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 Vermont, employees have the right to access and inspect their personnel files. Vermont law requires both public and private employers to grant employees access to their personnel records. According to Vermont Statutes Title 21, Section 309, employees have the right to review their personnel files at reasonable intervals, generally during the regular business hours of the employer. Employees can request to see their file in writing, and the employer must comply within a reasonable period, not to exceed 10 working days. Vermont law also stipulates that if an employer places any disciplinary documentation or information about an adverse action in an employee's personnel file, the employer must inform the employee in writing of this action within 10 days of placing the document in the file. This ensures that employees are aware of any negative entries that could affect their employment status. The right to access personnel files in Vermont is designed to promote transparency and fairness in the employer-employee relationship.