HRTrainingCenter.com: Courses, Costs and Certificates

What is HRTrainingCenter.com?

HRTrainingCenter.com is a training website for people who handle human resources work: HR generalists, leave and benefits administrators, payroll staff, managers and supervisors, and small-business owners who have picked up HR duties. Its home page describes the offer as "live, online, and on-demand options for HR professionals who need real-world skills, up-to-date compliance knowledge, and career growth."

The About page says the company has been "in business since 1994" and that it is one of a family of TrainingCenter websites, each covering one field: HR, payroll, safety, accounting, banking, insurance, financial services, real estate and mortgage. Each site "offers seminars, webinars, online courses, and other products and services." The HR site is the one this guide covers.

The catalog is wide. The home page groups it into these areas:

• HR compliance: FMLA, ADA, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), COBRA, cafeteria plans, FLSA wage and hour, HIPAA, employment and labor law, I-9 and E-Verify, internal investigations, retirement plans, worker classification.
• HR management: audits, conflict resolution, employee handbooks, job descriptions, metrics and benchmarking, records management, personnel forms, strategic planning, supervision.
• Payroll and compensation: paycheck rules, multi-state taxation, garnishments, fringe benefits, travel pay, expense reimbursements, executive taxation, unclaimed and final paychecks, payroll audits and recordkeeping.
• Retirement plans: 401(k), defined benefit and cash balance plans, plan loans, spousal rights, required minimum distributions.
• Workers' compensation and safety: how workers' comp works, claims management, OSHA, HazMat, HAZWOPER, lockout/tagout.
• Professional development: business writing, leadership, project management, interpersonal skills, DiSC assessments, sales, accounting basics.

The courses people buy most, judging by how the site features them, are its multi-day certificate seminars: the HR Generalist Certificate Program, the Certificate Program in FMLA, ADA and PWFA Compliance, and the Internal Investigations Certificate Program.

Is HRTrainingCenter.com legit?

This is a common question before spending $2,000 or more on a seminar seat. Here is what can be checked on the site itself:

• A street address, phone and email. The contact page lists 9715 Rod Road, Suite A, Alpharetta, GA 30022, phone 770-410-1219 and support@HRTrainingCenter.com. The phone number appears on every page.
• Named instructors with stated credentials. The Presenters page names five trainers and course editors with their backgrounds (see below). The site states their credentials; we did not check them in any registry.
• Credit-approval wording. Course pages list the number of SHRM PDCs and HRCI credits and point to a "Credits" tab on each course. Approval for credit means a course met the credit body's criteria, not that SHRM or HRCI endorses the company.
• Published course ratings. The site shows its own figures: 4.87 from 893 reviews for the HR Generalist program (894 on the About page), 4.88 from 444 for FMLA, ADA and PWFA, and 4.88 from 732 for Internal Investigations. These are collected and displayed by the company. There is also a long testimonials page with named students.
• Customer names. The About page lists organizations it says use its training, including ADP, Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, FedEx, Home Depot, Microsoft and UPS. Those are the company's statements; it does not publish contracts or figures behind them.
• A written refund and exchange policy (details below).

We did not check a Georgia business registration or a Better Business Bureau file for this guide. If outside verification matters to your employer, ask the company for references from an organization like yours, or for a W-9 and invoice before you pay.

Who teaches the courses?

The Presenters page says its trainers "have multiple years of actual training in their area of expertise, and have trained others for at least five years each." It names these people. All credentials below are as the site states them.

Student comments on the seminar pages also mention other trainers by first name, so the instructor for a given date is not fixed. If the instructor matters to you, ask who is teaching the session you plan to book. Ann Kiernan's bio also says she develops content for HRcertification.com, a separate training website, and the payroll bundle page lists HRcertification.com as the provider of its online payroll programs. The site does not explain the business relationship further, so we don't either.

The certificate seminars, one by one

These are live, instructor-led programs offered both at hotel venues and by video conference. Prices are the published regular and Early Bird prices; the Early Bird price applies to registrations made at least 30 days before the seminar.

HR Generalist Certificate Program

The flagship. The course page says it covers "the key functions of running an HR Department" across 14 sessions plus interactive exercises. Topics listed include HR's role and strategy, when to run a workplace investigation, "must-have" company policies, FMLA, ADA and COBRA obligations, controlling FMLA abuse, PTO, sick pay and workers' comp, difficult issues such as declining performance and absenteeism, recruiting and onboarding, building training programs from a needs analysis, compensation design and variable pay, benefits surveys, performance management, coaching supervisors, and HR career paths.

