Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 478-1-.22 - Employee Suggestion Program
(1)
Introduction. Employees are
encouraged to submit suggestions for improving operations and efficiency
through the Employee Suggestion Program (ESP) to assist the State fulfilling
its commitment to serving the public effectively. Eligible employees whose
suggestions are adopted may receive awards under the provisions of this Rule.
(a) For the purposes of this Rule, the
following terms and definitions apply in addition to those in
478-1-.02 (Terms and Definitions):
1. "Agency " means any agency as defined in
O.C.G.A. §
45-20-2, any authority, or any public corporation, but does not include the Board of
Regents and units of the University System of Georgia.
2. "Agency Coordinator" means the chair of an
Agency Suggestion Committee.
3.
"Agency Suggestion Committee" or "Committee" means the committee appointed by
an agency to review suggestions submitted which pertain to the operation of
that agency .
4. "Employee " means an
employee of any agency as defined by O.C.G.A. §
45-20-2, or authority, or any public corporation, but shall not include employees of the
Board of Regents or units of the University System of Georgia.
5. "Employees Suggestion Program" means the
program developed by the Board .
6.
"Suggestion Program Coordinator" means an employee of the Department of
Administrative Services designated by the Commissioner.
(2)
Eligible Employees.
All employees may participate in the ESP, with the following exceptions:
Members of the General Assembly; Agency Heads; Members of boards and
commissions appointed by the Governor or the General Assembly; Members,
justices, judges, officials, and officers of the judicial branch; Officers and
officials elected by popular vote; Persons appointed to fill vacancies in
elective offices; Employees of the Board of Regents; and Employees of units of
the University System of Georgia.
(a) An
agency may choose to exclude hourly, seasonal, temporary, and part-time
employees from the ESP at its discretion.
(3)
How to Submit a Suggestion.
Suggestions may be submitted online through the Department of
Administrative Services website. Alternatively, suggestions may be submitted to
the Suggestion Program Coordinator by mail, e-mail, or in person. Verbal
suggestions are not considered.
(a) Each
suggestion should clearly and concisely identify the issue, propose a detailed
solution to the issue, and explain the expected benefit to the state.
Inventions, whether patentable or not, will also be considered.
(b) Group suggestions should be signed by all
participating individuals. Awards for adopted group suggestions will be
prorated.
(c) Suggestions relating
to the following areas will not be considered:
1. Personal grievances;
2. Specific assigned duties or
responsibilities of a particular employee ;
3. Classification and/or pay of
positions;
4. Matters recommended
for study, review, or summary;
5.
Matters that result from assigned or contracted audits, studies, surveys,
reviews, or research;
6. Matters
requiring the enactment of legislation by the General Assembly; and
7. Rules of the ESP.
(4)
Review Process.
Each agency should appoint three (3) employees to serve as members of
the Agency Suggestion Committee (the "Committee"), one of whom will be
designated as the Agency Coordinator (chair).
(a) The Commissioner will designate an
employee of the Department of Administrative Services as the Suggestion Program
Coordinator. The Suggestion Program Coordinator shall review for eligibility
each suggestion received and forward those that should be considered to the
appropriate Agency Coordinator for evaluation.
(b) The Agency Coordinator should obtain
internal feedback on the suggestion, including a determination of the amount of
savings, if any, that would be realized by the implementation of the
suggestion. Based on feedback provided, the Committee will evaluate the
suggestion and provide a written recommendation regarding its adoption to the
Suggestion Program Coordinator in the prescribed format within 45 days of
receipt. The recommendation should explain in detail why the suggestion should
or should not be adopted, and should include any supporting documentation and
an estimate of the value of projected annual savings to be generated by
adopting the suggestion.
(c) An
agency may also appoint a suggestion committee for any institution or division
within the agency in addition to an Agency Suggestion Committee. These
committees will follow the same procedures set forth above but report their
recommendations to the Agency Suggestion Committee instead of directly to the
Suggestion Program Coordinator.
(d)
Duplicate Suggestions. The Suggestion Program Coordinator will review each
suggestion to determine whether it is a duplicate of, or is similar to, a
previously submitted suggestion. When duplicate suggestions are received, the
suggestion bearing the earliest date of receipt will be submitted for
consideration. If duplicate suggestions are received on the same date, both
will be considered, and if adopted, any award given will be split as determined
by the State Personnel Board .
