Sec.5-263a-12. Awards

(a) Suggesters shall be notified by letter of adopted suggestions and any award payments. Adopted suggestions which produce benefits not measurable or impractical to measure in dollar savings shall result in an award not to exceed a hundred dollars in value. Suggestions with anticipated measurable accrued annual savings shall be eligible for an award of the lesser of ten thousand dollars or twenty-five per cent of the net savings during the first year of implementation. A preliminary award of fifty dollars shall be made at the time the suggestion is implemented for a trial period to determine the first year's annual savings, and the central office shall notify the suggester in writing of the remaining award, according to the above formula, within sixty days following the trial period, assuming the trial period demonstrates savings. The trial period shall not exceed one year and may be shorter where cycles of agency activities permit. Suggestions resulting in a one-time, immediate savings shall be eligible for an award made immediately upon implementation, and such award shall be calculated at the time of agency evaluation referred to in section 5-263a-9 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies.

(b) Net savings shall be determined by deducting implementation costs from gross savings. Costs involved in the implementation of a suggestion include, but are not limited to, the cost of facilities and equipment, installation, and labor. Neither awards nor suggestion program administrative costs shall be deducted from gross savings in determining net savings.

(c) Suggestions which save the state time in a work operation (labor intensive suggestions) and result directly in "cost advoidance" rather than "savings" because payroll and benefits are not reduced shall be eligible for awards based on "savings," as provided in sections 5-263a-12 (a) of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, if verification cost avoidance is provided by specific statements from agency officials as to use of the time savings to increase overall productivity or to provide more or better services with cost savings. If the suggestion is adopted without such verification, an award not to exceed a hundred dollars in value shall be made.

(Effective October 25, 1988)