| Comment Number: | EM-023224 |
| Received: | 3/16/2005 11:39:03 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:
March 16, 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 of all times, officials have decided to throw a low punch at the employees when we are tasked to take on the work that the now delpoyed military members normally carry. Thus, adding to our already full workload. Those service members are giving their lives for our way of life; and you are laughing at us all the while. Kind of reminds of those anti-war demonstraters of the Viet Nam era. They are safe and out of harms way while defacing and degrading the very soles that protect their rights. If there are decent changes for the betterment of all federal employees fine, but now is not the time because war is hell not only for the deployed but for the federal service employee as well. To better understand the issues each employee must receive a copy of every proposal for their review. Most DoD employees work hard and are committed and there aren't too many US citizens that want to work for the federal service. Obviously, you won't get rich and you're expected to pick up the extra workload wien military members are deployed and not complain. That being the case at present, why are getting low-balled at this time. Does the President know about this attempt to low-ball federal employees? Additionally, as a widow and employee I can't give up my hard-earned pay and retirement. It's obvious that the agency needs professional financiers because it isn't budgeting or living within it's means. But that doesn't mean that the employee has to suffer the consequencs. Just fix the real problem and don't create a new branch for that, just work it out within. Mistreating the employees while the service member is deployed will ultimately hurt the agency?s mission. I am very upset the decision made to make a massive change when we are carrying the workload of the deployed service member and we don't have time to the patience to worry about job security and the stabilitly of our retirement program. NSPS may or may not be good, but now, a time of war and heavy workloads, is not the time to rattle the cage of a large workforce that is dedicated to their country and their fellow-workers. Someone really needs a boot up their ass for coming up with this at this date in time. If this proposed system will affect the way workers are paid, evaluated, promoted, fired, scheduled, and treated as alleged, then by law we must review them and make wise decisions about our course of action for our needs at each level of the mission as well as each employee. We already have favoritism in the system, we don't need to make it easier. If these rules would create a system in which federal managers are influenced by favoritism rather than serving the civil concerns of the American people then we don't need it. 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, if NSPS will take this away then it better take it away from all employees and elected officials all across the board. Again, favoritism will raise it's ugly face. The issue is not the size of the workforce or the structure of it. Money is the issue. Use professonaly planners to budget wisely. 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? that's a sily question, we all know that the confidence level is next to zero and has been for several years. We need to fix it at home, not in public. Plan and budget wisely using the tools we know will work and cut those things that don't work. We cannot afford conflict within the agency and the workforce, divide and conqour is a stragety wisely used by our foes. Let's not get into a long drawn out ugly mess like this during this war. Let's fix our problems internally. If we have contractors that aren't working out, get out of the contract. If we have managers that need training, lets train time. Teamwork - If we need comptrollers and budget managers with higher skill levels and more experience, lets pay them for their services and bring them on-board. Don't punish the workerbees needlessly because together those bee stings will bring you down. ?Friend of the Supervisor? Pay System - each employee must have a copy of these proposed changes to vote on and or make wise decisions about. We cannot be left out of this review. Ultimately, even a gradfathered system won't fix the affects of this proposal. I am firmly against this policy. It does not enhance the quality of the force or the system. It merely looks to the cost of running the system and that falls back on the need for more experienced financial planners and budgeting managers. Offer compettive pay to comptrollers and financial planners and managers to bring them onboard. This issue merely falls back on the poor spending habits of elected government officials that are allowed to dip into the social security funds, the retirement dividends and so on. That being said the new patronage pay system, which DoD calls ?pay for performance,? the amount of a worker's salary will not work because it won't cure the problem. Additionally, it 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. It appears that it will undermine the Fair Acts that protect employees Then what, will those acts and laws be re-written to protect the agency? Are we a democratic nation or a socialist nation? If overtime becomes a thing of the past, does that mean that the military members will only be required to go to war during normal workday hours too? Sounds silly doesn't it. Essentially, the workforce is carrying the workload that normally falls on the service member when he isn't fighting in a war. You come down here to the trenches at base level and carry the workload for a year and then ask yourself why so many Americans don't even want to work for the government. Now is not the time to make changes. Those of us committed and dedicated work overtime without pay, without discussing it with the boss, and without regret. Why? We do it because the young men and women in uniform are giving their lives so that we can sleep at night in a safe home under warm snugglly blankets. Talk about changes when we are at peace and our fellow co-workers are not overseas and in harms way. Get your act together and just make the internal changes to those things that already exist. They work, they just need some tweaking. After all overtime is closely monitored and scheduled on such an infrequent basis that there isn't much money spent on it in the trenches where most of your workforce is. If you want to control overtime spending do it at the upper level where the payroll is already excessively high, not down at the at the lower workforce level where we only work overtime to take care of emergencies or extreme workload. 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 and would willingly go if asked. However, today?s volunteer system works well. America is at war. We are fighting abroad for democracy and our way of life. At this date and time these proposed changes are a kick in the gut to each of us because while we're working hard to carry the extra load, our own agency is working hard to cut us down by attacking our basic rights. What would happen if each of us walked off the job for just one week or one day. Would that get their attention. 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. Additionally, I note that change can be for the good of all, if ALL are included. It is no secret that those officials charged with managing the hard-earned money of the citizens of this country don't manage. They just over-spend. Thefore, instead of cutting the hand that feeds you, it should be looking at ways to earn the respect of the American citizens and the respect of government employees. Many American citizens don't want to work for the Government. Therefore keeping the workforce on-board and recruiting new employees should be the goal. I was rifted in the early 1990s and I'm still at the same grade level due to those old rift rules put in place during the conflict that was going on at that time. Why is it that changes and cuts are reviewed at a time when we are understaffed and overworked due to military deployments. It makes it difficult to stop working a few minutes to focus on whether or not our job security is in jeopardy. I've been through Viet Nam, Saudi and now this one - In my heart and in my voiced opinion, I feel that if those young men and women can go into a war zone knowing that they could get their heads chopped off, then I certainly will carry the workload they left behind here at home without asking for a raise. Do all of you have your heads in the sand or up your ________! We are very busy employees and very hard at work right now down here in the trenches and this certainly is not the time to insult us. If you think a boot up your ass isn't appropriate, you are wrong! Teamwork will go further in rooting out and fixing whatever you think is wrong. But right now the system is working and you don't fix something if it aint broke. . So, If you're planning to make changes, have the courtesy to mail and/or e-mail each employee with a copy of the proposals before deciding who, what and when where and how it will affect the entire system and each and every member and level of the work force. Then put a forum together to make our system better, not just convenient for a few. I'm passionate about my country and my fellow co-workers, military and civilian, so I get really really hot when our very own throw a low punch at us when we are in the middle of a war and all of us low grade working slobs are trying hard to carry each other physically and emotionally and carry a heavier workload. Don't do this to us now, wait till this war is over and we are able to focus on any ideas for change to this federal workforce. Finally, the bottom line as always is a qustion of money. The honest answer is budget wisely, spend only what you have and live within your means. Charity begins at home right here in our own backyard, the good ole USA. We are charged with being good citizens, good employees and good providers. We have a good system it just needs to be enforced. So, let's just do it humbly, honestly and with the utmost of integrity. Sincerely,