Former federal employees can now access their official personnel records electronically through the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) new Official Personnel Folder (eOPF) Document Request Service.
The secure online portal eliminates a manual process that often required paper forms, agency requests, or a request to the National Personnel Records Center.
“OPM is committed to modernizing the way the federal government serves its workforce,” OPM Director Scott Kupor said in an Aug. 4 press release. “The new Document Request Service replaces an outdated, paper-based process with a secure, efficient solution that gives former federal employees faster access to the records they need while improving customer service and reducing administrative burden.”
OPM explained that former federal employees often need personnel records – including Standard Form 50s and related employment documents – to verify federal service, support retirement and benefits claims, document employment history, and assist with security clearance processing.
Users can now access the Document Request Service through Login.gov, complete a one-time identity verification, and submit an online request. After OPM processes the request, users receive a secure email containing a time-limited download link to a password-protected ZIP file with their complete eOPF Employment Folder.
The service is available to separated federal employees whose personnel records are maintained in the eOPF system, as well as to current federal employees whose agencies do not provide government-furnished equipment for accessing their personnel records. Current employees who already have access to the eOPF application should continue to retrieve their records through that system, OPM said.
“The launch of the Document Request Service is part of OPM’s broader effort to modernize federal human resources systems, improve customer service, and reduce reliance on manual, paper-based processes across the federal government,” OPM said.
For more information on the service, OPM published a Document Request Service user guide.