A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Federal Personnel Payroll System

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

18-05-03

System name:
Federal Personnel Payroll System

Security classification:
None.

System location:

Categories of individuals covered by the system:
This system contains records on all employees of U.S. Department of Education, the National Commission of Library and Learning and the National Goals Panel.

Categories of records in the system:
This system consists of a variety of records relating to pay and leave determinations made about each employee of the Department of Education, the National Commission of Library and Learning and the National Goals Panel, including the name of the employee, the employee's date of birth, social security number, home address, grade, employing organization, timekeeper number, salary, Civil Service retirement fund contributions, pay plan, number of hours worked, annual and sick leave accrual rate and usage, annual and sick leave balance, FICA withholdings, Federal, state, and local tax withholdings, Federal Employees Government Life Insurance withholdings, garnishment documents, savings allotments, union and management association dues withholding, savings bonds allotments, and Combined Federal Campaign allotments.

Authority for maintenance of the system:
5 U.S.C. 5101, et seq; 31 U.S.C. 3512; 20 U.S.C. 3461.

Purpose(s):
The records in this system are maintained in order to facilitate fiscal operations for payroll, attendance, leave, insurance, tax, retirement and cost accounting programs; and to prepare related reports to other Federal agencies including the Department of the Treasury and the Office of Personnel Management.

Routine uses of records maintained in the system, including categories of users and the purposes of such uses:
The Department of Education (the Department) may disclose information contained in a record in this system of records under the routine uses listed in this system of records without the consent of the individual if the disclosure is compatible with the purposes for which the record was collected. These disclosures may be made on a case-by-case basis or, if the Department has complied with the computer matching requirements of the Privacy Act, under a computer matching agreement.

1. Disclosure for Use by Other Law Enforcement Agencies. The Department may disclose information to any Federal, State, local, or foreign agency or other public authority responsible for enforcing, investigating, or prosecuting violations of administrative, civil, or criminal law or regulation if that information is relevant to any enforcement, regulatory, investigative, or prosecutive responsibility within the receiving entity's jurisdiction.
2. Enforcement Disclosure. In the event that information in this system of records indicates, either on its face or in connection with other information, a violation or potential violation of any applicable statute, regulation, or order of a competent authority, the Department may disclose the relevant records to the appropriate agency, whether foreign, Federal, State, Tribal, or local, charged with the responsibility of investigating or prosecuting that violation or charged with enforcing or implementing the statute, executive order, rule, regulation, or order issued pursuant thereto.
3. Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Disclosures.
   1. Introduction. In the event that one of the parties listed below is involved in litigation or ADR, or has an interest in litigation ADR, THE DEPARTMENT may disclose certain records to the parties described in paragraphs (b), (c) and (d) of this routine use under the conditions specified in those paragraphs:
      1. The Department, or any component of the Department; or
      2. Any Department employee in his or her official capacity; or
      3. Any Department employee in his or her individual capacity if the Department of Justice (DOJ) has agreed to provide or arrange for representation for the employee;
      4. Any Department employee in his or her individual capacity where the agency has agreed to represent the employee; or
      5. The United States where the Department determines that the litigation is likely to affect the Department or any of its components.
   2. Disclosure to the DOJ. If the Department determines that disclosure of certain records to the DOJ is relevant and necessary to litigation or ADR, the Department may disclose those records as a routine use to the DOJ.
   3. Administrative Disclosures. If the Department determines that disclosure of certain records to an adjudicative body before which the Department is authorized to appear, an individual or entity designated by the Department or otherwise empowered to resolve or mediate disputes is relevant and necessary to the administrative litigation, the Department may disclose those records as a routine use to the adjudicative body, individual, or entity.
   4. Parties, counsels, representatives and witnesses. If the Department determines that disclosure of certain records to a party, counsel, representative or witness in an administrative proceeding is relevant and necessary to the litigation, the Department may disclose those records as a routine use to the party, counsel, representative or witness.
4. Employment, Benefit, and Contracting Disclosure.
   1. For Decisions by the Department. The Department may disclose a record to a Federal, State, or local agency maintaining civil, criminal, or other relevant enforcement or other pertinent records, or to another public authority or professional organization, if necessary to obtain information relevant to an a Department decision concerning the hiring or retention of an employee or other personnel action, the issuance of a security clearance, the letting of a contract, or the issuance of a license, grant, or other benefit.
   2. For Decisions by Other Public Agencies and Professional Organizations. The Department may disclose a record to a Federal, State, local, or foreign agency or other public authority or professional organization, in connection with the hiring or retention of an employee or other personnel action, the issuance of a security clearance, the reporting of an investigation of an employee, the letting of a contract, or the issuance of a license, grant, or other benefit, to the extent that the record is relevant and necessary to the receiving entity's decision on the matter.
5. Employee Grievance, Complaint or Conduct Disclosure. The Department may disclose a record in this system of records to another agency of the Federal Government if the record is relevant to one of the following proceedings regarding a present or former employee of the Department: Complaint, grievance, discipline or competence determination proceedings. The disclosure may only be made during the course of the proceeding.
6. Labor Organization Disclosure. A component of the Department may disclose records to a labor organization if a contract between the component and a labor organization recognized under Title V of the United States Code, Chapter 71, provides that the Department will disclose personal records relevant to the organization's mission. The disclosures will be made only as authorized by law.
7. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Advice Disclosure. The Department may disclose records to the Department of Justice and the Office of Management and Budget if the Department concludes that disclosure is desirable or necessary in determining whether particular records are required to be disclosed under the FOIA.
8. Disclosure to the Department of Justice (DOJ). The Department may disclose records to the DOJ to the extent necessary for obtaining DOJ advice on any matter relevant to an audit, inspection, or other inquiry related to the programs covered by this system.
9. Contract Disclosure. If the Department contracts with an entity for the purposes of performing any function that requires disclosure of records in this system to employees of the contractor, the Department may disclose the records to those employees. Before entering into such a contract, the Department shall require the contractor to maintain Privacy Act safeguards as required under 5 U.S.C. 552a(m) with respect to the records in the system.
10. Research Disclosure. The Department may disclose records to a researcher if an appropriate official of the Department determines that the individual or organization to which the disclosure would be made is qualified to carry out specific research related to functions or purposes of this system of records. The official may disclose records from this system of records to that researcher solely for the purpose of carrying out that research related to the functions or purposes of this system of records. The researcher shall be required to maintain Privacy Act safeguards with respect to the disclosed records.
11. Congressional Member Disclosure. The Department may disclose records to a member of Congress from the record of an individual in response to an inquiry from the member made at the written request of that individual. The Member's right to the information is no greater than the right of the individual who requested it.
12. Disclosure to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Credit Reform Act (CRA) Support. The Department may disclose records to OMB as necessary to fulfill CRA requirements.
13. Payroll Disclosure. The Department may disclose records to the Department of the Treasury for preparation of payroll checks, payroll deductions, U.S. Saving bonds, and other checks to Federal, State, and local government agencies, non-governmental organizations and individuals.
14. Tax Disclosure. The Department may disclose records to the Internal Revenue Service and to state and local government agencies having taxing authority in order to prepare W-2 Forms.
15. Personnel Management Disclosure. The Department may disclose records to the Office of Personnel Management, Merit Systems Protection Board, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the Federal Labor Relations Authority (including the General Counsel of the Authority and Federal Service Impasses Panel) to carry out their functions.
16. Workers' Compensation Disclosure. The Department may disclose records to the Department of Labor to make a compensation determination in connection with a claim filed by an employee for compensation on account of a job-connected injury or disease.
17. Wage Garnishment Disclosure. The Department may disclose records to the IRS in order to respond to orders from IRS for garnishment of an employee's pay for Federal income tax purposes.
18. Unemployment Compensation Disclosure. The Department may disclose records to state offices of unemployment compensation in connection with claims filed by former Department employees for unemployment compensation.
19. Association Dues Disclosure. The Department may disclose records to financial organizations designated to receive labor organization or management association dues withheld from an employee's pay, in order to account for the amounts of the withheld dues which they receive.

