Emergency Federal Employee Leave Required Forms


On April 29, 2021, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) released their long-awaited guidance on EFEL.

SUBJECT: Required Office of Personnel Management Documentation for Emergency Federal Employee Leave

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has issued guidance to implement use of Emergency Federal Employee Leave (EFEL) under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

Effective immediately, employees requesting EFEL must provide the following information:

  1. A completed PS Form 3971, Request for or Notification of Absence;

  2. COVID-19 Emergency Federal Employee Leave (EFEL) Employee Notification and Leave Request Form (Employee Notification and Leave Request Form) and all documentation required by the specific qualifying circumstance (as indicated on the Request Form); and 5

  3. A signed Employee Agreement in Connection with Emergency Federal Employee Leave (EFEL) Provided Under Section 4001 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Employee Agreement). The Employee Agreement is required for only the first use of EFEL.


    The Employee Notification and Leave Request Form requires employees identify the following information; qualifying circumstance(s) that render the employee unable to work, date(s) of EFEL usage, and the additional documentation requirements for each qualifying circumstance. There are also four (4) Employee Certifications that the employee must initial. In addition to signing and dating the Employee Notification and Leave Request Form, the employee must attach a copy of the Employee Notification and Leave Request Form to the Employee Agreement and provide all required forms and information to his or her supervisor.

    The Employee Agreement indicates that approval of EFEL is conditional and subject to the availability of EFEL funds.

    All employees who were conditionally approved for EFEL leave under the Postal Service’s interim policy, which started on March 11, 2021, must complete an Employee Notification and Leave Request Form, supply additional related documentation, and complete the Employee Agreement retroactively for the EFEL that was previously approved. This information must be submitted to their respective supervisor within ten (10) days of receiving these forms. Failure to provide these completed, signed forms will result in a denial of EFEL. In such cases, the employee’s EFEL will be converted to leave without pay (LWOP) and the employee will be liable for repayment of the EFEL taken or the employee may elect to convert the EFEL used to another applicable, paid type of accrued leave.

Management is responsible for distributing the forms to all employees who have utilized EFEL. The completed Employee Notification and Leave Request Form, completed Employee Agreement and supporting documentation must be maintained on file by the local timekeepers for a period of at least four (4) years. If an Employee Notification and Leave Request Form contains medical information, retain it and the Employee Agreement in the employee’s medical folder (EMF).