# The Guide to Federal Personnel Recordkeeping Course (Self-Paced)

Canonical URL: <https://www.graduateschool.edu/courses/the-guide-to-personnel-recordkeeping-course-self-paced>

## 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.

## What you'll learn

- Explain the legal and regulatory framework governing federal civilian personnel records (5 CFR Part 293, Privacy Act, NARA)
- Establish, maintain, and safeguard Official Personnel Folders (OPF) and Employee Medical Folders (EMF)
- Apply Update 14 (January 2026) OPM guidance classifying EMF records as long-term (29 CFR 1910.1020) or short-term
- Execute proper procedures for transferring records between agencies and to the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC)
- Respond accurately to requests for information from EMF and OPF records under the Privacy Act
- Identify and correct the ten most common recordkeeping errors

## Curriculum

#### 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

#### Module 5: Update 14 Deep Dive and Practical Application

- Summarize the complete set of changes introduced by Update 14
- Apply procedures for reconstructing personnel folders
- Manage jointly-owned folders under Chapter 5 guidance
- Identify and correct the ten most common recordkeeping errors

## Pricing

**Tuition:** $649