Article 18 - Employee Awards
Employee Awards
18-1-1. Definition. As used in these regulations, award board and board shall mean the employee award board. (Authorized by and implementing L. 1986, Ch. 320; effective, T-87-26; amended May 1, 1987.)
18-1-2. Service award. (a) All classified and unclassified employees shall be eligible for service awards for 10, 20, 30, and 40 years of service with the state. Recipients shall be actively employed on the state payroll at the time of the award, except that in the case of retired employees the board may make exceptions.
(b) Each agency shall be responsible for determining eligibility of its employees for service awards. The award board reserves the right to formally approve or disapprove an agency's determination of length of service.
(1) For classified employees, length of service shall be counted in the same manner as it is counted in determining length of service under K.A.R. 1-2-46, or in a manner that has been approved by the board.
(2) For unclassified employees, service shall be counted insofar as possible in the same manner as for classified employees.
(c) Each agency shall notify the award board of the number of each type of award to be given by the agency during the fiscal year which begins July 1. Such information shall be prepared on a schedule and in a form prescribed by the board.
(d) The board shall provide each agency with the service awards for their employees in accordance with procedures established by the award board.
(e) Each agency shall arrange for and conduct a presentation ceremony for the purpose of appropriately recognizing and acknowledging the eligible employees for their service dedication to Kansas state government.
(f) Nothing in this regulation shall prevent an agency from having a system of recognizing employees for length of service in addition to the system outlined in this regulation. (Authorized by and implementing L. 1986, Ch. 320; effective, T-87-26; amended May 1, 1987.)
18-2-1. Eligibility to receive award. (a) All state employees, including employees retired under provisions of K.S.A. 74-4901 et seq., shall be eligible to receive cash awards except employees who are members of the award board and employees excluded under L. 1986, Chapter 320, Section 4.
(b) Except as provided in subsection (a), the immediate supervisor of an employee to whom a cash award is made shall be awarded an additional amount subject to provisions of L. 1986, Chapter 320, Section 1 (a). A supervisory cash award shall not be given when a cash award is approved for a retired employee. (Authorized by and implementing L. 1986, Ch. 320; effective, T-87-26; amended May 1, 1987.)
18-2-2. Acceptable suggestions. An acceptable suggestion shall:
(a) Reduce costs, duplication, time, waste, or accidents;
(b) increase productivity or job interest;
(c) improve services, job performance, public relations, or employee morale;
(d) simplify procedures, methods, forms, tools, or organizations; or
(e) conserve human resources, material, money, energy, or natural resources. (Authorized by and implementing L. 1986, Ch. 320; effective, T-87-26; amended May 1, 1987.)
18-2-3. Non-acceptable suggestions. (a) Suggestions related to the following subjects shall not be accepted for consideration:
(1) suggestions which correct a condition that exists only because established procedures are not being followed;
(2) suggestions which have been considered or for which awards have been granted previously;
(3) suggestions which do not propose a method or way to make the improvement;
(4) suggestions which are developed as part of the duties of an employee's position. In determining suggestion acceptability, the employee's job description, assigned duties, and normal performance requirements of his or her position shall be considered in determining whether the suggestion is within or outside his or her job responsibilities;
(5) suggestions concerning routine maintenance of buildings, equipment or grounds which may be reported through regularly established channels. Where sustained complaints have not resulted in correction, the board may consider such a suggestion for an award;
(6) personal complaints or criticisms;
(7) suggestions requiring legislative action. However, if a suggestion which requires legislative action is judged as having merit, the board may forward it to the legislative coordinating council and inform the suggester of this action. If legislation is passed implementing the idea, the suggestion may be considered for an award by the board;
(8) suggestions which were under active consideration by management prior to having been made;
(9) anonymous suggestions; and
(10) suggestions for which the employee received a patent.
(b) Under special circumstances, the award board may authorize exceptions to the provisions of subsection (a) in this regulation. (Authorized by and implementing L. 1986, Ch. 320; effective, T-87-26; amended May 1, 1987.)
18-2-4. Suggestion submission; evaluation; approval. (a) All suggestions shall be submitted to the board in a form prescribed by the board.
(b) (1) Each acceptable suggestion shall be transmitted by the board to the head of the agency or the several agencies identified in the proposed suggestion as implementers of the suggestion and any other agencies as determined by the board. The suggester's name shall not be disclosed by the board while the suggestion is under evaluation.
(2) The agency shall evaluate the suggestion and submit to the board a report of the results of the evaluation. The report shall include a description of the effect of the suggestion on operations, estimated cost reduction or avoidance, whether the suggestion will be implemented by the agency and a recommendation as to the type and amount of any award. The report may include information about improvements in service, public relations, or employee morale expected to result from implementation of the suggestion. The board may use the information in the report and any other information it deems appropriate in considering a suggestion.
(c) (1) A suggestion shall be considered adopted when approved by a majority of the board.
(2) An employee whose suggestion is not adopted may provide additional information and request the board to reconsider its decision. (Authorized by and implementing L. 1986, Ch. 320; effective, T-87-26; amended May 1, 1987.)
18-2-5. Types of award; payment of award. (a) An award for an adopted suggestion may consist of a certificate only, or a certificate plus a cash payment. The amount of a cash payment shall be limited by the provisions of L. 1986, Chapter 320, Section 5 (b). The award board may also give medals or other appropriate insignia.
(b) If it can be determined that the first year's savings were underestimated, a supplemental award may be given to the suggester. It is the responsibility of the suggester to bring such instances to the attention of the board. (Authorized by and implementing L. 1986, Ch. 320; effective, T-87-26; amended May 1, 1987.)
18-2-6. Determination of cash awards for suggestions with intangible benefits. The type of award and the cash amount, if appropriate, shall be determined by the board for suggestions with intangible benefits when the monetary value of the suggestions cannot readily be determined within the limits prescribed by K.A.R. 18-2-5(a). Intangible benefits may be defined to include awards to promote the suggestion awards program. (Authorized by and implementing L. 1986, Ch. 320; effective, T-87-26; amended May 1, 1987.)
18-2-7. Suggestion property rights. (a) Once an award is granted and accepted, the suggestion shall be considered the property of the state of Kansas. (Authorized by and implementing L. 1986, Ch. 320; effective, T-87-26; amended May 1, 1987.)