Episode 206 : Employee of the Month Richfield institutes an Employee Suggestion Box , which has Earl and Roy racking their walnut - sized brains in an effort to impress the boss . At Earl ' s suggestion , the employee coming up with the best suggestion each month will receive dinner with Richfield and their name on a plaque - - with Earl named the first " Employee of the Month " . Earl ' s big moment is somewhat tarnished , though , when Richfield doesn ' t show up for dinner . Story . Mr . Pulman has his class dissect living Cavepeople . However , Robbie chooses not to dissect his caveperson , instead hiding her and telling Mr . Pulman that she escaped . Meanwhile , a suggestion box is put up at WESAYSO . Mr . Richfield informs his employees that his bosses decided that it would be good for the company if the employees write suggestions down on a sheet of paper and put it in the box , if the time ever comes that any of the employees ever gets smart enough to have an idea . During dinner , Earl talks about the suggestion box , thinking that it ' s meant to be a trap ; if he makes a suggestion , it means that he had to think in orer to make a suggestion , and if he was thinking , then he wasn ' t working . It is also during dinnertime that the rest of the family finds out that Robbie brought home a caveperson . The kids want to keep it as a pet , but Earl suggests that they don ' t get too attached to it . Fran then points out that he just made a suggestion . Earl soon allows them to keep the caveperson , who they name Sparky , and Fran demands that Earl either make a suggestion and face Richfield , or not make a suggestion , and face her . At work , Earl and his co - workers laugh at the threat , which the wives of his co - workers also made ( Roy ' s mother also called and made the same threat ) . Although Earl acts as if he ' s not scared of Fran , he decides to make a suggestion anyway , to make her happy . Richfield catches Earl making a suggestion , and demands that Earl and Roy come to his office . He demands that they tell him their suggestions . A scared Roy faints , so Earl hands over his suggestion , which is that they should have a dress - up day . Richfield demands a real suggestion , and Earl suggests an incentive : pick an employee to be employee of the month , giving that employee a plaque with his name on it , and let that employee have dinner with Richfield . Richfield likes it , and since Earl is already in his office , he makes Earl the first employee of the month so he won ' t have to go out and search for one . Richfield asks if tonight is a good night to have dinner at his place . It ' s a good night for Earl , but a bad night for Richfield , since his bathroom is being painted , so he asks to have dinner at Earl ' s place . Earl invites Ethyl Phillips to dinner so that she can be there on his big night . However , Richfield never shows up . Later , afte realizing that Richfield isn ' t coming , he talks to Sparky , acknowledging that she would wait all night for him , too , and , thinking about his promotion , decides to give her a promotion . Earl and Robbie take Sparky to the woods , as Earl thinks that it ' s better for cavepeople to live in the woods . They find Richfield ' s trailer in the woods , and notice that the lights are on . Robbie encourages Earl to go in and talk to Richfield . Earl is reluctant , but after finding that Richfield isn ' t home , he impersonates Richfield ' s voice , making it sound like Earl and Richfield are having a friendly conversation .