(e)
Inter-Agency Suggestions. The Suggestion Program Coordinator may forward a
suggestion to an agency that does not employ the originator of the suggestion,
when appropriate.
(f) Re-Evaluation
of Suggestions Not Recommended for Adoption. An employee may ask the Suggestion
Program Coordinator to forward a suggestion to the appropriate agency for
reevaluation if the Committee does not recommend adoption. Likewise, an agency
may ask the Agency Coordinator to reevaluate a suggestion that was not
recommended for adoption. Reevaluation may only be requested one time per
suggestion.
(g) Review by the
Commissioner and Final Decision. The Suggestion Program Coordinator will
collect and provide the Commissioner with the written recommendations regarding
employee suggest ions. After reviewing the written recommendations, the
Commissioner will make final recommendations to the State Personnel Board which
will make the final determination regarding any action to be taken.
(5)
Notification of
Decision. The Suggestion Program Coordinator is responsible for
notifying the employee in writing of the decision, including any award to be
received.
(6)
Awards for
Adopted Suggestions. The following factors will be considered by the
State Personnel Board in making the final determination regarding an award:
(a) Nature of benefit;
(b) Degree of benefit;
(c) Extent of application (i.e., how many
agencies and/or facilities adopt the suggestion);
(d) Originality and ingenuity of
idea;
(e) Cost of
adoption;
(f) Effort undertaken by
the employee in formulating the suggestion; and
(g) Clarity and completeness of the
suggestion.
(h) Suggestions for
improving safety are given more weight in determining the amount, if any, of a
cash award.
(7)
Cash Awards.
(a) Suggestions
Resulting in Quantifiable Savings. An employee whose suggestion is approved by
the State Personnel Board and adopted and implemented by an agency that results
in direct and measurable cash savings or cost avoidance will receive a cash
award. The award will be equal to 10% of the first year's estimated net
material and labor savings, with a minimum amount of $10 and a maximum amount
of $5,000.
(b) All Other
Suggestions. Other suggestions that are approved, adopted and implemented by an
agency may result in improvements that cannot be measured (e.g., suggestions
involving improvements in working conditions; changes in procedures or forms;
or employee morale, health, or safety, etc.). These suggestions may be eligible
for a maximum cash award of $100.
(c) Payment of Award. A cash award is
generally paid upon adoption of the suggestion and paid by the adopting agency
or agencies within the fiscal year it is authorized for payment. Payment may be
delayed up to six (6) months if the savings resulting from implementation
cannot be immediately determined.
1. In order
to receive payment of a cash award, the individual must be a current employee
of an agency , retired from service, or deceased at the time of implementation
of the suggestion. In the case of a deceased employee or former employee, the
award will be paid as if it were part of the employee's final
compensation.
(d)
Adoption of Modified Suggestions. An employee may be entitled to an award if a
suggestion is adopted in a modified form. The State Personnel Board will
determine whether a suggestion was adopted in a modified form and whether the
employee making the suggestion should receive an award. The State Personnel
Board 's decision is final.
(e)
Adoption of Rejected Suggestions. An employee may be entitled to an award if a
suggestion was rejected but subsequently adopted within a year of the
employee 's receipt of the initial notification of non-adoption. For an
individual to receive any award under these circumstances, the Commissioner
must have been notified that the suggestion was implemented and the individual
must be a current employee of an agency , retired from service, or deceased at
the time of implementation of the suggestion. In the case of a deceased
employee or former employee, the award will be paid as if it were part of the
employee's final compensation.
(8)
Certificates of Commendation.
When the submitted suggestion results only in minimal savings or minor
improvement, the employee may receive a certificate of commendation in lieu of
a cash award. An employee receiving a cash award may also receive a certificate
of commendation.
(9)
Rights
of the Parties.
(a) Rights of the
Submitting Employee . The right to receive a State Personnel Board suggestion
award is the submitting employee's sole right under the Employee Suggestion
Program.
(b) Rights of the State.
An agency has the right to use a suggestion in any form or manner without
making any payment, including royalties, other than an award determined by the
State Personnel Board pursuant to the Employee Suggestion Program.
Notes
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