RULE VII
STATE AWARDS PROGRAM
7.01 - SCOPE AND PURPOSE
7.02 - STATEMENTS OF POLICY
7.03 - ELIGIBILITY OF EMPLOYEES
7.04 - ELIGIBILITY OF SUGGESTIONS
7.05 - MODIFICATION OF IDEAS
7.06 - INTERAGENCY REFERRALS
7.07 - DUPLICATE SUGGESTIONS
7.08 - GROUP SUGGESTIONS
7.09 - INCENTIVE SUGGESTIONS
7.10 - TIME LIMIT ON AWARDS CONSIDERATIONS
7.11 - STATE AWARDS COMMITTEE
7.12 - AGENCY AWARDS COMMITTEES
7.13 - DIVISIONS AND INSTITUTIONS AWARDS COMMITTEE
7.14 - AWARDS
7.15 - CAREER SERVICE AWARDS
- 7.01—SCOPE AND PURPOSE
- This rule sets forth the rules and regulations for administration of the program of state awards for employees of the state.
- 7.02—STATEMENTS OF POLICY
- 7.021
- The purpose of pay incentives established by Title 36-4-62 of the General Laws of 1956 (as amended) shall be known as the State Awards Program.
- 7.022
- The State Awards Program shall recognize those employees who:
- (a) Propose procedures or ideas which are adopted and which will result in eliminating or reducing state expenditures or improving operations, provided such proposals are placed in effect, or
- (b) By their superior accomplishments, make exceptional contributions to the efficiency, economy, or other improvement in the operations of state government.
- 7.023
- Each agency head shall encourage employees to participate in the State Awards Program.
- 7.024
- The State Personnel Administrator shall administer and promote the State Awards Program on a statewide basis.
- 7.025
- The State Personnel Administrator shall determine the eligibility of each suggestion; refer each eligible suggestion to agencies concerned for investigation and evaluation; acknowledge receipt of suggestions and keep suggesters informed as to the status of their suggestions.
- 7.026
- A qualified employee may receive a total monetary award for a suggestion adopted based on tangible criteria established pursuant to the provisions of these rules and the law,
- 7.027
- The acceptance of a cash award for any suggestion adopted through the State Awards Program shall constitute an agreement by the employee that all claims, immediate and future, on the State of Rhode Island, regardless of the use made of the suggestion, will be waived.
- 7.03—ELIGIBILITY OF EMPLOYEES
- 7.031
- All employees of the State of Rhode Island shall be eligible to participate in the State Awards Program except:
- (a) Group I which shall consist of the General Officers of the State, members of the General Assembly, the executive staff of the Governor, Judges of the District, Family, Superior or Supreme Court, Director of departments or their equivalent.
- (b) Group II which shall consist of Assistant or Deputy directors, major fiscal and administrative policy departmental staff or their equivalent.
- (c) Group III which shall consist of Division heads including the full-time Division Chief or Administrator to a statewide program. This includes Chief of Divisions supervising several line service units or their equivalent.
- (d) Group IV which shall consist of Assistant or Deputy Division Chief or Administrators, Section Chiefs or head of a major departmental function or equivalent.
- 7.04—ELIGIBILITY Of SUGGESTIONS
- 7.041
- Suggestions shall be submitted on forms prescribed by the State Personnel Administrator.
- 7.042
- Suggestions which are related to the following subjects shall not be eligible for awards:
- (a) Personal grievances.
- (b) Classification and pay of positions.
- (c) Matters recommended for study or review.
- (d) Matters which are the result of assigned or contracted audits, studies, surveys, review, or research.
- (e) Matters that are subject to collective bargaining agreements.
- (f) Matters requiring legislative action.
- (g) An employee shall not normally be eligible for an award for a suggestion which directly relates to the employee's assigned duties and responsibilities. If, however, such a suggestion is so superior or meritorious as to warrant special recognition, an award may be granted. In order for such a suggestion to be eligible for an award, the following questions shall be answered in the negative:
- 1. Is the employee expected or required to make suggestions of the type under consideration?
