Review Personnel

In the state of California, every current employee, or his or her representative has the right to inspect and receive a copy of their personnel records, maintained by their employer.

No federal law grants employees the right to inspect their personnel files. However, many states do give employees such rights and spell out the terms under which employees are allowed to inspect those files.

Lawyers can also subpoena the contents of the personnel records for lawsuits and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) complaints. A former employee can also request a copy of his or her personnel records. Best practice makes the personnel file only accessible by Human Resources staff members.

Keep it simple. In requesting employee records, it's usually a good idea to keep it simple. Be clear about your request. Keep the tone respectful. Give a Deadline for a Response. Optional: Reference the laws that give you the right to access these records.

Keep it simple. In requesting employee records, it's usually a good idea to keep it simple. Be clear about your request. Keep the tone respectful. Give a Deadline for a Response. Optional: Reference the laws that give you the right to access these records.

No federal law grants employees the right to inspect their personnel files. However, many states do give employees such rights and spell out the terms under which employees are allowed to inspect those files.

Employee privacy law is not uniform across all jurisdictions.In Ontario, where employer/employee privacy legislation does not exist, an employer's obligation in connection with an employee's request to view his or her personnel file may be governed by a workplace policy or contractual agreement.

Personnel files are generally discoverable if they are relevant, although some courts have expressed reluctance to disclose personnel files, particularly those of public officials such as police officers.