Wash. Rev. Code » Title 49 · Chapter 49.12
Revised Code of Washington

Wash. Rev. Code § 49.12.240 (2025)

Employee inspection of personnel file

✓ laws through the 2025 session: 2026 session laws are not yet included
Find cases: SyfertCases citing this section WA-LEGapp.leg.wa.gov JustiaTitle on Justia CornellLII Search CasesGoogle Scholar
(1) Every employer shall, at least annually, upon the request of an employee, permit that employee to inspect any or all of the employee's own personnel file(s) within the time required under RCW 49.12.250.
(2) For the purposes of this section and RCW 49.12.250, 49.12.260, and 49.12.261, "personnel file" includes the following records, if the employer creates such records:
(a) All job application records;
(b) All performance evaluations;
(c) All nonactive or closed disciplinary records;
(d) All leave and reasonable accommodation records;
(e) All payroll records; and
(f) All employment agreements.
(3) This section and RCW 49.12.250 may not be construed to:
(a) Create a retention schedule for records;
(b) Require an employer to create personnel records; or
(c) Supersede Washington state or federal privacy statutes regarding nondisclosure.
[ 2025 c 273 s 1; 1985 c 336 s 1.]

Notes:

Destruction or retention of information relating to state employee misconduct: RCW 41.06.450 through 41.06.460.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 3 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 2017–2023 · leading case: Martin v. Gonzaga Univ., 425 P.3d 837 (Wash. 2018).
Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment
Martin v. Gonzaga Univ., 425 P.3d 837 (Wash. 2018). “¶ 30 The statutes at issue, RCW 49.12.240 and RCW 49.12.250, are a part of the industrial welfare chapter of the Revised Code of Washington.”
David Martin v. Gonzaga Univ., 402 P.3d 294 (Wash. Ct. App. 2017). · cites it 2× “RCW 49.12.240 and .250 control. The former statute reads: 53 No.”
Dahlstrom v. Life Care Centers of Am. Inc, No. 2:21-cv-01465, 2023 WL 4893491 (W.D. Wash. Aug. 1, 2023). “The Washington Supreme Court sided with Judge Korsmo: 7 The statutes at issue, RCW 49.12.240 and RCW 49.12.250, are a part of the industrial welfare chapter of the Revised Code of Washington.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.