Do people have the right to access their old personnel files?

Question

If you left a job and then later re-applied to the same company, do you have the right to know what's in your file? Specifically, if they've marked your file as "do not rehire," is H.R. required to tell you that? If you ask?

Answer 1

I think you should be allowed to access your files, because it's only your information in the file and there may be some inaccuracy.

Answer 2

You say "your file" but in fact, the file and the documents in it are generated by the company and are the property of the company. You may have had better luck asking to see if before you left. As it stands, you can ask to see your personnel file, or ask about what it contains, but you don't have any guaranteed right to the information.