HR Career Growth: Is a Law Degree Essential or Are Diplomas in Company Law Enough?

I am an HR Generalist. I would like to know whether a degree in Law is important to progress in an HR career. Also, can we pursue a diploma program in company law/IR/LR?

Regards,
Alankrita

Industry-Specific HR Qualifications

It depends on the type of industry in which you are working as an HR generalist. For example, in the manufacturing, construction, and infrastructure sectors, and others with a large population of blue-collar employees (called industrial/non-industrial workers), any qualification that helps in managing legal and industrial-relations-oriented problems/issues will certainly be to your advantage.

For industries having most of their employees as white-collared, it may be better to have in-depth knowledge and understanding of KRAs, goal-setting processes, KPIs, competency mapping, and how to evolve employee development plans.

The decision rests on personal preferences.

Regarding your query, I believe what's important is your own interest.

Assessing Your Interest in HR Specializations

First, you should ask yourself if you are interested in handling legal, IR, and labor welfare causes. If you have the aptitude and time for it, then you need to ensure you're in a job profile as an HR generalist where you can apply the learning. If your answer is yes to all of the above, then you should pursue Law, but remember it's a 5-year course. Once you make up your mind, keep your goal in mind and be prepared for the time commitment. Following this, your main industries will be those with a large concentration of blue-collar employees.

Exploring Other HR Specializations

However, if your interest as an HR generalist lies in the area of employee engagement, compensation/benefits, talent acquisition, OD, and employee life cycle, then you may consider a Diploma in Labor Laws and focus on working in a relevant job profile with training in the field of interest. Here, you have a wider range of industries and profiles you can handle. Moreover, the knowledge can be acquired through short-term courses as well.

Importance of a Diploma in Labor Laws

In any case, I believe an HR professional with any specialization should have at least a Diploma in Labor Laws because none of the areas can be operated independently without at least basic knowledge of the regulatory framework within which you are required to work.

The choice depends on your preference and ability to dedicate the required timeline. Best wishes for whichever field you choose.

Warm regards,
Deena Jagasia

It depends on your interest in the field. HR does not require labor law or legal knowledge. They are the motivators of human values, not punishers of any human. However, it is beneficial to have knowledge of grievance handling, counseling, social work, etc.

Regards,
Alphonse

The Value of Legal Qualifications in HR

Any qualification that you acquire now will become an asset for you later in life. Acquiring legal qualifications will help you in advising labor or management in interpreting judgments. You can become a labor law consultant later on.

Regards

I do concur with the views expressed by the learned friends so far. Whether you are an HR Generalist or otherwise, knowledge of the laws of the land acquired through systematic learning will sharpen your intellect and help you understand the legal problems, if any, you come across in your career, as well as the solutions you receive from the specialists in this regard. You can try the B.A.L Degree (Bachelor of Academic Laws) offered by Annamalai University in Distance Learning Mode.

I go with the view that a qualification in law will be handy to an HR professional but is not essential. As an HR professional, one does not deal with complex issues of law in day-to-day labor administration. In fact, I know some HR people with non-legal qualifications who are endowed with better legal acumen than those with qualifications in law. What is essential is to get a hang of legal language and the ability to understand the legal provisions in their plain sense but not a qualification in law. If you are endowed with analytical skills and some aptitude for legal reading, it will suffice. You can think of doing a short-term course in labor welfare instead.

Regards,
B. Saikumar
In-House HR & IR Advisor

I had only said that for a competent HR professional, a law degree is not mandatory for discharging their duties and responsibilities. It is an unwritten fact—"the more, the better."

In that spirit, "more qualifications, better challenges."

Thanks,

R K Nair

Knowledge of the law would definitely help as you come across many situations related to law in your day-to-day routine where you need to be responsible as an HR professional to explain to the employees and the management. For example, the calculation of overtime for your employees, drafting policies and letters, and addressing disciplinary issues. The complexity of understanding the subject and its usage increases as you progress in your HR career. I would say that just a degree is not enough; knowledge and practical application in day-to-day HR activities are also important. You can pursue a Diploma in Labor Law and Labor Welfare (a one-year course) to enhance your understanding.

Best Regards,
CS

If your current position and responsibility relate only to discharging the HR function and there is a separate position in your organization handling IR issues independently, then acquiring a law degree should not be much of a priority for you. Acquiring legal knowledge can be need-based and through seeking advice from qualified professionals. Over a period of time, we all acquire working knowledge of the legal aspects.

However, as it invariably happens in many organizations, the HR functionary is invariably called upon or is expected to discharge the IR function also. If that be the case, or if you foresee the possibility of handling IR issues also in your organization in the future, then a law degree would certainly add great value to your efforts. For instance, a trade union is entitled under the law to object to the presence of a practicing advocate representing the employer before the conciliation machinery of the Labour Department or before a Labour Court or Tribunal. In such a scenario, a legally qualified in-house representative of the employer should be in a much better position to pursue the case before these forums and dealing with its technicalities when compared to a non-legal professional.

Regards,
Pradeep Sukumar.

Dear Members, thank you so much for the guidance and help that you have provided me. The answers have cleared my doubts to a great extent. I am an HR Generalist in an IT-Software firm. My area of interest inclines towards employee engagement, compensation/benefits, talent acquisition, organizational development, employee life cycle, and human resource management.

Suggestions for Courses in Law and Labour Relations

Can you suggest any short-duration full-time/part-time courses in Law/Labour Relations/IR/Company Law from the top 10 colleges/universities in India where I can enhance my skills?

Regards

It depends on the industry you work in. Mainly, if you have good knowledge, a degree is not compulsory. It depends on the practical exposure in the industry, how you perform, and how you interact with others according to the concept.