Comment Number: EM-019847
Received: 3/14/2005 2:15:19 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 believe that the people proposing this plan come over and live my life for a month with me and my family. Experience first hand what it is like to live on a very fixed income. Getting up every day, going to work, which you know that your supervisor does not think very much of you to begin with, watching him favor certian employees over others. Working all day and not wanting to even be near your immediate supervisore and leader. Becaue you know that they are just going to treat you like dirt and humiliate you one way or another, and they will always find a way. They are both males, so that is a big reason why it is hard sometimes to talk to them. If this plan goes through, they will decide when I can work overtime, how much I will be paid or will I get a raise. That is not american. They are going to go to hell for it in the end. Then you have these politicians say we are going to do this and help you, blahblahblah, is all I hear. If they are going to help and make this country a better place then stop thinking about $$$$$$ IT IS CALLED GREED!!!! It will get you nowhere with a lot of us americans. Would one of you fellows who think this plan is going to make things easy, come over and live with me for one month. Drive the car I do with no heat 40 miles to work, see how damn cold you are when you get to work. Make the decision to get new tires after you get groceries or wait, no, you cant get groceries yet until the electric is paid, then maybe you might have a little bit to go over to the discount store and buy something. You may think that we get a big paycheck, but some dont, we have other things being taken right out of our pay for bills. You want to know why people are the way they are anymore these days, it because we trusted people like you to dedicate your trust and values to help make our country a nice place, but you keep taking us down, just think though, in the end you will more than likely end up one day just like the other guy in the cheese line. It can happen to anybody. We people here striving and working for the soldiers on the frontline and all over the world protecting our freedom, and now you want to take it away because you like to see others squirm, SHAME ON YOU!!!!! The lord is watching you and he will decide whether or not you get to proceed through heavens gate, and he more than likely send you to the DEVIL!!!! Are you an american or do you live in Russia? That is what it is about anymore, remember those days, how they lived. It is becoming the same thing here. Let us live in peace and harmony while we still can. With liberty, and justice FOR ALL!!!!!! Sincerely,