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Subjects › Personnel › Employee Recognition & Suggestion Award Programs
Reviewed 12/2011

Employee Recognition and Suggestion Award Programs

Contents

Introduction

Local governments, like private sector employers, may wish to acknowledge their employees, recognizing their achievements and rewarding their efforts to make government more responsive, efficient, and cost effective. Unlike their private counterparts, however, local governments must consider constitutional prohibitions against gifts if they intend to reward employees with cash, dinners, prizes, etc. This page offers background on the limitations local governments face and provides examples of policies a government could adopt to operate a local recognition or suggestion award program.

Legal References

  • AGO 1995 No. 013 - Cities and Towns - Municipal Corporations - Public Employees - Compensation - Authority Of Cities and Towns To Establish Employee Incentive Programs
  • Provisions for State Employees (Used as model by local governments)
    • Ch. 41.60 RCW - Relating to the State Employees' Suggestion Awards and Incentive Pay Program
    • Chs. 383-06 and -07 WAC - Relating to the "guidelines for the employee suggestion program," and the "teamwork incentive program"

City and County Ordinance Provisions and Policies

Articles