Calculating CEC hours

How to Calculate Continuing Education Credit Hours

For most continuing education activities, the number of hours that can be claimed are the number of contact hours or class hours. The time for meal and/or rest breaks, registration, or other non-learning activities cannot be included in the calculation of Continuing Education Credit (CEC) hours.

For example a full-day workshop from 8 am – 4 pm with a 1-hour lunch break and 2 15-minute rest breaks would provide 6.5 CEC hours (8 – 1.5 = 6.5).

What is Not Included in Continuing Education Credit Hours

CEC hours cannot include (or be granted for):

  • continuing education activities with topics that do not fall under the competency domain areas – these are topic areas specific to the field of disability management and return to work;
  • continuing education that falls into a different career path other than DM and the responsibilities of a CRTWC and CDMP. Please go to the Continuing Ed. Planning page under the “Members Only” menu for more details;
  • meal/rest breaks at continuing education activities;
  • tour/networking/registration/exhibit activities;
  • the core elements of an annual general meeting (if there is a guest speaker providing a disability management related educational talk during the AGM, only that time can be counted),
  • activities whose specific purpose is to ask for your opinion and thoughts towards something ( studies, consultations, focus group activities, surveys, feedback, etc),
  • organizational/departmental/chapter/committee/board/staff/club/administrative/network meetings (unless there is a special presentation or learning opportunity on a disability management related topic that is separate from the day to day operations and discussions about the organization’s or group’s activities, and where the learnings can be applied as a CDMP/CRTWC beyond one’s organization or group), etc.,
  • hours cannot be granted for training or meetings specific only to one’s worksite (or organization, group, etc.) including such areas as programming, policy and procedure, and organizational updates,
  • meetings arranged by organizations and individuals for the purpose of marketing and/or promoting their products or services,
  • repeating a workshop/course (unless there has been substantive update to the course. E.g. changes to legislation or policies)
  • presenting/teaching duplicated course material or presentations/lectures,
  • the time it takes to write an exam,
  • any continuing education that is not verifiable,
  • education incidental to one’s professional activities such as learning from experience or research (designation holders are allowed some reading and research CEC hours – please see acceptable list of activities), time spent in planning, organizing, or facilitating an activity,
  • performance of duties that are the expectations of one’s responsibilities or job requirements,
  • time incurred while orientating workplace staff/contractors/consultants who are new to a position or program (or initiative), or new responsibilities,
  • time incurred while learning on the job or during workplace orientation to a new job or program (or initiative), or new responsibilities.

Note: There may be formal elements in workplace (or project/program) orientation (such as courses, workshops, etc) that may count as professional development towards CEC hours, if they help you in the broader spectrum as a professional in your field as well as can be applied outside your organization (i.e. labour law, legislation, ergonomics, disability management/return to work workshops, conflict resolution, etc).

To view a chart which lists the acceptable types of continuing education activities, how to calculate the hours and the documentation that is required to be submitted, please click here. Or Download a copy of the Continuing Education Credit Hours Chart.