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 the state of Mississippi (MS), 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. Unlike some other states, Mississippi has not enacted legislation that broadly requires employers to provide access to these files. However, certain public employees may have the right to review their personnel files under the Mississippi Public Records Act or other applicable laws governing public employment. Private-sector employees would typically need to refer to their company's policies or any applicable employment agreements to determine if they have the right to access their personnel files. It's important to note that the absence of a specific state law does not preclude an employer from voluntarily allowing employees to inspect their personnel files. Employees who believe they have a legal right to access certain documents, such as those related to disciplinary actions, may wish to consult with an attorney to explore their options based on the specifics of their situation.