Suggestion Awards Program

Recent winners include:

• Ted Filides, Electrical/Mechanical Technician 3, Utilities
• Darren Johnson, Electronic Specialist 1, Real Estate Management
• Derek Ochsenwald, Electrical/Mechanical Technician 2, Utilities

For details and additional recipients, see Recent Recipients (SharePoint link).

All employees in the classified service including temporary and part-time employees are eligible. Participation in a suggestion program offered exclusively by any Appointing Authority does not preclude entering the same suggestion in the Employee Suggestion Awards Program.

Exempt employees are not eligible.

Employees who submit a suggestion that is adopted may receive a cash award of 10% of the estimated cost savings for the first year, up to $2,500.

The suggestion should identify a problem or area which could be improved and recommend a remedy or improvement.

Suggestions related to the following items are not eligible for award consideration:

• Offer no specific solution or procedure for correcting/improving the cited problem area
• Exist only because established policy and/or procedures are not being followed
• Duplicate an idea previously suggested
• Involve the elimination, lowering or raising of taxes levied by the County or other governmental entities
• Deal with matters that are considered to be part of an employee’s normal job responsibilities
• Embrace matters which are the result of assigned or contracted audits, studies, surveys, reviews, or research
• Propose ideas which are already under consideration
• Deal with personal grievances, salary schedules, job classifications, time and leave regulations and fringe benefits
• Involve procedures which have not been implemented with demonstrated savings
• Are not submitted within two years after date of implementation, or within three years in unusual cases

Complete the online Suggestion Form.

• Group suggestions will be considered on the same basis as if the suggestion had been submitted by one employee.
• Any cash award will be divided equally among the employees in the group.
• All group suggesters must be listed on the Suggestion Form.

• Employee suggestions are reviewed four times per year by the Employee Suggestion Awards Committee which includes representatives from the Clerk of the Circuit Court, County Administrator, Property Appraiser, Supervisor of Elections, Tax Collector, Employees’ Advisory Council (two members) and the Chief Human Resources Officer.
• The suggestion will be reviewed by the employee’s supervisor/department director to confirm that it is outside of the employee’s normal job responsibilities and that the estimated cost savings are accurate.
• For more information, see the Rules and Procedures (SharePoint link).

Get the word out to your fellow employees by discussing the program at staff meetings.