Fillable Form SF 52

What is the SF-52 Form?

The SF-52 form, also known as the Request for Personnel Action, is a document used by federal agencies to request and authorize personnel actions related to federal employees. This form is an important tool for managing the federal workforce, and it provides a standardized way to track and document personnel actions.

The SF-52 form is used to request a variety of personnel actions, including appointments, promotions, transfers, reassignments, separations, and other personnel changes. It is also used to document changes in pay, hours of work, and other personnel-related information.

How do I fill out the SF-52 Form?

The SF-52 Form consists of several sections that must be filled out with details on the actions taken, the people involved in said actions, and any particular remarks or additional information relevant to the action taken.

Part A - Requesting Office

Actions Requested

Enter the actions being requested using this form.

Request Number

Enter the request number.

Contact for Additional Information

Enter the Name and Phone Number to be contacted for additional information on the actions requested.

Action Requested By

Enter the name and title of the person who requested the action, then have them sign the form and enter the date that the request was made.

Action Authorized By

Enter the name and title of the person who authorized the action, then have them sign the form and enter the date that the request was authorized.

Part B - For Preparation of SF-50

Name

Enter the full legal name of the person preparing SF-50.

Social Security Number

Enter the person filing SF-50’s Social Security Number.

Date of Birth

Enter the person filing SF-50’s date of birth.

Effective Date

Enter the date that Form SF-50 will become effective.

First and Second Action

Enter the appropriate codes in the boxes provided, along with a short description of the nature of the action.

Legal Authority

Enter the code and the full name or title of the legal authority that will be executing or overseeing the above action(s).

FROM - Position Title and Number

Enter the position title and number of the person who is taking action.

FROM - Details

Enter the following information about the person taking action in the relevant boxes.

• Pay Plan
• Occupational Code
• Grade or Level
• Step or Rate
• Total Salary
• Pay Basis
• Basic Pay
• Locality Adjustment
• Adjusted Basic Pay
• Other Pay

FROM - Organization Name and Location

Enter the name of the organization or company the person taking action works for, and the location of the office they report to.

FOR - Position Title and Number

Enter the position title and number of the employee.

FOR - Details

Enter the following information about the employee in the relevant boxes.

• Pay Plan
• Occupational Code
• Grade or Level
• Step or Rate
• Total Salary
• Pay Basis
• Basic Pay
• Locality Adjustment
• Adjusted Basic Pay
• Other Pay

FOR - Organization Name and Location

Enter the name of the organization or company the employee works for, and the location of the office they report to.

TO - Position Title and Number

Enter the position title and number of the person who is receiving the action.

TO - Details

Enter the following information about the person receiving the action in the relevant boxes.

• Pay Plan
• Occupational Code
• Grade or Level
• Step or Rate
• Total Salary
• Pay Basis
• Basic Pay
• Locality Adjustment
• Adjusted Basic Pay
• Other Pay

TO - Organization Name and Location

Enter the name of the organization or company the person receiving the action works for, and the location of the office they report to.

TO - Position Title and Number

Enter the position title and number of the person.

TO - Details

Enter the following information about the receiving person in the relevant boxes.

• Pay Plan
• Occupational Code
• Grade or Level
• Step or Rate
• Total Salary
• Pay Basis
• Basic Pay
• Locality Adjustment
• Adjusted Basic Pay
• Other Pay

TO - Organization Name and Location

Enter the name of the organization or company the receiving person works for, and the location of the office they report to.

Employee Data

Veterans Preference

Enter the number corresponding with the Veterans Preference (VP) that the employee may claim (if applicable).

Tenure

Enter the number corresponding to the tenure of the employee.

Agency Use

Mark this box if this form is or will be allowed for an agency’s use.

Veterans Preference for RIF

Check “Yes” if the employee is eligible for veterans preference for RIF purposes. Otherwise, check “No”.

FEGLI

Enter the Federal Employee Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) plan that the employee has, if any.

Annuitant Indicator

Enter the employee’s annuitant indicator code.

Pay Rate Determinant

Enter the employee’s pay rate determinant code.

Retirement Plan

Enter the retirement plan that the employee is covered by, if any.

Service Computation Date (Leave)

Indicate the date when the employee’s Federal service began, a date calculated to include all years, months, and days of prior creditable civilian and military service served by the employee as if without a break.

Work Schedule

Ender the work schedule code that applies to the employee.

Part-Time Hours Per Biweekly Pay Period

Enter the amount of part-time hours the employee worked per biweekly pay period.

Position Data

Position Occupied

Enter the number corresponding to the nature of the position of the employee.

FLSA Category

Enter the “E” if the employee is exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Otherwise, enter “N”.

Appropriation Code

Enter the appropriation code of the employee’s appropriation account, if any.

Bargaining Unit Status

Enter the Bargaining Unit Status (BUS) code of the employee, if any.

Duty Station Code

Enter the code corresponding to the state, county, and city/town that the employee works in.

Duty Station

Enter the city, county, and state OR the overseas location information of the employee’s duty station.

Agency Data

Complete boxes 40 to 44 according to what your agency requires to be put as agency data.

Educational Level

Enter the educational level attained by the employee.

Year Degree Obtained

Enter the year that the employee obtained their degree.

