WHAT THE PROGRAM IS ABOUT

Awards Program was adopted by the Board of Supervisors on July 15, 1980.  This is an employee incentives program which provides monetary awards with the intention of encouraging County employees to participate in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of his/her job and County operations in general. 

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

All County employees are eligible to submit suggestions. However, administrative management or supervisory Human Resources whose primary job responsibility is problem identification, analysis and solution, are ineligible for monetary awards for suggestions involving their own job assignments.

Eligibility will be determined in accordance with the bylaws of the Program. (A copy of the bylaws are available from the Human Resources Department.)

WHAT IS A SUGGESTION?

A suggestion is a proposal voluntarily submitted by an employee, in writing, for the improvement of equipment, procedures or operations within the complete control of the County.  The adoption of such a proposal will result in significant monetary savings to the County.  The mere statement of a problem without submitting a practical solution is NOT a suggestion.

HOW TO SUBMIT A SUGGESTION

All suggestions must be submitted on a Suggestion Form.  Forms are available from the County Human Resources Department (565-2331).

In submitting a suggestion, the following steps should be taken:

1.) Before filling out the form, read it completely and follow the instructions carefully.  Some of the rules for the Program are listed on the back of the form.

2.)  It is recommended that you consult with your supervisor in the preparation of your suggestion.  He or she may add to your idea for which YOU get credit.

3.) Define the present situation completely.

4.) Give a specific, detailed solution to the problem.  General statements such as "a procedure should be developed" or "a form should be designed" do NOT propose a specific solution and are not acceptable as suggestions.

5.) Always give your estimate of the savings or benefits that will result if your idea is adopted.  Give the evaluating department ALL the information needed to conduct a fair and accurate appraisal of your idea.

6.) Sign and mail (or hand carry) your completed idea form to the County Human Resources Department.

HOW SUGGESTIONS ARE PROCESSED

After your suggestion is received by the Human Resources Department, it is numbered, filed and an acknowledgment of its receipt is sent to you.  The suggestion will then be referred to and evaluated by qualified Human Resources who submit their evaluations and recommendations to the Employee Suggestion Awards Committee (ESAC).  The Committee will then render a decision.  You will be notified of that decision as soon as possible.

IF A SUGGESTION IS ADOPTED AND IMPLEMENTED

A check is prepared and presented to you for the amount of the award.  Applicable federal withholding taxes will be deducted from your pay check.  You will also receive a Certificate from the Board of Supervisors.

HOW BIG WILL THE AWARD BE?

This depends on the type of suggestion and its value to the County.

There is a minimum award of $100.00 and a maximum award of $5,000.00 for any one suggestion.  You will receive 10 percent of the documented first year savings (time, labor, materials, or new revenue) up to the maximum amount of $5,000.00.  If your suggestion is difficult to measure in the form of cash savings, you may still win $100.00 if efficiency in operations can be shown.

IF A SUGGESTION IS DECLINED

 Of the many suggestions received, some will not be usable.  Many of these may seem practical to you, but they may not be adopted for various reasons.  Some of the reasons are listed below:

  1.)      It deals with matters subject to negotiation.

  2.)      It is impractical or uneconomical to apply at the time it is acted upon.

  3.)      It duplicates a suggestion already under consideration.

  4.)      The County has already begun study on the idea.

  5.)      The suggestion falls within the applicant's normal scope of job responsibilities.

If one of your suggestions is declined, you will be notified of the reasons for that decision.  A suggestion that has been declined is automatically protected against duplicate suggestions for a period of two years from the date of the "declined" rating.  You may re-enter a suggestion at any time during the two-year protection to provide an additional year of protection dating from the time of the re-entry.

If the County should take action to place the idea into effect within the period of protection, the suggestion shall be reevaluated for adoption.

EMPLOYEE'S RIGHTS

If you do not agree with the rating of your suggestion, you have the prerogative to request a further review if:

  1.)      The reasons for not recommending a cash award  are not clear.

  2.)      You have amplifying information that affects the decision.

  3.)      Your idea is used within ninety (90) calendar days of the decision.

If you are dissatisfied with the amount of award or the reasons for rejection of your suggestion, you may file a written request for reconsideration within thirty (30) calendar days from the date on the letter notifying you of the decision.  Your request must state the basis for reconsideration.  Your suggestion will then be reviewed by the Employee Suggestion Award Committee at its next scheduled meeting.  Please remember that only one such request shall be granted per suggestion.

COUNTY'S RIGHTS

Suggestions submitted become the exclusive property of the County of Sonoma.  Decisions made by the County regarding eligibility, adoption, rejection and awards are final.

The County has the exclusive authority to make the policy and determine the rules governing the operation of the Suggestion Process.  The County also reserves the right to amend or modify the Suggestion program at any time.

HELPFUL HINTS

Here are some ways to judge the merit of your suggestion:

Will your suggestion:

If your answer is YES to ANY of these questions, you should submit your idea.

PLEASE NOTE

The following items should normally be requested through your supervisor rather than submitted as suggestions:

  1.)      Routine maintenance, such as replacement of light bulbs or broken windows.

  2.)      Routine safety, such as warning or traffic signs and complying with established safety procedures.

  3.)     Personal employee benefits, such as restroom facilities, vending machines or recreational programs.

  4.)       Working conditions, such as housekeeping, air conditioning, furniture, clocks, etc.

FORMS

Suggestions concerning forms should be made through normal supervisory channels unless the form will result in SIGNIFICANT savings in labor or material, and provide MAJOR improvements in processing information.

Forms that are developed on a computer must demonstrate that the author has programming skills and abilities with the software that exceed normal applications.

YOUR IDEAS ARE IMPORTANT!

Every suggestion submitted will be considered and fairly evaluated. Employees are encouraged to be creative and to look beyond their normal realm of duties in problem identification and solving.  This success of this program depends upon your active participation.

For additional information about your Suggestion Program, contact your supervisor, department head, or the Human Resources Department (565-2331).