OLYMPIA – The Productivity Board, a state employee incentive program of the Office of the Secretary of State, recognized individuals and groups, who proposed plans to reduce costs in state government or generate new revenue, during a State Capital ceremony on Feb. 25, 2025.
The Productivity Board encourages all state employees to help save taxpayers' money by offering up to $10,000 for a successful employee proposal to increase government efficiency. First created by the Legislature in 1982 and reinstated in 2023, the Productivity Board has saved the state millions of dollars.
“More than 100 suggestions from employees have resulted in helping to make our state government operate more efficiently,” Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said. “It is inspiring to see the innovation and creativity from state workers and to reward them for their ideas.”
The “LCB Pathfinders,” composed of employees from the Liquor Control Board and the Office of Administrative Hearings, suggested digitizing and accessing records between agencies. Their idea improves efficiency by minimizing document handling and reducing supply and storage needs. The suggestion has saved more than $44,000 in its first year, with more long-term savings expected.
The Department of Corrections suggested to donate used corrections officer coats to agencies that cannot afford coats or to charities to reduce the department’s destruction or dumping costs. The coats had the department patches removed prior to donation.
The Employment Security Department suggested the department improve their letter translation protocols, streamlining the customer service experience and preventing delays in the benefit application process. The idea was projected to save $225,000 per year.
Other awards were presented to Rob Geddis at the Department of Fish and Wildlife for outstanding agency evaluator, Ann Green at the Department of Corrections for outstanding coordinator, and to various agencies for the most suggestions (Washington State Gambling Commission, Department of Corrections, Office of the Insurance Commissioner, Washington State School for the Blind, Washington Student Achievement Council, and Office of Financial Management).
While the state receives benefits in cost savings or revenue from the ideas, the employees are rewarded for their ingenuity and forward thinking. In total, workers whose ideas were accepted received nearly $30,000 in cash awards.
The Productivity Board is currently evaluating state employees’ bright ideas for 2025. Submissions can be made through the Employee Suggestion Program for an individual’s idea or through the Teamwork Incentive Program for larger process improvements for two or more employees’ ideas.
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Washington’s Office of the Secretary of State oversees areas within state government including managing state elections, registering corporations and charities, and governing the use of the state flag and state seal. The office operates the State Archives and the State Library, documents extraordinary stories in Washington’s history through Legacy Washington, and administers the Combined Fund Drive for charitable giving by state employees and the Productivity Board state employee suggestion program. The Secretary of State also oversees the state’s Address Confidentiality Program to help protect survivors of crime.