Chapter 12
Employee
Suggestion Program
§ 12-1.
Purpose.
The purpose of the
Town of Amherst Employee Suggestion Program is to secure for the Town
of Amherst and its taxpayers the maximum benefit from the conservation
of Town resources. The Program recognizes that the employees of the Town
represent an unlimited source of ideas for better ways to serve the public.
Monetary awards are intended to offer a significant incentive for employees
to become involved in the creative process and to amplify the capabilities
of management. The Program recognizes that every employee will, by identifying
problems and providing possible solutions, become, in a very real sense,
a part of the creative management team.
§ 12-2. Definitions.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEE
-- All Town employees, whether full-time, part-time, or volunteer, are
eligible to submit suggestions. Former employees are also eligible as
long as the suggestions were submitted prior to separation of service
with the Town, such separation was voluntary, and the suggestions are
implemented within one year of submittal. Department heads and supervisors,
where supervisors' job responsibilities call for them to seek methods
to improve operations or services, shall not be eligible for cash awards
for suggestions which deal with operations under their own supervision.
They may, however, receive cash awards for suggestions that deal with
operations other than those under their supervision or assigned general
responsibility. Elected officials of the Town may never receive cash
awards.
MERIT AWARD BOARD
-- Consists of the following individuals: the Town Board of the Town
of Amherst and two private citizens with business backgrounds, to be
appointed annually by a majority vote of the Town Board at the Town
reorganization meeting.
- The
Merit Award Board shall have the power and duty to make rules and
regulations pertaining to the payment of employee awards. All decisions
of the Merit Award Board regarding the worthiness of a suggestion
for an award and the amount of such award shall be final and binding
and shall not be subject to review in any court or before any other
body, except as provided for in the rules and regulations promulgated
in accordance with this local law.
- Members
of the Merit Award Board shall not receive any salary or compensation
for service as members of such Board. However, Town Board members
will continue to receive their regular salaries as provided by law.
SUGGESTION REVIEW
COMMITTEE -- Consists of the following individuals: the Director of
Personnel; the Director of Finance; three private citizens with business
backgrounds, to be appointed by the majority of the Town Board (these
individuals shall not also serve on the Merit Award Board), and a department
head, as designated by the Town Board.
- The
Suggestion Review Committee shall receive all suggestions, as defined
above, review them and forward its recommendations to the Merit
Award Board for final determination. The Suggestion Review Committee
may use other resources in order to complete its investigation/analysis.
- The
Suggestion Review Committee shall have the power to make all rules
and regulations implementing the receipt of suggestions by employees,
the review of such suggestions by the Suggestion Review Committee,
and the criteria for determining which suggestions shall be forwarded
to the Merit Award Board. All decisions of the Suggestion Review
Committee shall be final and binding and shall not be subject to
review in any court or before any other body, except as provided
for in rules and regulations promulgated in accordance with this
local law.
- Members
of this Suggestion Review Committee shall not receive any salary
or compensation for service as members of the Committee.
SUGGESTION -- A
definite, constructive, original idea or a new application of an old
idea, submitted in writing by one or more eligible Town employees, which
is intended to do the following: increase productivity; conserve Town
resources; reduce Town costs; or improve the morale of Town employees.
The suggestions must not be the kind which employees are reasonably
expected to develop in the course of their regular duties.
§ 12-3. Procedures.
All necessary procedures for the submission and review of suggestions
or for the awarding of monetary awards will be established by the Suggestion
Review Committee or the Merit Award Board, respectively, subject to the
following guidelines:
- All suggestions
become the property of the Town of Amherst upon their receipt, and
all decisions of the Merit Award Board or the Suggestion Review Committee
shall be final and binding and nonreviewable, except as provided for
in the rules and regulations promulgated in accordance with this local
law.
- Duplicate
suggestions cannot be given consideration for cash awards. If duplicate
suggestions are dated on the same day, the time received in the Town
Personnel Office shall govern, and the first filed shall be the only
one eligible for award.
- In order
to be eligible for a cash award, a suggestion with tangible benefits
must result in at least $1,000 in projected savings during the first
year after implementation.
- The amount
of the cash award shall be 10% of the first year's tangible monetary
benefit, with no cap.
- All employees
who have a suggestion adopted, either individually or in collaboration
with others, will receive an Employee Suggestion Award Certificate
and a letter of commendation, both of which will become a permanent
part of their personnel record.
- All monetary
awards will be charged to the budget or department which benefits
most from the suggestion.
- Rules
and regulations adopted pursuant to this local law shall govern the
character and quality of acceptable suggestions, the method of submission
and the procedures for their review, the manner in which the suggestions
will be passed on to the Merit Award Board, the value of awards, the
issuance and payment of such awards, and any other policies and procedures
as may be deemed necessary or appropriate for the proper administration
of this local law.
