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 Missouri, there is no specific state statute that grants all employees the right to access and inspect their personnel files, whether in the public or private sector. However, certain public employees may have this right under specific provisions applicable to public records or under the policies of the public entity that employs them. For private employees, access to personnel files is typically at the discretion of the employer, unless there is an agreement or policy in place that provides such access. Missouri does not have a law that requires private employers to provide employees with adverse-action notices or other specific documents from their personnel files within a certain number of days after they are placed in the employee's file. Employees who believe they have been wrongfully denied access to their personnel files or who have other employment-related concerns may wish to consult with an attorney to discuss their specific situation and any potential legal remedies.