You receive a workbook the site describes as about 300 pages (trainer slides, sample forms, note space), real court case studies, a formal certificate, free updates when the laws change, and bonus access to the FMLA, ADA, COBRA and Paycheck Fundamentals online programs, each of which can earn its own certificate. The page says the course suits people new to HR and experienced generalists, and one of its FAQ answers notes there are no legal or college requirements to work as an HR generalist.

Certificate Program in FMLA, ADA and PWFA Compliance

Built around the point that "HR professionals rarely deal with just one of these laws at a time." The 17 sessions cover who is covered and why, what is and isn't a disability, eligibility, posting requirements, intermittent leave, "serious health condition," essential functions, fitness-for-duty testing, reasonable accommodation and undue hardship as the courts have treated them, ADA "disability" versus PWFA "limitation," limits on PWFA documentation, lactation breaks and the PUMP Act, GINA's limits on genetic information, return-to-work options, light duty, leave tracking and abuse patterns, how to end employment for someone on leave without breaking the law, and how FMLA, ADA, PWFA, workers' comp and state leave laws fit together.

Materials include a 300-page workbook, sample forms for medical documentation and accommodation assessment, nationwide case citations, video vignettes and exercises. The course editor is Ann Kiernan. The page says it suits HR generalists, leave administrators, supervisors who handle leave, and legal or compliance staff.

Internal Investigations Certificate Program

A three-day program that teaches "a step-by-step investigation process for handling harassment, discrimination, retaliation, ethics, misconduct, and policy violations," from the first complaint to the report. Exercises cover evaluating complaints, deciding whether an investigation is warranted, interviewing complainants and witnesses, reluctant or hostile witnesses, organizational politics, retaliation and harassment claims, evidence, FMLA abuse, and writing the report. You get a 300-page workbook, investigation templates, witness interview guides, documentation and chain-of-custody forms, and bonus access to the online Internal Investigation program. Natalie Ivey is the course editor.

Advanced Internal Investigations Certificate Program

For people who already investigate. The site says it goes "beyond the basic what, why, and how" into complex situations under Title VII, the ADA and other anti-discrimination laws; investigating FMLA, disability and workers' comp fraud; conflicts of interest; working with private investigators and law enforcement; digital and documentary evidence; and defending findings in arbitration, unemployment hearings and insurance claims. Foundational HR or investigation experience is expected.

Strategic HR Leadership Certificate Program

A two-day workshop for HR managers, business partners, directors and senior generalists. Its seven modules cover aligning HR with business goals, leading change, using HR metrics and workforce analytics, strategic planning, influencing executives, handling political pushback and developing future leaders. The page says it now includes modules on metrics and finance for HR.

Leave and Accommodation Management (advanced)

The full title is "Leave And Accommodation Management: Integrating FMLA, ADA, Workers' Compensation, PWFA, And State Laws." It is a two-day advanced workshop, and the page says "basic knowledge of the statutes is presumed." It covers overlap problems such as an employee who exhausts FMLA but may still be owed leave as an ADA or PWFA accommodation, avoiding over-invasive medical questions, checking FMLA certifications, reinstatement (including USERRA's "escalator" position), "100% healed" return-to-work policies, and state rules for family leave, bereavement and paid sick time. The site says it uses cases from 2025 and more than a dozen interactive exercises, including a jury exercise about a pregnant employee.

Shorter seminars and management courses

The seminar calendar also lists shorter programs, mostly one day. These include:

• Human Resources for Anyone with Newly Assigned HR Responsibilities: a one-day "crash course" for people new to HR, covering OSHA, COBRA, FLSA, ADA, FMLA and HIPAA basics plus hiring, firing, recordkeeping and discrimination. Listed at $149. The page itself suggests the HR Generalist program if you need more than the basics.
• Managing HR in California: one day on California wage and hour, pay and scheduling, leave and workplace safety rules.
• Payroll Law Seminar on state and federal wage and hour rules.
• Management and soft-skills seminars: Dealing with Difficult People, How to Communicate with Tact and Professionalism, Developing Emotional Intelligence, How to Supervise People, A Crash Course for the First-Time Manager or Supervisor, Leadership, Team-Building and Coaching Skills, Managing Multiple Priorities, and How to Use QuickBooks.
• Safety: an OSHA Compliance Seminar and a 30-Hour OSHA Outreach Training Program (5-day), listed on the certifications page.

