Overview

Accurate personnel recordkeeping protects both the agency and the employee — and federal regulations leave little room for error. This course provides a comprehensive, practical walkthrough of the Guide to Personnel Recordkeeping, with special emphasis on OPM's Update 14 (January 2026). You will learn the regulatory framework under 5 CFR Part 293, the Privacy Act, and NARA records management requirements.

The course covers how to create and organize Official Personnel Folders (OPF), including the filing rules for Sections 3-A through 3-I, and how to establish and classify Employee Medical Folders (EMF) under the new long-term and short-term retention categories. You will also practice the four-step process for transferring records between agencies and to the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC), respond to Privacy Act and FOIA requests, and identify the ten most common recordkeeping errors through hands-on exercises and realistic scenarios.

Syllabus

Module 1: Personnel Recordkeeping Foundations

Explain the regulatory framework for federal personnel records under 5 CFR Part 293, the Privacy Act, and NARA requirements
Define what constitutes a personnel record and how records are created
Apply the 65-year retention rule for official personnel records
Distinguish between OPF long-term and temporary document categories

Module 2: EMF Essentials

Describe the purpose and structure of the Employee Medical Folder (SF 66-D) and the OPM/GOVT-10 system of records
Classify EMF records as long-term (29 CFR 1910.1020) or short-term under Update 14 guidance
Apply the 30-year retention requirement for occupational exposure and medical records
Distinguish between EMF and OPF filing requirements

Module 3: Filing Documents

Apply general filing procedures for the Official Personnel Folder
File documents correctly across OPF Sections 3-A through 3-I
Identify Update 14 changes to Sections 3-B, 3-C, 3-F, 3-G, and 3-I
Distinguish between workers' compensation claim records and medical records for filing purposes

Module 4: Transferring Records and Responding to Requests

Execute the four-step process for transferring personnel records between agencies
Apply Update 14 EMF transfer rules, including routing long-term records to NPRC and retaining short-term records at the agency
Disable eOPF access upon employee transfer as required
Respond accurately to employee, government, and FOIA requests under the Privacy Act