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 Iowa, employees have the right to access and inspect their personnel files under state law. Iowa Code section 91B.1 grants employees the right to review their personnel file upon request. Employers are required to provide a current or former employee with access to their personnel file at least once a year if requested. The law applies to all employers in the state, both public and private. However, there are some limitations on the right to access. For example, the employer may require the inspection to occur at the place of employment and during normal working hours. Additionally, the employer is not required to allow an employee to inspect or review records that are of a confidential nature concerning other persons. If an employee requests a copy of their personnel file, the employer may charge a reasonable fee for the cost of copying documents. Regarding adverse-action notices, Iowa law does not specifically require employers to provide such documents within a certain number of days after placement in an employee's personnel file.