Comment Number: OL-10502323
Received: 3/1/2005 3:50:45 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:

General: I believe the proposed NSPS will undermine the Civil Service and hurt the mission of the DOD employees. Subpart C Pay Sections 9901.301 to 9901.373 The employees in DOD should continue to receive the same annual pay across the board adjustment that order GS/FWS workers receive. The individual pay increase for performances should include guaranteed percentages in the regulations so that employees will understand the pay system and what their pay increase will be depending on their performance. Any system that bases hiring, firing, promotions or demotions on the good graces of your supervisor, rather than your performance, and then does away with most avenues of appeal, is not a good system. Even though this system is being touted as a way for management to overcome some of the barriers to hiring good people, and states that pay increases and promotions will be based on performance, those of us who have any time at all in government service, know that this is just another version of the "good ole boy" system that has been around for years and years. All that will matter, in the end, is how well your boss likes you. Subpart F Workforce Shaping--9901.6012 to 9901.611: DOD should not change the current layoff/RIF rules which give balanced credit to performance and the employees valuable years of committed service to DOD.One of the things that make Civil Service different than the civilian sector such as,bargaining, seniority and pay increases under this new plan if implemented would subject Civil Service to the bi-law as private sector. Downsizing, regionalizing, call it what you will, has driven off our top performers and, if asked, I doubt that any would return, no matter how fast you could hire them and/or how much you could offer to pay them because that is not why we cannot attract employees. Even if they come on board, they soon leave because "there's no one driving the boat".