With hundreds of federal agency personnel offices processing millions of documents each year, there’s no doubt mistakes are made. That’s why it’s so important to check the accuracy of your Official Personnel File (OPF) at least a year before your target retirement date. If there are errors in the documentation of your pay or promotions, it can impact the amount of your monthly FERS annuity (pension) and delay your first check in retirement.
Download the Electronic Version Of Your OPF (eOPF)
Now that most agencies have transitioned to the eOPF, you can easily download and save your entire personnel file. To access your eOPF, contact your Human Resources (HR) office or the personnel department of your federal agency for instructions. The documents in your eOPF establish your employment history including your grades, occupations and pay (Standard Form 50) and record of participation in FEHB and FEGLI.
“It’s your responsibility to check the accuracy of each SF-50 you’ve received over the course of your career.”
The Importance Of Your Standard Form 50 (SF-50)
The most important documents in your eOPF are your SF-50s (Notification of Personnel Action Forms). This is the documentation the OPM uses to verify every personnel action that has affected your position and/or pay throughout your federal career. It’s your responsibility to check the accuracy of each SF-50 you’ve received over the course of your career.
Make sure all the positions you’ve held and/or agency changes are correct because some agencies may not have forwarded your records to your next agency. Look for your very first SF-50 issued when you were first hired by the federal government and check the date near the top of the page. It can help ensure your creditable service is calculated correctly.
How To Find Errors On Your SF-50s
Believe it or not, even the misspelling of your name or an incorrect birth date on an SF-50 can derail your retirement application. Worse – if errors are not corrected as soon as possible, it can impact the amount of your FERS annuity (pension) and your eligibility for other retirement benefits. Check the following sections for errors because this information is crucial to processing your retirement:
- Lines 1 – 3: Your Name, Social Security Number and Date Of Birth.
- Line 4 and Line 5B: The effective date of the specific Personnel Action (4) and the type of action taken (5B).
- Line 15: Position title and number.
- Line 16: Pay Plan.
- Line 17: Occupational code.
- Line 24: Tenure code.
- Line 30: Retirement plan (FERS or CSRS).
- Line 31: Service computation date.
If you find any errors, notify your agency’s HR staff immediately.