Disclosure to consumer reporting agencies:
Disclosures pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(12): The Department may disclose to a consumer reporting agency information regarding a claim by the Department which is determined to be valid and overdue as follows: (1) The name, address, taxpayer identification number and other information necessary to establish the identity of the individual responsible for the claim; (2) the amount, status, and history of the claim; and (3) the program under which the claim arose. The Department may disclose the information specified in this paragraph under 5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(12) and the procedures contained in subsection 31 U.S.C. 3711(e). A consumer reporting agency to which these disclosures may be made is defined at 31 U.S.C. 3701(a)(3).

Policies and practices for storing, retrieving, accessing, retaining, and disposing of records in the system:

Storage:
Records are maintained on electronic media and in hard copy.

Retrievability:
Records are retrieved by the employee's name and Social Security number.

Safeguards:
Access to and use of these records are limited to personnel whose official duties require such access. Personnel screening is employed to prevent unauthorized disclosure. All physical access to the Department's sites, and the sites of Department contractors where this system of records is maintained, is controlled and monitored by security personnel who check each individual entering the building for an employee or visitor badge.

The computer system employed by the Department offers a high degree of resistance to tampering and circumvention. This security system limits data access to Department and contract staff on a "need to know" basis, and controls individual users' ability to access and alter records within the system. All users of this system of records are given a unique user ID with user defined password. All interactions by individual users with the system are recorded.

Retention and disposal:
Records submitted by the individual, such as allotment authorization forms, home address forms, and tax withholding forms are retained until superseded by new updated transactions whether electronically or paper, or until the individual leaves the Department. Some of these records must be retained for an additional period, or forwarded to the new employing agency. Records are retired to the Federal Personnel Records Center and subsequently disposed of in accordance with the General Records Schedules issued by the National Archives and Records Administration.

System manager(s) and address:

Notification procedure:
If you wish to determine whether a record exists regarding you in the system of records, contact the executive officer in your office. Your request must meet the requirements of the Department's Privacy Act regulations at 34 CFR 5b.5, including proof of identity.

Record access procedures:
If you wish to gain access to a record regarding you in the system of records, contact the executive officer in your office. Your request must meet the requirements of the Department's Privacy Act regulations at 34 CFR 5b.5, including proof of identity.

Contesting record procedures:
If you wish to contest the content of a record regarding you in the system of records, contact the executive officer in your office. Your request must meet the requirements of the Department's Privacy Act regulations at 34 CFR 5b.7.

Record source categories:
Information in this system of records is obtained from individual employees, timekeepers and supervisors.

Systems exempted from certain provisions of the act:
None.