| Comment Number: | EM-019751 |
| Received: | 3/10/2005 12:17:41 PM |
| Subject: | Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Request for Comment |
| Title: | National Security Personnel System |
| CFR Citation: | 5 CFR Chapter XCIX and Part 9901 |
| No Attachments |
Comments:
March 10, 2005 DoD NSPS Comments , DoD NSPS Comments: I wish to express my concerns to those who can prevent the changes to the work rules in the Department of Defense (DoD). Specifically, I am referring to the proposed regulations, known as the National Security Personnel System (NSPS) that 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 the DoD for twenty-seven and one half years, and I am angry over these rushed proposals that aim to treat federal employees, who help defend our country, as an unworthy class. It appears that the NSPS is bound to be implemented without a proper review, and further alarming are the ambiguities that currently exist within it. Specifically, that many of NSPS rules have not yet been defined and are to be written later. In my own experience, if the government agreed to such a contract with this degree of vagueness, it can be assured that someone would be doing some serious explaining. That is why we need a reality check and prevent this big mistake. Most DoD employees work hard and are committed; I am one of them. I am very upset by the new NSPS because this system will change the way workers are paid, evaluated, promoted, fired, scheduled, and treated overall. I believe that this mistreatment of government employees will hurt the mission that we have agreed to uphold. Concerning Annual Pay Raises Under the General Schedule and FWS pay scales, salaries are clearly defined. They are funded by Congress and cannot be taken away. However, NSPS will take away this certainty Concerning 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. NSPS rules would create a system in which federal employees are treated on such issues through favoritism by the actions of even first line (possibly inept) managers. Hard working employees need a voice and the opportunity to defend their reputations as well as their jobs. 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 are no guarantees 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, and very important, there will be no impartial appeal system to assure that everyone is treated fairly. Concerning 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 by giving them irregular schedules on short notice. Overtime rotations can be canceled, which means that employees may not be able to plan adequately for childcare and other important responsibilities. Concerning Civilian Deployment It has become my understanding that federal employees (DoD) could be assigned anywhere in the world, even into a war zone, with little or no notice. I am proud to serve my country, and I have in both military and civilian capacities, but I am also responsible for caring for my family and my personal obligations at home. I signed up for a civilian job and to support the military as a civilian. Today?s volunteer system works well, and even the military agrees that having civilians in the way of a war zone only compromises the safety of all concerned. Our country is at war, supporting democracy abroad. But it is no short estimation, that the NSPS regulations are an attack on American 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 insist that DoD rethink this proposal and take care of real issues, defined issues with tangible evidence that truly supports such changes. It seems that only then, can leadership really justify spending money to completely discard a system that has worked for us over the past fifty years and adopt this new radical - ad lib system. Working Americans, both in government and in the private sector, have reservations over NSPS and the myriad of problems it will produce, many in the name of ?homeland security.? Please help assure that both our elected and appointed government officials who blindly support NSPS direct their efforts toward areas truly requiring change, not this fabricated ?urgent? situation that in the end will create fraud, waste, and abuse. While our country demands an effective government workforce that serves the American people, we need rules that assure fairness and respect the rights of Department of Defense workers. Thank you. Very Truly,