| Comment Number: | EM-019849 |
| Received: | 3/14/2005 12:42:39 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 SSA 16 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. Lord knows there is already enough of this. 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. Fair is, if you past, then you should receive an award for your effort. Award should not only be given to the same people all the time just because that who the manager likes. Two people doing the same amount, but only the same one always being rewarded? Awards are already given out by who likes you, not on what you know. There should be a vote by the people, if the poor working class can not receive a raise, why should Congress be allowed to give themselves a hundred thousand dollar or more pay raise? Why is there always money for the rich, but not the poor? 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. So, what the same people will be working all the time because there the favorite pet? 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. Why not sent the family members on the person who start this mess, so they can see what is like to loss a love one? So, what is this an under cover draft? 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. Why are the people of this country being penalized for working. People born and raised here and have worked and put money in this system, are treated like they have no rights in this country. But, most foreigners who come into this country (only the one's this country allows to stay) are handed everything on a silver platter and they have never worked or put a dime into this system. When does the madness end. Take care of home first, of the people who are carry the weight of this country on there backs, before you take care of everybody else. No other country would just take everybody else over it own people, but we do. Where is the patriotism in that? Stop treating the working class people as if they are nobodies. Eventually, people get tired of being treated unfairly. So, who is at fault when they go over the edge? Why should they be pushed to that point? When is the unjust against America's poor working class going to stop? There is no such thing as middle class America any more, you have the poor working class and then you have the rich. In closing, if these politicians that we keep voting into office, don't start standing up for the poor working class people, and not just there class, what do you need them for? Where is the great democracy for the poor working class? Self preservation should start at home not aboard. Clean up your own backyard first, instead of always cleaning up somewhere else. Yes and there is alot that needs to be taken care within this country. Yes Sincerely,