by the Brightmine Editorial Team
State law generally governs whether an employee has the right to inspect or copy the employee’s personnel records. In many states, employees enjoy a limited right to inspect specific personnel records. Certain states allow employees to include a written statement disputing any information contained in their personnel files that they deem to be inaccurate. Also, some states require employers to notify employees if negative information is placed in their files.
The following chart indicates whether an employee in each state has the right to inspect or copy the employee’s personnel file. For details regarding those rights, and employers’ obligations in those states, click on the name of each state. The chart also provides links to any applicable employee handbook statements that relate to employees’ rights to access personnel records. If there is no handbook statement for a state, the chart cell is marked N/A.
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About the author
The Brightmine Editorial Team
Our in-house team of HR experts carefully monitors and updates the Brightmine HR & Compliance Center, the most comprehensive library of employment law and HR resources. This team has an unrivaled wealth of subject matter expertise, with an average of 15 years’ experience. They also bring invaluable, diverse career experiences to the table—the team includes seasoned employment law attorneys, former in-house counsel, SHRM certified professionals and career employment law editors.
In addition to managing the HR & Compliance Center, the Editorial Team supports the content across the Brightmine product portfolio. The Team also supports Marketing Resource Center with breaking HR news, Commentary and Insights, and expert review of key compliance resources, such as our free charts.