Academic Discipline

Enter the academic discipline that the employee studied.

Functional Class

Enter the functional class of the employee.

Citizenship

Enter “1” on the box provided if the employee is a US citizen. Otherwise, enter “8”.

Veterans Status

Indicate in the space provided if the employee is a veteran, along with any other important information.

Supervisory Status

Indicate in the space provided if the employee is a supervisor, along with any other important information.

Part C - Reviews and Approvals

Office/Function and Signature

Enter the office or function that is reviewing and approving the actions taken, then have their representative enter their initials and sign in the space provided.

Signature

Sign the form in the space provided, then enter the date that the actions were approved.

Part D - Remarks by Requesting Office

Check “Yes” if there are additional or conflicting reasons for the employee’s resignation or retirement, and provide those reasons using a separate sheet of paper attached to Form SF-52. Otherwise, check No. Enter any remarks that the requesting office has on the action or actions taken.

Part E - Employee Resignation/Retirement

Reasons for Retirement/Resignation

Enter the reason for why the employee is retiring or resigning in the space provided.

Effective Date

Enter the date that the employee’s resignation/retirement becomes effective.

Signature

Sign the form in the space provided, then enter the date that the form was signed.

Forwarding Address

Enter the address to which further correspondence or inquiry should be sent.

Part F - Remarks for SF-50

Enter any remarks for SF-50 here.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who files the SF-52 Form?

Form SF-52 is typically filed by authorized personnel or human resources staff within federal agencies in the United States.

What is a Bargaining Unit Status?

Every civilian position in the Coast Guard is assigned a Bargaining Unit Status (BUS) code. BUS codes are 4-digit numbers used to identify which Bargaining Unit a position belongs to, if any. If a position is in a bargaining unit, the BUS code also identifies which one it belongs to.

What is an Appropriation Account?

Appropriation accounts show how companies and governments distribute their funds. Companies and governments appropriate funds in order to delegate cash for the necessities of business operations.

What is Veterans Preference?

Veterans who are disabled or who served on active duty in the armed forces during certain recognized periods, or in military campaigns, are entitled to preference over other qualified candidates from competitive lists of eligible applicants.

What does Annuitant Indicator mean?

Annuitant Indicator refers to the code used to indicate the status of an annuitant (recipients of annuities) appointed to a position in the Federal civilian service.

What is an Annuity?

Annuities are financial products that pay out a fixed stream of payments to an individual, primarily used as an income stream for retirees.

Can I ask for a copy of an SF-52 Form from a previous year?

Yes. Simply ask your employer for a copy of a form and specify which year you are asking for. Note, however, that the form may not be available depending on how far back it was filed.

How long do companies keep copies of previous SF-52 Forms?

It depends on the company or agency, but generally they will keep records for at least around seven years after an employee has been terminated.

What is Tenure?

Tenure refers to how long a person has held their position at a company or organization.

What do I do if there is an error on the SF-52 Form?

You can simply contact the agency that filed the form, inform them of the error, and provide the necessary information to correct it.

What other documents need to be provided alongside the SF-52 Form?

It depends entirely on what the form is being used for. Make sure to check beforehand to ensure that you are preparing the correct documents.

How do I write the Nature of Action?

The first digit of the nature of action code indicates the type of action:

• 100 series—appointments
• 200 series—returns to duty from nonpay status
• 300 series—separations
• 400 series—placements in nonpay and/or nonduty status
• 500 series—conversions to appointment
• 600 series—(reserved for Office of Personnel Management use)
• 700 series—position changes, extensions, and miscellaneous changes
• 800 series—pay changes and miscellaneous changes
• 900 series—(Reserved for use by agencies)

The second and third digits of the nature of action code indicate the particular kind of action.

Are there restrictions on what codes can be used?

Nature of action codes 000-899 may be used only as authorized by the Office of Personnel Management. Within the 000-899 group of codes are ones used to record actions involving particular groups of employees. If your agency is authorized to use any of these special codes, your personnel office will have a list of them and instructions on when and how they are to be used.

When can I use the 900 series of codes?

Codes 900-999 may be used by agencies to document personnel matters that are of interest to the agency and for which the Office of Personnel Management does not require an SF-50 Form, for example, a change in the employee's position number when no other change occurs, or a change in the appropriation from which the employee is paid.

What kind of Remarks are put on the SF-52 Form?

Remarks are put on the Standard Form 52 to explain the action to the employee, the payroll office, future employers, the Office of Personnel Management, and to other Federal agencies. Remarks use a letter code system as an easy way to convey the purpose of the remark. The codes are as follows:

• A - Appointment Limitations
• B - Benefits and Leave Entitlements
• C - Corrections and Cancellations
• E - Employment Conditions
• G - Service Credit
• K - Position Change Actions
• M - Miscellaneous Information
• N - Pay In Addition To or Outside Of Salary to Relocate or to Accept Reassignment
• P - Rate of Pay
• R - Employee's Reason for Resignation, Retirement, Failure to Relocate or Accept Reassignment
• S - Agency's Comments on Employee's Separation
• T - Tenure
• X - Retained Grade and Pay
• Y-Z - (Reserved for internal use by agencies)