Starting June 30, 2025, Berkeley Lab employees will be required to follow updated records management practices in compliance with the latest revision to DOE Order 243.1C. One of the most significant changes is the classification of certain emails as records, requiring Lab employees to understand their role in managing and preserving these communications.
In a complex research environment like Berkeley Lab, documentation is not just a bureaucratic task—it’s essential for operational continuity, legal compliance, informed decision-making, and transparency. Records management helps protect the Lab’s institutional knowledge and ensures accountability across projects, teams, and disciplines.
What Is a Record – and Why It Matters?
A record is any material, digital or physical, created or received during Lab business that documents decisions, actions, or procedures—including certain emails. Under DOE O 243.1C, emails that document decisions, actions, or transactions related to Lab business must be treated as records.
Proper email records management supports Lab operations, ensures compliance with DOE and federal requirements, and preserves the institutional memory critical to our research and mission.
Your Role in Records Management
Every employee has a role to play. That includes knowing how to:
- Identify institutional emails that qualify as records.
- Distinguish between personal and business-related messages.
- Label, store, and manage those records according to Lab procedures.
Email Records Requirements
To support this effort, all employees now have a default email label titled “.LBNL Records”, which appears at the top of their Gmail Labels list. This label must be applied to any message that qualifies as an Email Record. Using this label ensures that records are properly identified and managed in accordance with Lab policy.
You will be required to label email records going forward once you have completed the Records Management training which launches June 30, 2025. You not are required to label email records you created or received prior to completing the Records Management training.
You’ll learn how to identify these records such as emails documenting approvals, decisions, or formal actions in the new Records Management Training module.
Please note, this requirement applies only to Lab employees and is not applicable to Lab affiliates.
Required Training
To help everyone comply with the new requirements, Berkeley Lab is launching a structured Records Management Training course. This training will:
- Explain what qualifies as a record,
- Provide hands-on instructions for labeling and saving records.
Annual completion of this training will be mandatory for all Lab employees but not Lab affiliates.
Moving Forward
This change is part of a Lab-wide effort to strengthen information stewardship and create a more organized, resilient, and transparent workplace. Division leaders and RLOs will support the transition by answering questions, sharing updates in team meetings, and providing helpful reminders.
Managing records—including emails—is a shared responsibility. By adopting these practices, we protect the Lab’s work, uphold federal standards, and ensure that critical knowledge is preserved for years to come.
For more information, visit the Records Management page or contact your Records Liaison Officer.
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