Employee Suggestion Program
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who is eligible to participate in the Employee Suggestion Program?
- New York State employees, and retirees are eligible.
- What types of ideas are eligible for consideration?
- Visit the Guidelines page for information
regarding suggestion eligibility.
- Is my suggestion eligible for award consideration if it is related to
my job duties and responsibilities?
- Yes, however suggestions determined to be job-related may be eligible
for award consideration at a reduced rate, based on the extent to which the
suggestion is related to your actual job duties.
- What types of ideas are ineligible for consideration?
- Ineligible ideas include, but are not limited to, the examples identified
in the listing below. Generally, ineligible ideas are those which:
- have already been made and awarded or are already in use or under
consideration;
- propose salary/classification/benefit changes;
- propose matters subject to the collective bargaining process;
- relate to normally accepted health and safety practices;
- impose new or additional taxes or fees for revenue, as opposed to cost
recovery purposes;
- correct obvious or manifest errors;
- enforce existing laws, rules or regulations;
- expand current initiatives already underway, i.e. translating documents or
eliminating paper documents with electronic alternatives;
- propose minor database changes;
- propose minor changes to paper forms;
- propose creating informational documents;
- propose the acquisition of private property for public purposes;
- pertain to complaints or grievances.
- When should I submit my suggestion?
- You should submit your suggestion as soon as possible after you have
developed your idea. Suggestion Program rules require that credit be given
to the first person who submits a suggestion which successfully addresses
a particular idea.
- How do I submit my suggestion?
- Please submit your suggestion
on-line.
- Can suggestions be jointly submitted by employees?
- Yes. Any monetary award will be divided equally among the
suggestion providers.
- How will I know if the Suggestion Program office has received my
suggestion?
- You will be notified by e-mail.
- May I submit a suggestion which concerns an agency other than the one
where I am employed?
- Yes, but certain State units do not participate in this Suggestion
Program. Suggestions pertaining to the operations of these units are
not eligible.
- Who will evaluate my suggestion?
- Should your suggestion meet eligibility requirements, it will be forwarded
to a participating agency which refers suggestions to the appropriate program
area for evaluation. The agency’s Suggestion Program Committee reviews the
program area's evaluation and enters its recommendation on-line.
- How long will it take the Suggestion Committee to evaluate my suggestion?
- Agency Suggestion Review Committees have a 60-day period to evaluate a
suggestion. Agencies may require additional time to complete the evaluation.
However, if an agency does not evaluate the suggestion after 120 days, the
suggestion may be closed due to no evaluation.
- How will I know whether my idea has or has not been approved?
- You will be notified by e-mail.
- What if my suggestion is disapproved but is later put into effect?
- Suggestions which are not adopted remain active for an equity period
of two years following the notice of disapproval. During this time, no one
will be eligible to submit your ideas as their suggestion. If your suggestion
is implemented within this two-year equity period, you must notify the
Suggestion Program if you wish to receive appropriate credit.
- If my suggestion is adopted, what kind of award will I receive?
- If your suggestion saves a determinable amount of money, you may be
eligible for a monetary award subject to approval by the Civil Service
Commission.
- If I receive a monetary award for my suggestion, is the award taxable?
- Yes, all monetary merit awards granted under the Employee Suggestion
Program are taxable.
- What factors are considered in determining the award amount?
- In addition to actual monetary savings or other tangible or intangible
benefits resulting from implementation of a suggestion, the Civil Service
Commission may consider any of the following factors:
- Nature of the idea
- Its originality
- Extent of use
- Effectiveness
- Ingenuity
- Effort involved
- Importance of the operation affected
- Relationship of the idea to the job duties and responsibilities of the
person who made the suggestion
- Whom may I contact for additional information?
- Contact the Suggestion Program staff by
e-mail or by
phone at 518-473-6598.
