Do employees have a statutory right to review or copy their personnel file?
Federal law does not mandate employee access to their personnel files. You must check your state’s law because many states mandate employee access to their personnel files. Other states, however, do not require an employer to allow an employee to review or copy his or her personnel file (although nothing prevents an employer from permitting them to do so). Any policy permitting file access should be enforced on a uniform basis, so that employees will not allege they have been treated disparately. In addition, employees who are members of a union may have a right to review or copy their personnel file if such a provision is in the collective bargaining agreement.
