Committee weighs bill giving employees quicker access to personnel records

Substitute House Bill 13 08, concerning employee access to personnel records, was reported into the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee and drew extensive testimony from labor advocates, injured‑worker attorneys and business trade groups.

Committee staff Susan Jones summarized the bill, characterizing it as an amendment to the Industrial Welfare Act. Jones said the bill would require employers to allow inspection of personnel records within 21 calendar days after request, would require private employers to provide a no‑cost copy within that period, and—for private employers—would create a private cause of action with statutory damages between $250 and $1,000 and reasonable attorney’s fees for failure to comply. Staff also noted that the bill removes medical records from the personnel‑file list included in prior proposals and…