Documenting Details

A detail is a temporary assignment to a different position for a specified period, during which the employee is expected to return to their regular duties at the end of the assignment. Employees on details are considered, for pay and strength-count purposes, to be permanently occupying their regular positions.

A Standard Form (SF) 52, Request for Personnel Action, is used by Federal Agencies to request personnel actions. It's a request for a change in an employee's status, such as a promotion, reassignment, or separation. An SF 50, Notification of Personnel Action, is an official document used by the U.S. Government to record personnel actions for Federal employees. It serves as a record of employment and is crucial for various aspects of Federal employment, including retirement, leave, and job security. Typically, the SF 52 triggers the creation of an SF 50, which is the official document that records the personnel action; however, depending on the type of detail, the SF 52 may be sufficient documentation.   

The following details must be documented with the SF 50:

• To State or local Government, or other eligible organizations under the authority of the Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA):
  • Documented with an SF 50 in the electronic Official Personnel File (eOPF) with the following Nature of Action Codes (NOAC).
    • NOAC 730, Detail NTE 
    • NOAC 731, Ext of Detail NTE 
    • NOAC 732, Term of Detail NTE 
  • Reported to Enterprise Human Resource Integration (EHRI)
  • Filed as permanent documents in eOPF.
• To an international organization:
  • Documented with an SF 50 in eOPF with the following NOACs.
    • NOAC 930, Detail NTE 
    • NOAC 931, Ext Detail NTE 
    • NOAC 932, Term of Detail NTE 
  • Not reported to EHRI.
  • Filed as permanent documents in eOPF.
• For more than 30 but less than 120 days to a different position with promotion potential, excluding an international organization:
  • Documented with an SF 50 in eOPF with the following NOACs:
    • NOAC 930
    • NOAC 931
    • NOAC 932
  • Not reported to EHRI.
  • Filed as permanent document in eOPF.

The following details are documented with the  SF 52:

• For more than 30 but less than 120 days to a different higher-graded position, excluding international organizations. 
  • The SF 52 must include:
    • The organization and position to which detailed.
    • The effective date of the detail.
    • The not-to-exceed (NTE) date.
• • Not reported to EHRI.
  • Filed as permanent document in eOPF.

• Details originally made for 30 days or less that extend beyond 30 days. 

  • The SF 52 must include:
    • The organization and position to which detailed.
    • The effective date on which the detail began.
    • The NTE date.
  • Not reported to EHRI.
  • Filed as permanent document in eOPF.

The following details do not require documentation by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management:

• To a position identical to the employee's current position or one with the same grade, series, and basic duties as the employee's current position:
  • No documentation required.
  • Not reported to EHRI.
  • Not filed in eOPF.
• For more than 30 but less than 120 days to a different position at the same or a lower grade that does not have promotion potential, excluding an international organization:
  • No documentation required
  • Not reported to EHRI
  • Not filed in eOPF

Documenting Details in the National Finance Center (NFC) Payroll/Personnel System (PPS)

The SF 50 is used to document details and is entered via Web-based Entry, Processing, Inquiry, and Correction System (EPIC Web), EmpowHR, or the Agency's Front-End System Interface.

Note: In NFC PPS, these NOACs are exception actions. They cannot be corrected, canceled, or inserted as new documents in either an EPIC History Correction Update Processing System package or EmpowHR History Correction package.

The SF 52 is used to document details and is created following Agency policy and guidance.

Reports

AECO37U1, Employees Approaching Expiration of Detail Assignment, provides notification of employees who are approaching their NTE dates for detail assignments. It is generated three pay periods prior to the expiration date. This report is produced each pay period and is available as a hard copy or by electronic transmission. It is distributed by personnel office identifier. This report is also available through Remote Forms Queuing System report, Employees Approaching Expiration of Detail Assignment.