- 2. Can the suggestion be implemented by the employee without consulting higher authority?
- 7.05—MODIFICATION OF IDEAS
- 7.051
- If an agency modifies an employee's suggestion and adopts the suggestion in a different form, the employee shall be eligible for an award if the employee's suggestion was directly responsible for management's taking action.
- 7.06—INTERAGENCY REFERRALS
- 7.061
- Each suggestion shall be reviewed by the Office of Personnel Administration to determine if it has application in an agency other than the one for which it was proposed. If it is determined that a suggestion has interagency application, it shall be forwarded to each agency to which it applies.
- 7.07—DUPLICATE SUGGESTIONS
- 7.071—Each suggestion shall be reviewed to determine if it is a duplicate of, or similar to, a suggestion which has previously been submitted or adopted.
- 7.072
- If duplicate suggestions are received by the State Personnel Administrator, the one bearing the earliest date of receipt shall be eligible for consideration and all others shall be ineligible.
- 7.08—GROUP SUGGESTIONS
- 7.081
- The amount of an award for a suggestion made by a group of employees shall be determined on the same basis as if the suggestion has been submitted by one employee, and the amount of the award shall be pro-rated among the employees making the suggestion.
- 7.09—INCENTIVE SUGGESTIONS
- 7.091
- Suggestions which involve patentable or nonpatentable inventions shall be eligible for awards.
- 7.092
- Awards for inventions shall be determined on the same basis as awards for other types of suggestions and the suggester shall retain all rights to such patentable inventions; however, the State of Rhode Island shall have the right to use such inventions without further recourse beyond the award to the employee.
- 7.10—TIME LIMITATION ON AWARDS CONSIDERATION
- 7.101
- An employee's rights to an award shall be established based on employment status at the time the suggestion is submitted and shall be protected provided:
- (a) The suggestion is adopted and implemented later by an agency within one year from the date of the employee's separation even though the employee may have separated from state government provided, however, that such separation must have been in good standing.
- (b) The State Personnel Administrator is notified that the suggestion was implemented.
- (c) In the case of a deceased employee, the award shall be paid to the employee's beneficiary or estate.
- 7.11—STATE AWARDS COMMITTEE
- 7.111
- The State Personnel Administrator shall appoint a State Awards Committee of five (5) state employees nominated by agency heads, subject to the following:
- (a) Members shall be appointed for two-year terms, or, in the case of resignations, for the remainder of the unexpired term.
- (b) There shall be no limit to the number of terms a committee member may serve.
- (c) The State Personnel Administrator or his/her designee shall serve as an ex-officio member and chairperson of the State Awards Committee without vote except in the case of ties.
- (d) The State Budget Officer or his/her designee shall serve as an ex-officio member in addition to those members indicated above.
- (e) The State Awards Committee shall:
- 1. By majority vote, determine the award for each suggestion that is adopted by one or more agencies; and for any other awards to be made for superior accomplishments in accordance with the Personnel Rules and the Law and authorize the payment of such awards by the adopting agency or agencies. The decision in these matters by the Committee shall be final.
- 2. Review requests by employees for reevaluation of their suggestions that were not adopted by an agency head. If the State Awards Committee determines that the suggestion appears to have merit and should be reevaluated the chairman of the State Awards Committee shall request the appropriate agency head to reconsider the suggestion. The agency head's decision shall be final.
- 7.12—AGENCY AWARDS COMMITTEES
- 7.121
- Each agency head shall appoint an agency awards committee of at least three (3) members, subject to the following:
- (a) Members shall be employees of the agency and shall be appointed for two-year terms.
- (b) Any vacancies on the committee due to resignation shall be filled by appointment for the unexpired term.
