| Comment Number: | EM-019842 |
| Received: | 3/14/2005 11:31:19 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 14, 2005 DoD NSPS Comments , 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 for years. I am angry that these proposals seem to treat the employees who help defend our country as the enemy. Most DoD employees work hard and are committed. I believe that mistreating the employees will hurt the agency?s mission. 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. Annual Pay Raises Under the General Schedule and FWS, 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 or short notice. Overtime rotations can be canceled, which means that employees may not be able to plan adequately for childcare and other important 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 the 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. I am an Honorably discharged, retired Navy Seabee Chief Petty Officer. I worked for the US Postal Service for 13 months after I retired I left primarily over poor management. USPS management has poor leadership and communication skills. Cursing another retired CPO in front of me was totally unprofessional and unetheical. A station manager that I worked for briefly in addition to the main post office was one of the worst I encountered. I was reassigned under him for 3 weeks. After I reported, to replace a man on 3 weeks vacation, it was 3 days before any management spoke to me. The first day at the new station the station manager walked behind my back cussing because I was so new and inexperienced. He also was the same one that I wittnessed preparing for hunting season by getting his hunting blind in shape . This was done while his subordinates were out on the street in the summer heat and humidity. Thank goodness for a good strong union. I could not imagine anyone working there without one. As a Navy civilian employee for 3 years I personally have been subjected to discrimination and harrassment. Blatant favoritism, a female over me, was shown on multiple occasions. Attempts to seek help from the department head, HR, EEO and the IG failed to correct the situation in the office, My immediate supervisor was reduced to tears on multiple occasions, depression, anxiety, and extreme frustration permeated the office. After 2 1/2 years the Union finally became involved. After their efforts the department head attempted to initiate corrective action. What I am DEEPLY concerned about is that even with all of our protections in place so many unethical, unprofesssional, immorale and possibly illegal activities were permitted. Now just what will happen when we dilute or abolish these protections? The favorites will get the promotions, the favorites will get the pay raises, the favorites wil get key training and every other perk management can bestow on their favorites. There is absolutely no way that most employees can trust most managers to honestly put their best interests at heart when it comes to pay and promotions. In my department we have never received a cash award during my time. The former supervisor would routinely award her employees. In the military it was impressed upon us to take care of our people, because they took care of us. It's very disheartening when I am subjected to such poor management and am nearly powerless to do anything about it without a great deal of effort. I really can not see why management has such disdain for unions. If management did everything above the table with full transparency they'd have nothing to fear from a union or anyone else. It really is incredible the timing of this new system and how it was just rammed home. In my office we are faced with NSPS, A-76 and DTS - the new travel system. I don't know who the master scheduler is but again the timing of all of this unbelieveable. In the Navy we lived by Honor, Courage and Committment. I still do but I have not wittnessed much of that as a civilian employee. I truly hope that a great deal of training is provided to management concerning ethics and proper counseling techniques, among numerous other leadership and management topics. This system is doomed for failure without a solid foundation and proper oversight to minimize or eliminate the injustices that will occur. I know I was long winded but it's difficult to get someone to truly listen to our concerns. Thank you for your time. Sincerely,