Prices and dates for these are on each course page; we only checked the new-to-HR course price.

Online training and certification programs

The online catalog is long: it mixes HR "Training & Certification Programs," printed or online procedures manuals with e-mail alerts, and general business courses such as grammar, Excel, Word and Photoshop. HR-related online programs listed include:

• Leave and accommodation: FMLA, ADA, PWFA, Integrating FMLA, ADA, COBRA and Workers' Compensation, Foundations in Disability and Absence Management, Certified Professional in Disability Management (CPDM).
• Benefits: COBRA, Cafeteria Plan (Section 125), HSA, HIPAA Portability, HIPAA Privacy, HIPAA Security.
• Retirement: 401(k), Defined Benefit, Cash Balance Plans, Plan Loans, QDRO, Required Minimum Distributions, Spousal Rights and Consent.
• Payroll and pay: Paycheck Fundamentals, Payroll Operations, Payroll Reporting, Payroll Wage & Hour, Payroll Compensation & Taxation, Payroll Management Operations, Compensation.
• Other HR: Online Internal Investigation, OFCCP affirmative action, Personnel Records, Manager Boot Camp, Harassment Prevention (Employee Version), Workplace Ethics.
• Workers' comp: How Workers' Compensation Works, Workers' Comp Technical Professional, Premium Control, Mental Injury Claims Specialist, WRPA certification.

How an online certification program works (FMLA example)

The FMLA Training & Certification Program is the clearest example on the site:

• Price: $799 for one person.
• What you get: an "annual subscription with four components": the course, a year of access to the materials as a reference, free updates when the law changes, and a "Certified FMLA Administrator" designation if you pass the optional test.
• Format: self-paced online lessons with "Administrative Tips," procedural recommendations, examples and scenario-based multiple-choice quizzes that explain the answer. A bookmark lets you stop and pick up later.
• Topics: when FMLA starts and how long it lasts, notices, intermittent leave and counting the "12 weeks," choosing a leave year, medical certification, return to work, restoration and benefit rules, special rules for military families, school employees and airline flight crews, and spotting abuse.
• Credits: eight hours of HRCI and eight hours of SHRM PDC credit.
• Renewal: $99 a year to keep access, updates and a new certificate.
• Teams: organizations enrolling three or more people get a free Management Interface showing progress, test scores and missed questions. The page says organizations with 10 or more employees needing FMLA training can have the course customized.

Other programs follow the same pattern but have their own pages, prices and credit counts, so check the program you want.

One caution on harassment training: the catalog includes a general Harassment Prevention (Employee Version) course. The site does not say it satisfies a specific state's mandatory harassment-training rules (such as California's or New York's). If you need to meet a state mandate, ask the company in writing before you buy.

Payroll certification

The Certified Payroll Administrator is a self-paced bundle of four online programs: Payroll Wage & Hour, Paycheck Fundamentals, Payroll Operations, and Payroll Reporting. The bundle page lists HRcertification.com as the provider of those four programs. It is priced at $1,995 and includes:

• One year of online access, quizzes, real-world examples, administrative tips, compliance checklists and sample payroll forms
• Free legal updates and progress tracking
• A certification exam
• 32 hours of SHRM and HRCI credit

Topics include worker classification and exemptions, gross-to-net pay, tax withholding, deferred compensation and cafeteria plans, stock options and expense reimbursements, garnishments and levies, Form 941 and W-2 reporting, multi-state payroll, year-end processing, internal controls, payroll audits, disaster recovery and record retention. The page names payroll specialists, HR staff, bookkeepers, office managers and small-business owners as its audience.

Webinars

Webinars are single-topic sessions sold live or "On-Demand" as recordings. The site says each runs about 90 minutes and most carry 1.5 SHRM and HRCI credits. The webinar list is long and covers HR, payroll, benefits, retirement plans, conflict management, leadership and Excel. Examples include ADA accommodation issues, ADA-compliant job descriptions, 401(k) plan audits, background checks, salary increase matrices, payroll policies, payroll during a cyber outage, multi-state payroll tax, garnishments, travel pay, unclaimed paychecks and workers' comp basics. The site also lists an instructor-led aPHR certification prep class in webinar form.

The one webinar price we checked, Multi-State Payroll Tax Compliance, was $249 on demand. It covers resident and non-resident status, withholding for people who live in one state and work in another, reciprocal agreements, which state gets unemployment insurance, and state withholding forms, with three case studies.

