| Comment Number: | EM-022913 |
| Received: | 3/16/2005 5:07:17 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 16, 2005 DoD NSPS Comments , DoD NSPS Comments: I am writing to outline my observations with the new changes to in the DoD's NSPS personnel system. I am copying this letter to both DoD comments and my Congress persons. I have worked with the Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) for eight years. I cannot help but see these proposals as another step in weakening devoted federal servants. This new system will lead to reduced moral and encourage nepotism. The resulting lowered morale will only hamper AFMC's mission. I can only find NSPS discouraging in the face of what seemed a promising future in my career. This system will change the way in which employees are compensated, evaluated, and promoted. This system would initiate an environment conducive to supervisory abuse, where in favorites and friends can be given all manner of reward with the only arbiter being a wholly subjective evaluation system. As the federal pay system exists now, General Schedule and Wage System employees could clearly expect the annual pay raises. There was no uncertainty or confusion concerning this matter. This annual raise was funded by Congress and could not be removed. In it's place, NSPS will dispose of this certainty. Both salaries and awards are funded by DoD. DoD has a poor record of reliability in funding their awards program. With this terrible track record on this issue, how will employees ever be able to trust that our pay and awards will be funded in the future? With the new "pay for performance system", an employee's salary level will hinge almost solely on the subjective opinion his or her supervisor. Workers will be forced to compete with one another for pay raises, which will not foster a cooperative work environment, but rather increase employee conflicts, while reward short sighted performance without respect to long term performance. Also, there is no language that ensures that the best workers will ever receive a pay raise, or that the salary will be competitive. Employees will no longer be able to speak out about harassment or abuse for fear of reprisals on their appraisals and work assignments, illegal activities, or safety issues. To ensure this will happen, NSPS lacks impartiality in its arbitration system. NSPS will also allow supervisors to schedule employees to work without sufficient notice of schedule changes. This will create undo hardships on parents caring for their children and family. Abusive supervisors will be easily able to harass employees with unreasonable and punitive schedules. Civilian employees could be given assignments anywhere in the world, with little or no notice, even into conflict. While, I am more than happy to perform well for the pay I receive, and enjoy the satisfaction of knowing I provide the best support possible for the warfighter, I signed on to AFMC as a civilian. I am not a member of the military. . NSPS results in an assault on the basic rights of employees. NSPS will overall lower wages across the board as time advances. It is designed to do so. Also, NSPS distract employees from performing their jobs without worry. They will be focused on avoiding abusive practices by management, and stabbing their neighbor in the back, so they can get a raise. I urge you to ask DoD to rework this flawed system. Employees need working environments that promote fairplay, management and employee cooperation, foster positive service to the American people, and respect the rights of Defense Department workers. Sincerely,