- Nothing
herein shall be construed to change or otherwise modify the terms
of any collective bargaining agreement existing between the Town of
Amherst and any duly organized employee union of the Town of Amherst.
§ 12-4. Funding
and expenditure of moneys.
The Town Board is hereby empowered to fund and expend moneys for the purpose
of this local law.
§ 12-5. Severability.
If any clause, sentence, paragraph, or part of this local law or application
thereof to any person or circumstances shall be adjudged by any court
to be invalid, such judgment shall not affect, impair, or invalidate the
remainder thereof or the application thereof to other persons and circumstances
but shall be confined in its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph,
or part thereof and the persons and circumstances directly involved in
the controversy in which such judgment shall have been rendered.
§ 12-6. When effective.
This local law shall take effect immediately upon filing with the Secretary
of State of the State of New York, pursuant to the Municipal Home Rule
Law of the State of New York and the Code of the Town of Amherst.
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Chapter 14
Employee Suggestion Program
§ 14-1. Purpose.
The purpose of the Town of Mendon Employees Suggestion Program is to secure
for the Town of Mendon and its taxpayers the maximum benefit from the
conservation of town resources by offering monetary and honorary awards
to eligible town employees. The program recognizes that the employees
of the Town of Mendon represent an unlimited source of ideas for new ways
to better serve the public. This offering is intended to afford significant
incentives for employees to become involved in the creative process and
to amplify the capabilities of management. The program recognizes that
every eligible employee will become, by identifying problems and providing
possible solutions, in a very real sense, part of a creative management
team.
§ 14-2. Definitions.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
AWARDS -- A monetary
"award" shall be given to the submitter(s) of a suggestion
which is adopted by the town and whose tangible benefits result in at
least two hundred fifty dollars ($250.) in savings within the one-year
period beginning at implementation.
- The
amount of cash "award" paid for an adopted suggestion
shall not exceed ten percent (10%) of the first full year's tangible
savings, as determined by the Suggestion Review Committee and approved
by the Town Board. The percentage paid shall be as set forth in
the Rules and Procedures, which may be amended from time to time
as deemed necessary.
- Honorary
"award" certificates shall be given to those who submitted
adopted suggestions which saved less than two hundred fifty dollars
($250.) in the first full year of implementation or to those who
submitted adopted suggestions, but were ineligible for a cash "award."
- All
decisions regarding the worthiness of a suggestion and the amount
or eligibility of an "award" shall be final and binding
and shall not be subject to review in any court.
ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEE
-- With the exception of the Town Finance Officer and elected officials,
all employees of the Town of Mendon, whether full-time, part-time, seasonal
or appointed volunteers, are eligible to submit suggestions to be considered
for monetary or honorary awards. However, suggestions for monetary awards
must not be the kind which employees are expected to develop in the
course of their regular duties. Also, department heads and supervisors,
where their job responsibility calls for them to seek methods to improve
operations or services, shall not be eligible for cash awards for suggestions
dealing with operations under their control. They may, however, qualify
for cash awards for suggestions that deal with operations not under
their control. Anyone may submit a suggestion to be considered for an
honorary certificate award.
SUGGESTION REVIEW
COMMITTEE -- A committee consisting of five (5) people, which shall
include two (2) members who are private citizens of the town, two (2)
members who are employees of the town, all of whom are appointed as
provided for in the Rules and Procedures, and the town's Finance Officer.
- This
Committee's duties shall be to review all suggestions offered and
to refer all such suggestions with comments as to the worthiness
and practicality of each of them to the Town Board for its approval
or rejection.
- For
those suggestions that are approved for study by the Town Board,
it shall also be the duty of the Suggestion Review Committee to
determine the tangible monetary savings for the first year after
the suggestion is implemented.
- Rules
and Procedures governing this Committee shall be established as
provided for in a separate document which may, from time to time,
be amended as deemed necessary.
- Members
of the Suggestion Review Committee shall receive no salary or compensation
for their services as members of this Committee.
SUGGESTIONS --
A definite, constructive and original idea, or a new application of
an old idea, submitted, in writing, by one (1) or more eligible town
employees, which is intended to either increase productivity, conserve
town resources or reduce the town's operational costs. An improvement
in town employees' morale is hoped to be a by-product of this program.
All "suggestions," once submitted in writing, shall become
the property of the Town of Mendon.
§ 14-3. Rules
and Procedures.
Additional Rules and Procedures for the submission and review of suggestions
and the approval of awards shall be established by the Town Board in a
separate document called "Rules and Procedures." Upon consultation
with the Suggestion Review Committee, these may be amended from time to
time as deemed necessary. However, in no event shall they change the facts
as presented in this chapter.
§ 14-4.
Funding.
- All monetary
awards will be charged to the budget of the department(s) which benefit
from the adopted suggestion.
- The Town
Board is hereby empowered to fund and expend moneys for the purpose
of this chapter.
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