge, skills and confidence to be acknowledged as the principle source of employment law expertise and guidance within your organisation.

This programme is delivered by CIPD Training, the CIPD’s own specialist learning provider. CIPD Training is part of CIPD Enterprises Limited, which is wholly owned by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development

Who it is for

This qualification is designed for experienced HR professionals and line managers who already have a good general understanding of employment law.

How long it takes to complete

The Advanced Certificate in Employment Law usually takes 12-18 months to complete, although it can be taken over a shorter or longer period and up to a maximum of two years.

What you will learn

The Advanced Certificate in Employment Law will give you detailed knowledge of the following:

• the principal features of the English legal system, its institutions and procedures, including: CAC, Acas, ETs, EATs, ECJ, EOC, CRE, DRC, ILO and ADR
• the role of employment law in delivering organisational business objectives
• the influence of EU employment law, the impact of EU Directives and how they are transposed into national legislation
• how to apply legal principles to employment (individually and collectively) to ensure your organisation complies with terms of employment, and how to draft and change employment contracts
• the law as it applies to recruitment and selection, employment rights, pay and benefits, unfair dismissal, redundancy, transfers of undertakings, breach of contract and discrimination
• employee relations and the law, including the role of trade unions, their members and relationships with employers
• how to tackle grievance, discipline and dismissal issues; how to conduct effective disciplinary hearings; and the practical advice and guidance you can give to help line managers handle difficult situations
• maternity and family leave: comprehensive knowledge and practical application of maternity, parental, paternity, adoption and dependent leave and rights associated with requests for flexible working
• the significance of TUPE – the context and relationship between business and HR, identification and application of the legal principles and best practice
• data protection issues and how to apply the legal principles to organisational policies and procedures especially in relation to collection, storage, use of and access to personal data
• how to manage discrimination and diversity issues, from race, sex, disability, religion and belief, sexual orientation and gender reassignment, to bullying and harassment
• how to determine which employment tribunal cases your organisation should be prepared to fight, and which cases it should settle.

Routes to achieving qualification

You can choose from two different routes to achieve this professional qualification:

• Exam route - successful completion of the exam route will lead to the Advanced Certificate in Employment Law (ACEL), awarded by the CIPD. This qualification is part of the CIPD's Professional Development Scheme at postgraduate level.
• Continuous assessment route - we have also developed a continuous assessment route in conjunction with the University of Surrey. This route follows the same syllabus as the exam route and involves attending all the same course modules. Successful completion leads to the Postgraduate Certificate in Employment Law (PGCEL), awarded by the University of Surrey.

Neither route is better or more preferred than the other – both require motivation, commitment and a high level of self-managed learning.

How to gain the qualification

Exam based route - leading to the Advanced Certificate in Employment Law (awarded by the CIPD)

You must:

• attend the specified course modules
• successfully complete a 3,000 word written assignment
• pass the CIPD’s National Employment Law examination.

The course modules, the assignment and the exam should be completed within a two year period from your start date.

Successful completion of the qualification also meets the requirements of the employment law elective of the CIPD Professional Development Scheme (PDS) at postgraduate level.

Continuous assessment route - leading to the Postgraduate Certificate in Employment Law

Students must successfully complete all of the four programme modules, each of which include course modules and an assignment:

• programme module 1 – 2 course modules plus 3,000 word assignment
• programme module 2 – 3 course modules plus 3,000 word assignment
• programme module 3 – 3 course modules plus 3,000 word assignment
• programme module 4 – 2 course modules plus 3,000 word assignment.

Each programme module should be completed sequentially in a maximum six month period, so you should complete the entire programme in a two year period from your start date. However, you can complete it in a shorter time scale if preferred.

Find out more about the structure and format of the programme and the study methods