| Comment Number: | EM-023235 |
| Received: | 3/15/2005 4:55:51 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 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 written to my congressmen, often, & I respect & trust their ability to represent the folks that placed them there as our representatives. We know how politics work & realize this is someone's "political idea" for what they think will "save money" once again. And once again, they try to cover up the real issues with a smoke screen of agendas. (sort of like making Social Security a problem - when most folks feel that if the government had to put back the money they "borrowed" from Social Security in the first place, there wouldn't be a problem to discuss!) I have worked for the DoD for 27 years & I'm 55. 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. My co-workers have always given 120%! I've worked with folks who have stayed late, took work home, put in extra hours & gave their all - WITHOUT ASKING FOR EXTRA PAY!! Without making a big deal out of making sure that our Fleet is able to function at 100%! Will that happen under the new system? Probably not!! 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? How can we trust folks who have never gotten it right? Loyalty in the workplace is at a premium, today. We can't afford to hope that the folks who are supposed to keep our country safe will give their time and best efforts if the money isn't there on time. I wouldn't want to take that chance - especially in these terrorist laden times. You are encouraging a private company way of business - I know because I've worked in a few - it's that ?Friend of the Supervisor? Pay System (& we thought it couldn't get this bad!). 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. Most Managers have a "buddy" system in the government, already (but can't be as obvious as in the private sector) & the "friends" of the bosses always make out when the bosses make the choice of promotions, job visibility, etc. I've experienced that quite a few times, myself. At least it was more difficult to show favoritism in the system we had! It was more open - more fair - this is covert. This system will force workers to compete with one another for pay raises, which will destroy teamwork, increase/encourage 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. Most of our best workers are not "proud peacocks" and don't make a lot of noise about what they do! The loudest ones often do the least. 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. It's going back to the days of "Oliver Twist" - before unions had any clout. It's the closest thing to a non-union work environment & we know what sweat shops used to be, don't we? 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. The "favored friends" will get all the overtime they want & the rest will be lucky to keep their jobs. This is obvious to many - it's another management ploy to get the folks who are not "favored friends" to quit, be fired, or suffer silently - in fear of losing their jobs!! 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. The favored few will not be asked to serve, regardless! 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. Once DOD workers are put upon, who will be next? When the private sector "favorites" charge the big bucks to do the same work that DOD workers used to do - who will pay the price? WE WILL!! Certainly not the rich - it's the folks who make the least who will pay, again. "They" are already giving away most of our jobs - Who will fill the coffers of the banking industry, when the taxes are due? Truth will always come to the surface! Sincerely,