Comment Number: OL-10501543
Received: 2/25/2005 4:56:10 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:

To whom it DOES concern, The NSPS, I do applaud some sections, such as more rapid employment procedures, the flexibility to pay more to achievers both upon hiring as well as those in service. Unfortunately there is not just one section to discuss, but the action as a whole that adversely affect employees' rights. After reading the document, I have yet to see anything that protects the employee from a supervisor's "subjective opinion" of his/her performance/conduct. There is mention of grievance procedures, but this will be conducted by those that do not know the employee or their quality of work. When they are called upon, they will be presented documents prepared by the supervisor and thus when they hear the case, will already be prejudiced in favor of supervision from the start. Employees already have the benefit of advancement of pay with procedures (grade/step increases for performance), awards, and recognition for superior performance. This action, NSPS, is overwhelmingly in favor of management and needs to be adjusted to allow for the employees rights and welfare. The managers/supervisors have a critical role to play in the overall scheme of things, however, the employees are the ones that execute the plans of the supervisors, and therefore they too, have a critical role. This plan, if view from the eyes of management, is great. It gives them all the power, they already have that. If viewed from the eyes of the superior performer, it promises to do better than the tools already in place, remembering that their supervisor is the one to use the tools and if they don't/haven't already, why would this new plan change things? If this plan is viewed through eyes of an employee that is good at what his job is, but has differences (personality wise) with his supervisor, which is human nature, then the NSPS has severe implications as to whether the employee will ever receive a pay raise, or for that matter, even remain in employment as the supervisor will have the power to levy charges against him/her or "brow beat" him/her to the point of dismissal, either voluntary or mandatory. The NSPS has "intense training" required for the supervisors/managers, but this training, cannot prevent the abuse that will surly take place in some cases. If a supervisor/manager has a friend he/she would like to hire, he/she will be able to "open" a spot for the friend and the employee being lost has little recourse. The employee needs a clear and fair path for complaint resolution that is not biased. Having the supervisor's manager, who rarely knows the employee to advise the situation, is biased. Managers need to support supervisors. Employees need support from their coworkers. As a whole, this plan has some very good points, but my concern is that this, as it is now, will return us to the "sweat shop" era when employees were at management’s mercy, and this would be a giant step backwards. We, the USA, preach the rights of men/women/children and yes, even other warm blooded creatures, to the entire world, yet in haste, or oversight, we are sometimes guilty of dismissing/dissolving some of the rights that our forefathers have suffered to gain. In many cases they never enjoyed what they achieved, but they had the hopes and dreams for their children, grandchildren, and the future. I implore you, to rethink pertinent parts of this plan that remove employees' rights to employment and pay increases if and when he/she can and does execute their duties satisfactorily. When in question, perhaps their co-workers or peers could give statements that would carry weight in the decision processes. I thank you for reading this far and I, as my forefathers did, am asking that you do not remove basic rights from the workplace as new ones are added. Sincerely, Lynn Cook Senior Mechanic Whitney Power plant