How much does HRTrainingCenter.com cost?

These are the prices published on the site when we checked on 19 October 2026.

Volume discounts. The order box on online programs shows quantity pricing. For the FMLA program, the per-person price drops from $799 to $779 for 2 to 5, $739 for 6 to 10, $719 for 11 to 25, $679 for 26 to 50, $659 for 51 to 75, $639 for 76 to 99 and $599 at 100. The payroll bundle uses the same dollar discounts, from $1,975 down to $1,795. The site says the discount is applied automatically at checkout, or you can call for pricing.

Worked example. Four supervisors each taking the FMLA online program falls in the 2-to-5 tier: 4 × $779 = $3,116, against $3,196 at the single price. With three or more people, the free Management Interface is included.

What is not published: payment methods beyond online checkout, group rates for public seminar seats, and the price of every individual webinar and online program. Call 770-410-1219 to ask.

Where and when are the seminars?

Every certificate seminar runs both in person and by video conference, usually on three consecutive days for the three-day programs. Video-conference sessions run every few weeks. In-person dates listed on the course pages when we checked:

The seminar pages say seats "typically sell out 2-3 weeks in advance." Venue details are on each date's page. The company can also bring any of these programs to your own location (see below).

SHRM and HRCI recertification credits

If you already hold a SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, SPHR or similar credential, you have to earn continuing education credits to keep it. The site's SHRM and HRCI page says its courses "provide between 1.5 and 32 re-certification credits." Its published figures:

• Webinars: most carry 1.5 SHRM and HRCI credits.
• Online certification programs: 8 hours each (FMLA example).
• Three-day certificate seminars: 18.
• Two-day Leadership and Leave Management seminars: 12.
• Certified Payroll Administrator bundle: 32.

To see the exact approval for a course, the site says to open the "Credits" tab on that course's page. After you finish, you print a certificate of completion as your record. The site also mentions an "HRCI / SHRM 60 Hour Re-Certification Training Suite" of online courses.

Is an HRTrainingCenter.com certificate the same as a SHRM or PHR certification?

No. The SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP are awarded by the Society for Human Resource Management, and the aPHR, PHR and SPHR by the HR Certification Institute (HRCI). You earn those by meeting the issuer's eligibility rules and passing its exam. A "Certified FMLA Administrator," "HR Generalist Certificate" or "Certified Payroll Administrator" from HRTrainingCenter.com is the company's own certificate showing you completed (and, where there is a test, passed) its program.

The two can work together. The company's courses can supply credits to keep a SHRM or HRCI credential, and it also sells prep for the HRCI exams: a PHR/SPHR Exam Prep online course listed at $1,295 and an aPHR prep class. Check eligibility and exam rules directly with HRCI or SHRM, since they set and change them.

Training a team at your location

The Private Seminar page describes three steps: you tell the company what training you need, when and for how many people; it reviews the course content with you and can add or change material, including your own policies and processes; then you choose the date and place and it delivers the session. Private training is available in person or virtually.

Published pricing:

• A base cost of $9,950 covering all costs and materials for up to eight employees
• $799 for each attendee over eight
• Up to two hours of customization free
• Speaker fee included
• You pay travel, hotel and venue costs

The page says on-site training "is definitely more cost-effective if you need eight or more people trained" and that the total is "still more than 50% off" the cost of sending the team to public sessions. Some seminar pages put the threshold at six or more people, so ask for a quote at your actual headcount. Ann Kiernan's bio names her as a trainer for customized on-site events.

Refunds, cancellations and policies

The Guarantee page sets out the policy in plain terms:

• Online courses: "In most cases, an online course that is not used is usually exchangeable or refundable."
• Seminars: "most seminar purchases are exchangable but not refundable within 14 days of the seminar," because the company has to guarantee head count and prepay the venue.
• Travel: the company is not responsible for air or travel costs and recommends that you not buy non-refundable flights or hotels.
• Return fee: it reserves the right to charge a return fee to cover shipping, handling and card processing.

Online programs are annual subscriptions (one year of access, then $99 a year to renew, per the FMLA page). The privacy policy is two sentences: the company says it treats account information "as if it were ours" and will never distribute it unless you tell it to. Read the full pages before you buy, and get any exception in writing.

