SAVE Award 2011 Ideas

Every agency should set up a wiki website where any employee can contribute and revise suggested improvements to agency documentation, policies and procedures. Analysts responsible for these respective areas would then incorporate these ideas, crediting appropriately (cash awards, time off, etc) for adopted improvements.

Allow current employees to decrease hours and fly new positions with part-time status. There is a huge market of employees willing to work fewer then 40 hours a week. This will allow alternative schedules which will help agencies serve the public with appropiate staffing. Staffing people to meet the needs of the work. Employees work hard to get work accomplished in hours provided and government saves on salary and benefits... more »

Quit promoting individuals who cause problems, and terminate them.

 

Not only are you just causing more trouble for the section, agency, or department they are promoted to, you are also increasing their pay. and continuing to pay them for years, then they retire and you further continue to pay them.

 

Spend some money on investigating them and get them out. Cut ties.

 

Integrity for all

Let's face it,
No matter how ingenious the paperless idea --- unless employees are rewarded for compliance --- Joe Q. Government will continue to print out his emails...

So, reward good old Joe Q.'s paperless compliance with promotion points.

Track Joe G’s printing --- i.e. every time he prints, his "print number" goes up. During employee evaluations, this “print number” is scored and used as a criteria for evaluation.... more »

While I do agree that unions provide a counter to management excess I also witness the employee excess they encourage. I work in a highly technical group with ~30 other GS-13/14 employees. 2 of them are technically incompetent. One frequently sleeps at his desk. Both are union members so management turns a blind eye rather than deal with the "red tape" required to address the situation.

Create a non-subsidized... more »

Rank all Federal employees. Any employee in the bottom 5% for 2 consecutive years can be fired.

 

Ranking can include exams relevent to their position if appicable, as well as performance thoughout the year.

 

Additionally, all new hires must go through a 2 year probation, and can be fired at any time during those 2 years.

SSA deals with many overpayments due to beneficiaries not reporting when they work over SGA. Often these beneficiaries claim that they did not know it was his or her responsibility to report their earnings. They assume that SSA automatically knew about their work or that it was the employer’s job to report.
Technology can help avoid these overpayments. Most states now have laws that require the use of the E-verify program.... more »

Within DHS we have multiple offices and components yet if you wish to transfer to a position within DHS you still need to undergo another suitability clearance. The vetting process (background & clearance eligibility review) costs the taxpayers a considerable amount of money – not only for the investigation but also for the possible idle time spent by employees awaiting clearance results. The Office of Personnel Management... more »

Authorize GS demotions for poor performance. Like many organizations, the government has numerous examples of dedicated, skilled, and hardworking employees. However, it is all too easy to find examples of employees that have gained high GS ranks due to their longevity rather than value to the government. The government’s service to its citizens is hampered by carrying non-productive employees, and some mechanism should... more »

Why does a completely tax exempt organization voluntarily throw away billions of dollars by paying taxes on travel? I travel a lot for the Navy and detest that taxes for TDY travel expenses are charged to my government credit card. Though the Government Treasury will get the taxes back, for the Navy and the Program Office (PMA), those funds are lost. Those lost and unrecoverable funds, which can quickly add up to billions,... more »