- 7.122
- The Agency Awards Committee shall:
- (a) Elect a chairperson and furnish the State Personnel Administrator with the name business address, and telephone number of the Chairperson.
- (b) Make detailed investigations and evaluations of suggestions and superior accomplishments.
- (c) Make recommendations concerning suggestions to the agency head who shall make a final decision as to whether the suggestion is to be adopted within that agency and so notify the State Awards Committee.
- (d) File complete reports with the State Awards Committee Chairperson outlining the reasons each suggestion was accepted or rejected and so notify the employee submitting the suggestion as to all final dispositions of the suggestion
- (e) File reports with the State Awards Committee Chairperson stating the actual savings realized from the implemented suggestion each quarter during the first twelve (12) months of such implementation together with a final report upon completion of the period. Further, a copy of these reports will be forwarded to the State Budget Office in order to assist it in preparing a fiscal impact statement regarding the results of such implemented suggestions.
- (f) Encourage all employees in their agency to participate in the State Awards Program.
- 7.13—DIVISION AND INSTITUTIONS AWARDS COMMITTEE
- 7.131
- An agency head may establish an awards committee for any division or institution within the agency with the approval of the State Personnel Administrator.
- 7.132
- Such committee shall be established and operate in the same manner as the Agency Awards Committee as provided in Rule 7.12.
- 7.14—AWARDS
- 7.141
- Awards for suggestions which upon adoption shall result in tangible benefits to the state shall be made by the State Awards Committee in the amount not to exceed five percent (5% - or a maximum of $2,000.00) of any actual savings realized during the first twelve (12) month period which directly relate to the employee's suggestion.
- 7.1411
- Such monetary awards shall be authorized by the State Awards Committee in the following manner:
- (a) Upon the adoption of a suggestion that will result in estimated tangible savings to the state in excess to two thousand ($2,000.00) dollars the sum of one hundred ($100.00) dollars shall be authorized to be paid to the employee(s) whose suggestion has been adopted.
- (b) Upon completion of the first twelve (12) months from the date of the suggestion's implementation, the balance of the award (not to exceed 5% or a maximum of $2,000.00) shall be authorized to be paid in one lump sum.
- (c) Upon completion of the first twelve (12) months from the date of the suggestion's implementation for those adopted suggestions which do not fall within the category of 7.1411 (a) above, the award of five percent (5% - or a maximum of $2,000.00) shall be authorized to be paid in one lump sum.
- (d) In the event that the efficiency of state government is improved as a result of the employee's suggestion but no direct financial savings can be documented, a financial award not to exceed $150.00 can be authorized by the state committee to be paid in full and/or the committee may authorize the awarding of a certificate of recognition and appreciation to employees so designated by the Awards Committee.
- 7.1412
- The minimum award for any suggestion implemented shall be twenty-five dollars ($25.00) payable upon approval of the State Awards Committee.
- 7.142
- Monetary awards made under the provisions of this program shall be chargeable to the appropriation account of the agency or agencies that realized the tangible savings from the adoption of the suggestion.
- 7.143
- Employees who qualify for such awards shall receive the lump sum payment only for the first year's actual savings and not for any subsequent years the idea shall be used.
- 7.144
- In addition to any monetary awards set forth in the law and rules such employee who shall qualify for such awards under the program shall receive a suitable certificate of achievement signed by the chairperson of the State Awards Committee and the Governor of the State.
- 7.15—CAREER SERVICE AWARDS
- Upon the completion of ten (10) years of service in the classified or unclassified class of employment the Personnel Administrator shall award a service award pin showing the number of years of service and appropriate certificate to that employee. Each five (5) years of continuous service thereafter up to fifty (50), another pin and certificate shall also be issued. The action shall be initiated by the employee's personnel officer by sending form CS-339 to the training section, Office of Personnel Administration.
- The awards shall be made quarterly starting the first week in each January. However, in order to be awarded in any quarter, the applications (CS-339) must be submitted to the training section one month prior to the award date.
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