Free resources on the site

A large part of the site is free reference material, useful even if you never buy a course:

• State HR Laws: a page for each state summarizing employment rules.
• FAQs by topic (ADA, cafeteria plans, COBRA, FMLA, HR generalist, leave management, payroll, PWFA, retirement plans, workplace investigations).
• Glossaries of terms for ADA, COBRA, cafeteria plans, compensation, affirmative action and more.
• Guides on ADA accommodation, FMLA, the HR generalist role, leave management, strategic HR leadership and workplace investigations.
• Compliance checklists for ADA, COBRA, FMLA, PWFA, payroll, retirement plans, workers' comp and investigations.
• A blog on HR and payroll topics.

These are general information. Laws change and vary by state, so treat them as a starting point and confirm with the agency or an employment lawyer for a specific situation.

How it compares with other ways to learn HR

Who it suits, and who should look elsewhere

Questions to ask before you register

1. Who is teaching the date I'm considering, and is it in person or video conference?
2. How many SHRM PDCs and HRCI credits does this exact course carry, and in which categories?
3. Which online programs are included as bonuses, and how long do I have access to them?
4. What is the exchange or refund rule if I cancel more than, or less than, 14 days before the seminar? Is there a return fee?
5. Is the Early Bird price still available for my date (registration 30 or more days out)?
6. For a team: at what headcount does on-site training cost less than public seats, and what customization is included?
7. For harassment or state-specific training: does this course meet my state's requirements?
8. How and when are law-change updates delivered after the course?

How to get started

1. Browse the seminar calendar, the online training list or the webinar list.
2. Open the course page and check the price, agenda, dates and the "Credits" tab.
3. Register online, or call 770-410-1219 or email support@HRTrainingCenter.com for help ordering.
4. For a group, request a quote through the private training page.

Visit HRTrainingCenter.com

Terms you'll see on the site

• FMLA: the Family and Medical Leave Act, which gives eligible employees unpaid, job-protected leave for certain family and medical reasons.
• ADA: the Americans with Disabilities Act, which bars disability discrimination and requires reasonable accommodation.
• PWFA: the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which requires reasonable accommodation of known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth and related conditions.
• COBRA: the federal law letting people keep employer group health coverage for a time after losing it, usually at their own cost.
• USERRA: the law protecting the jobs of employees who serve in the uniformed services.
• Interactive process: the back-and-forth between employer and employee to find a reasonable accommodation.
• Early Bird: the site's lower seminar price for registering at least 30 days ahead.
• PDC: a SHRM Professional Development Credit, used to recertify SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP.
• aPHR / PHR / SPHR: HR Certification Institute credentials; recertified with HRCI credits.
• Management Interface: the site's free tracking tool for organizations enrolling three or more people in an online program.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

All pages checked on 19 October 2026.

1. HRTrainingCenter.com, home page: hrtrainingcenter.com
2. About: hrtrainingcenter.com/about.aspx
3. Contact: hrtrainingcenter.com/contact-us.aspx
4. Guarantee (returns, cancellations, refunds): hrtrainingcenter.com/guarantee.aspx
5. Privacy policy: hrtrainingcenter.com/privacy.aspx
6. Presenters: hrtrainingcenter.com/featured-presenters
7. Seminar calendar: hrtrainingcenter.com/hr-seminar-calendar.aspx
8. Seminar pages: HR Generalist, FMLA, ADA and PWFA, Internal Investigations, Advanced Internal Investigations, Strategic HR Leadership, Leave and Accommodation Management, HR for Anyone with Newly Assigned HR Responsibilities
9. FMLA Training & Certification Program: online program page
10. Certified Payroll Administrator: bundle page
11. Multi-State Payroll Tax Compliance: webinar page
12. All HR online training: hrtrainingcenter.com/all-hr-online-training
13. All HR webinars: hrtrainingcenter.com/all-hr-webinars
14. HR certifications: hrtrainingcenter.com/human-resources-certifications
15. SHRM and HRCI recertification credits: hrtrainingcenter.com/shrm-and-hrci-recertification-credits
16. PHR/SPHR certification and exam prep: hrtrainingcenter.com/phr-sphr-certification-exam-prep
17. Private on-site training: hrtrainingcenter.com/custom-hr-training
18. Testimonials: hrtrainingcenter.com/testimonials.aspx
19. XML sitemap (list of free guides, FAQs, checklists and state law pages): hrtrainingcenter.com/sitemap.xml
20. HR Certification Institute (aPHR, PHR, SPHR): hrci.org
21. SHRM certification (SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP): shrm.org/credentials