| Comment Number: | EM-023058 |
| Received: | 3/15/2005 10:14:08 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 15, 2005 DoD NSPS Comments , DoD NSPS Comments: I?m writing 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. I have worked for DoD for 27 years. These proposals seem to treat the employees who help defend and have defended 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. 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 for General Schedule and FWS employee, pay was clear. It was funded by Congress and could not be taken away. NSPS will take away this certainty. Under this new system called ?pay for performance,? the amount of a worker's salary will depend almost completely on the personal judgment of his or her supervisor, or the supervisor?s immediate supervisors. This system will force workers to compete with one another for pay raises, which will destroy teamwork, increase conflict among employees. There is no guarantee that even the best workers will receive a pay raise or that the pay offered will be fair. 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. Furthermore, there will be no impartial appeal system to assure that everyone is treated fairly. All this could affect the quality of life in DoD family (i.e. collage and health insurance for spouse and their children) NSPS will allow managers to schedule employees to work without sufficient notice. This will make it extremely difficult for parents to care for their children and family obligations, even to the point that some employees could be in violation of the Law. Abusive managers could harass employees with bad schedules or short notice, which in turn could cause a stressful family relationship in which spouses and children could suffer. Overtime can be canceled, which means that employees may not be able to plan for childcare, overtime could be denied some employees and favored toward others. NSPS will also allow managers to deploy civilian employees to be deployed anywhere in the world, even into a war zone, with little or no notice. DoD already has a process in place to accomplish this. I signed up for a civilian job and had served my country in a war zone, during my military service. Like most of my follow employees if I?m asked to deploy in order to complete the mission required by my origination, it would be done. Employees are given a time frame in order to complete the mission also a period in which they are to leave and return. A large percentage of this is done on a voluntary system. I urge you to force DoD to rethink this proposal. We need regulations that preserve fairness, serve the American people, and respect the rights of Defense Department workers. These NSPS regulations are an attack on workers rights. America is at war fighting terrorism, not AMERICAN CITIZENS. In my eyes to imitate federal employees that are to provide Home Land Security for this nation by managers who have the authority to hire, fire, pay and deploy DoD workers with just a snap of the fingers will only cause dissension and weaken the security of our nation. This nation that was founded and thrived on the merit?s of it citizens, now is not the time to turn your back on the people who provide and work to provide defense for this country just to make it easier for managers to supervise. Sincerely,