I stay a member largely for the communities and the occasional use of the information resources on the website.

I don't access or use any of the other services

In reply to Keith:

Yes, Communities and professional information services can in themselves be most valuable indeed, but some of us have been banging-on for ages that CIPD could add immensely to membership value were they to begin to provide services to members who find themselves in professional difficulties / trouble - more in line with those available from eg medical professionals’ bodies such as those of doctors or nurses or radiologists etc

In reply to David:

Agree with Keith and David. the communities and resources / knowledge base allow access to information that would cost a fortune if purchased on an "as needed" basis.
A single reply that brings a solution to a thorny employment law question would cost several years of subscriptions if it were bought from a law firm.......

Hi Susan... the irony is noted ;)

...but also, member benefits.

In reply to Steve Bridger:

Interesting link there Steve and following it and looking at the "News" section ....no updates in May, One in April, 2 in March, one in February, 2 in January (so 6 so far this year) ....its a little light on "The latest news, views and policy recommendations from the CIPD"

It's that time of year again! Gripes about the worth of paying membership fees, actually this year has tipped up people who proudly state they haven't paid for five years but still claim they are MCIPD which actually if you gained employment on the strength of is fraud and yes there are at least two people in the last ten years or so that have received suspended prison sentences because they have gained employment where it stipulated MCIPD, they were found out during an audit to have lied!

Membership grades aside, there are great resources available to members and let's be honest the actual qualifications (not membership grades) date very fast so the being a CIPD member is a great way to maintain CPD and still be relevant. I've noticed that some people who have struggled when their careers have stalled and don't have the support that CIPD provides by being a member, they didn't keep up to date with CPD and lost relevance.

The branch network is good but hey it could be even better! There are some great branches out there putting on brilliant events and catering for a diverse bunch of HR professionals, a quick shout out to the Manchester branch who are excelling with their activities! Where else can you meet and network with other HR professionals, I know people who have met their future employers at branch events!

Ok, so some people say they can get HR events for free, in relation to those provided by Law firms and some specialist HR recruiters, but these events may look good on the surface but they only skim over the headlines, only CIPD branches provide half-day employment law events.

In reply to Paul:

To he honest the employment law updates I go to from the law firms are the best updates I get all year. So my experience is slightly different to yours.

In reply to Keith:

Some highlights...

In reply to Steve Bridger:

Very different picture here
www.cipd.co.uk/news-views

In reply to Keith:

So the two-hour breakfast law update gives a better overview than a half day event that goes in-depth? CIPD branch employment law events can get over 200 people attending, could accommodate more if there was a bigger venue! I've been to the law firm updates, sat in a cramped room isn't fun

In reply to Steve Bridger:

I think I probably need to check out my local branch. I did used to go a lot in my student days. My job has moved away from traditional HR now so maybe it's more my own circumstances that's contributed to the frustration.
I'm aware of the CIPD legal advice that you pay for but I'm not familiar at all with the free line. I'll be interested to canvas colleagues about it. I did note it from the postcard I got but I just associated it with the legal service you pay for, which I appreciate is something different.

Received my membership card this morning and already it looks like scrap paper, what happened to the credit card type, last longer and looked more professional. I now have to go to the trouble of trying to glue it together whilst trying to make it look good

In reply to Paul:

Paul yes much better for me thanks. Your experience maybe different but that doesn’t negate  my experience does it?

In reply to Helen:

Agree entirely. It looks cheap, nasty and like a fake compared to those issued in previous years. Could CIPD consider going back to something that looks a bit more professional please.

In reply to Helen:

I received mine the other day and wondered what had happened to the credit card type. I also managed to rip it a bit straight away as I was detaching it.