February 16, 2005

  DoD NSPS Comments

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   DoD NSPS Comments:

  I write to express my concerns about changes to work rules in the Department of Defense (DoD).  The proposed regulations, known as the National Security Personnel System (NSPS), were printed in the Federal Register on February 14, 2005.  This message will be sent to both DoD and my representatives in Congress. 

  I have worked for DoD, as a member of the Armed Service (Navy) and worked Department of Treasury,  for years.  I am very disappointed on how these proposals, are deemed nessecarry to implement.  I will be the first one to admit that Civil Service does need to be tweeked, but just that tweeked.  These rules are flat out gutting the system that took over a hundred years to build, and for very good reasons.  The ultimate goal was to stop political patronage in the Federal government, and keep employees free of fear, and or retalition of whom ever might win an election.  This systems seem to treat the employees who help defend our country as the enemy.  This system is coming across as they are the threat to national security, when in fact they are it! DoD employees work hard and are committed to the cause and there job, they understand what it means to be a DoD employee and stand up for there country. I don't believe that mistreating the employees will hurt the agency’s mission, I know!  Look at TSA, and what you has been done to The Department of Homeland Security employees.  Civil Service protections, were to and are to allow employees to come to work, be passionate about there job, and in return, the agency would get a good product in the job that employee does, and you then reward the employee by giving them an honest and known benifit package system, that they can be assured, by doing there job and doing it well, they can be assurred that there families well being is preserved.  I am very upset by NSPS.  This system will change the way workers are paid, evaluated, promoted, fired, scheduled, and treated.  These rules would create a system in which federal managers are influenced by favoritism rather than serving the civil concerns of the American people.  With this kind of system having  no checks and balances, other than more partisian management at higher levels,  who is going to actually be the problem resolver, who is going to seek out what is best for everyone?  I have not met a manager or a supervisor yet, that thought they had flaws in there way of doing business.  Your leadership is trying to accomplish one thing today, what happens in the next administration change, there is nothing to stop the pedulem from swinging in a different way, as now OPM is not the regulating factor, as niether is congress, unless of course you change or amend the law, but what will it take to do that, another disaster?  You are honestly taking the focus away from the employee doing his or her job, to how am I going to make the next cut, what is going to happen with my pay, and or job?  There are no true safety nets for them to fall on and say, the system is designed to keep everyone honest.  The system is in the best interest of Safety and our National Security.  Please look at the realities of this legislation.

  Annual Pay Raises

  Under the General Schedule, employee pay was clear.  It was funded by Congress and could not be taken away.  However, NSPS will take away this certainty.  Salaries and bonuses are funded by DoD.  In the past – as recently as just last year – DoD did not fund its awards program.  Given the agency’s miserable record on this issue, how can employees feel confident that our salaries and bonuses will be funded in the future? 

  “Friend of the Supervisor” Pay System

  With the new patronage pay system, which DoD calls “pay for performance,” the amount of a worker's salary will depend almost completely on the personal judgment of his or her manager.  This system will force workers to compete with one another for pay raises, which will destroy teamwork, increase conflict among employees, and reward short-term outcomes. There is no guarantee that even the best workers will receive a pay raise or that the pay offered will be fair or competitive.  This system will create a situation in which workers are in conflict with one another and afraid to speak out about harassment, violations of the law, and workplace safety problems.  Furthermore, there will be no impartial appeal system to assure that everyone is treated fairly. 

  Schedules and Overtime

  NSPS will allow managers to schedule employees to work without sufficient advance notice of schedule changes.  This will make it extremely difficult for working parents to care for their children and family. It will also mean that abusive managers could harass employees with bad schedules orshort notice.  Overtime rotations can be canceled, which means that employees may not be able to plan adequately for childcare and otherimportant responsibilities.

  Civilian Deployment

  Federal employees could be assigned anywhere in the world, even into a war zone, with little or no notice.  I am proud to serve my country but I am also responsible for caring for my family and my personal obligations at home.  We signed up for a civilian job.  We did not enlist in th military. Today’s volunteer system works well. 

  America is at war.  We are fighting for democracy abroad.  But the regulations are an attack on workers’ basic rights.  Furthermore, NSPS will divert the attention of defense workers from the soldiers’ welfare to protecting themselves from abuse on the job.  I urge you to force DoD to rethink this proposal.  We need work rules that preserve fairness, serve the American people, and respect the rights of Defense Department workers.