Comment Number: EM-023146
Received: 3/16/2005 9:47:16 AM
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:

I'm extremely frustrated with the government about how they are proceeding with the change to our existing personnel system. I am submitting my comments anonymously because I do not trust the system and do believe that my comments may be held against me. I work for DISA at Scott AFB, IL. We have not been briefed and we are floundering individually to try to decipher the new NSPS and how it will affect us. Hard to comment on unknowns. Because of the manner in which this has been introduced, I can only suspect that the new system is bad and that we, as an organization, are not even close to being ready for this new system to be implemented. You see, my organization does not truly value their employees, I guess, since we haven't been briefed. I suspect that a "bad" system will be introduced and that it will get tweaked as we, the employees, suffer through the chaos (business as usual). From what I have read, the new system will invite chronism which we already have here (i.e. if you live in the same county, if you are someone's relative, if you suck up, etc.). We don't need more of that--but less. How do you plan to measure our performance when there are no parameters? We are not profit-driven. Who will write up our performance criteria against I guess we will be evaluated? Certainly not management, as they don't even know nor care how we do our jobs and what it takes to get a job done at the worker level. How about offering all the CSRS employees an incentive like the commercial world, to retire? Since you want to revamp the govt personnel system to be more in line with the commercial practices, why not give govt civilians real bonuses (thousands of dollars) just like the commercial world who value their employees. Give us retirement incentives---instead of the measly $25,000 which amounts to $17,000 or so dollars after taxes. Our commercial counterparts who've retired were offered incentives of increases in their retirement annuity (extra 5%) plus cash bonuses in the amount of $75,000-$100,000 range. Then they hire them back as contractors. What happens to my cost of living raise if my boss doesn't like me because I just do my job and don't kiss ___? I live in a high cost area, do I get an annual increase to meet the rising cost of living? The govt needs unions and I wish they were stronger to fight back. Maybe the civilians need to retain a labor attorney to represent us to fight back. I smell a rat, the same way I smelled a rat when FERS was introduced. I say put us under the same plan that all the elected officials fall under then it may be fair. Are they (our elected officials) evaluated on their performance, which affects their pay? I feel hopeless in this environment. P.S. Website for sumitting comments wasn't friendly. I'm tired of my cheese being moved! I'm tired of doing my own timecard, I'm tired of being the supply person and fixing the copiers, printers, fax machines, I'm tired of documenting my own training to maintain a level of education that is a waste of taxpayer's money just because we have to appear that we are continuing our education, I'm tired of trying to adjust to constant change, I'm tired that I'm no longer a master of anything, I'm tired of being a team lead without extra compensation, I'm tired of mgt requiring degrees and promoting those with degrees over experienced workers (even tho the experienced people can run circles around the degreed individuals), I'm tired of nondegree people being treated as second class, education is way overrated, I'm tired of meetings with managers who don't know what we do, I'm tired of individuals being promoted into supervisory positions only because they are a "yes" man . We have supervisors that need to hit the road. If the NSPS will be totally reliant on mgt, the govt better start replacing our existing supervisors with real managers from the private sector. That would be the best thing you could do with NSPS---replace all the managers and start over. Now, if you read my comments and care about what I say and actually make changes based on our input, I thank you. If this is only an exercise to make me think you care, I say, business as usual.