No federal law gives an employee the right to access and inspect their personnel file maintained by their employer—but some state laws do. Many states require public employers to allow employees to access and inspect their personnel files—and some states require private employers to do so as well.

Some states limit an employee’s right to access and inspect their personnel file to certain documents—and some states require an employer to provide employees with certain documents (such as a disciplinary document) within a certain number of days after it is placed in the employee’s personnel file (known as an adverse-action notice).

Laws regarding whether employees have the right to access and inspect their personnel file—and if so, the circumstances under which they may do so—are generally located in a state’s statutes.

In Arizona, there is no specific statute that grants all employees the right to access or inspect their personnel files. However, Arizona law does require public employers to allow public employees to review their personnel records. Specifically, Arizona Revised Statutes § 39-121.01 grants each public body's employees the right to review and receive a copy of their own personnel records, except for documents that are considered confidential by law. For private employees, there is no state law that obligates private employers to provide access to personnel files, although some may do so as part of their company policy. It is important for employees to check with their employer's human resources department or consult with an attorney to understand their specific rights regarding personnel files in their workplace.