| Comment Number: | EM-023247 |
| Received: | 3/15/2005 11:06:31 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 worked for DoD for years. 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. 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? ?Friend of the Supervisor? Pay System 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. This system will force workers to compete with one another for pay raises, which will destroy teamwork, increase 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Training: Our military managers are not encouraged to get training on the civilian personnel program in place today. Under the new system the military managers will see no reason for training because they will be empowered to manage as if the work place is their own business with little respect for regulations. Because they will have the support of their peers. Today they only want training that will get them promoted. Military managers are very self absorbed. Leaving the civilian to scramble for themselves. Recognition Program: Military managers do not take time to recognize the good hard working civilian employees. They only seek recognition for themselves for promotion purposes only. The recognition program does not work. Hirining: Today most of the vacant positions are created for military retirees and many cases the grades are increased for military retirees. The civilian employees today in the system can not get promoted because of the unfair hiring practices used by managers. I've experienced this on all military installation I've been employed in. Favortism: Is a common practice among active duty military and military retirees. Positions are created for them. The managers today manage with fear and intimidation and are very unapproachable and hostile to civilian employees. Under the new systems these practices will be everyday business with no place to address the fairness. Abuse and fairness starts at the top and Halliburton and WorldCom others are great examples of unfairness. The system again be largely man dominated. For many years we have worked to make America a place that practice fairness and justice. It appears that we are going backward quickly. This new system needs much revisiting. Let's take the time to get this one RIGHT. Sincerely,