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Employee Suggestion Program - "Simply Brilliant"
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THE CORPORATION OF THE CITY OF WINDSOR
POLICY
Service Area: Chief Administrative Office
Policy No.:
Department:
Corporate Wide
Approval Date: November 18, 2019
Division:
Approved By:
CR 554/2019
Effective Date:
November 18, 2019
Subject:
Employee Suggestion Program -
"Simply Brilliant"
Procedure Ref.:
Review Date: November 18, 2022
Pages:
Replaces:
Prepared By:
Diane
Ryan
-
Senior
Manager
of
Administration and Executive Assistant to
the CAO
Date:
1.
POLICY
1.1 The Corporation of the City of Windsor ("City") is committed to improving the
effectiveness, efficiency, and responsiveness of municipal services. The Employee
Suggestion Program supports that commitment through the knowledge, experience,
and insight of City employees ("employees").
1.2 The Employee Suggestion Program - "Simply Brilliant" Policy ("Policy") sets out
how Simply Brilliant recognizes ideas and motivates creative thinking as an integral
part of the corporate culture.
2.
PURPOSE
2.1 This Policy provides the framework for the Employee Suggestion Program, known as
Simply Brilliant, to ensure that all employees are aware of the submission criteria,
process, and award procedure.
2.2 The purpose of Simply Brilliant is to improve customer service and City operations
by encouraging employees to bring forward innovative ideas on new practices, to
communicate inefficiencies, waste and ineffective processes, and to otherwise offer
suggestions for potential improvements.
3.
SCOPE
3.1 All employees (regular full-time, part-time, contract, and temporary, inclusive of
seasonal and recreation staff) are eligible to submit suggestions to Simply Brilliant,
with the exception of Corporate Leadership Team members and the Chief
Administrative Officer.
3.1.1
Transit Windsor employees are eligible to submit suggestions to Simply
Brilliant (as approved by Transit Windsor Board Resolution M104-2015).
Application of this Policy will be in accordance with the applicable
provisions provided by the Transit Windsor Board.
3.1.2
This Policy does not apply to other agencies, boards, corporations, and
commissions of the City or organizations that receive funding from the
City.
3.2 Submissions to Simply Brilliant can pertain to any department, program, facility, or
service that the City owns or operates.
Employee Suggestion Program - "Simply Brilliant"
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4.
RESPONSIBILITY
4.1 The Chief Administrative Officer, or designate, is responsible for:
4.1.1
Supporting Simply Brilliant and implementing approved changes.
4.1.2
Securing sufficient funding for the administration of Simply Brilliant.
4.1.3
Approving of all financial awards arising from approved submissions.
4.2 The Corporate Leadership Team members ("CLT"), or designate(s), are responsible
for their respective areas in:
4.2.1
Evaluating each Simply Brilliant suggestion and approving submissions
that are appropriate, practical, and beneficial to the City in accordance
with the criteria of Simply Brilliant.
4.2.2
Providing written feedback or comment for submissions that are not
approved under Simply Brilliant.
4.2.3
Implementing and monitoring changes that have been approved under
Simply Brilliant.
4.3 The Simply Brilliant Corporate Coordinator is responsible for:
4.3.1
The administration of Simply Brilliant, including:
4.3.1.1 Receiving, processing, and distributing Simply Brilliant
submissions to the appropriate CLT member.
4.3.1.2 Notifying employees of submission approval or rejection.
4.3.1.3 Keeping of records related to Simply Brilliant in accordance with
the City Records Retention By-Law 21-2013.
4.3.1.4 Ensuring this Policy is updated to reflect the requirements of any
other Corporate policy.
4.4 The Deputy Treasurer - Financial Planning, or designate, is responsible for:
4.4.1
Tracking financial savings or revenue earned from implemented Simply
Brilliant ideas, for a period of one year, for the purposes of calculating the
appropriate financial reward.
4.5 The Manager, Payroll Services is responsible for:
4.5.1
Processing approved financial awards.
4.6 Department Heads, Managers, Supervisors, and Employees are responsible for:
4.6.1
Thinking critically and creatively about improvements to City operations
and services when submitting written proposals to Simply Brilliant.
5.
GOVERNING RULES AND REGULATIONS
5.1 Submissions to Simply Brilliant should achieve one or more of the following results:
5.1.1
Improve productivity in a municipal operation;
5.1.2
Improve service to the public;
5.1.3
Eliminate waste;
5.1.4
Eliminate unnecessary paperwork;
5.1.5
Reduce hazards and improve employee and/or public health and safety;
5.1.6
Preserve and improve use of equipment;
5.1.7
Improve control and handling of supplies; and/or
5.1.8
Any other result that would provide a benefit to the City.
5.2 Employees shall submit a Simply Brilliant Submission Form to the Simply Brilliant
Corporate Coordinator for consideration, as per the Simply Brilliant submissions
procedure.
Employee Suggestion Program - "Simply Brilliant"
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5.3 Employees who have their submission approved will receive a certificate and a one-
time $50 reward.
5.3.1
If the approved submission results in potential financial savings or
increased revenue to the City, the employee(s) will receive as reward 10%
of the total savings or revenue calculated over the first year up to a
maximum of $5,000.
5.4 If an employee receives a rejection for a suggestion that is later implemented within
five years of the submission date, the employee can request reconsideration. If it is
found that the idea was implemented due to the suggestion, the employee will receive
a certificate and a one-time $50 reward.
5.4.1
Reconsideration requests are limited to the one-time $50 reward.
5.4.2
Suggestions not implemented within five years due to technological or
other limitations will not be eligible for any further award if implemented
at a later date.
5.5 All submissions become the property of the City and shall not form the basis of a
future claim upon the City by the employee(s), his/her/their heirs, successors, or
assigns, including ideas that are subsequently patented.
5.5.1
If an employee or group of employees subsequently obtains a patent for a
creative idea for which he/she/they have received an award all benefits
from the patent shall accrue to the employee(s) provided that the City shall
be entitled to use the patented idea, feature, device, product, process,
apparatus, or design without charge.
5.5.2
Submission of a creative idea to Simply Brilliant implies consent by the
person making the creative idea to the use of all, any, or no part thereof by
the City. Awarded ideas may be implemented in any or all departments
without further reward.
6.
RECORDS, FORMS AND ATTACHMENTS
6.1 The retention schedule for Simply Brilliant submissions is Current Year + 5, in
accordance with Records Retention By-Law 21-2013.
6.2 The Simply Brilliant Corporate Coordinator shall have the authority to create and
revise the policy and its procedures as required from time to time.
6.3 The form applicable to this policy is the Simply Brilliant Submission Form.
6.4 The form may be amended by the Simply Brilliant Corporate Coordinator as required
from time to time.
6.5 The procedure applicable to this policy is the Simply Brilliant Procedure.