Comment Number: OL-10503181
Received: 3/4/2005 10:31:51 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:

I wish to address the new NSPS personnel system as a whole as I understand it. As with most laws coming out of DC, there is good and bad policies incorporated within this new bill. Overall, I have a very negative feeling and opinion about this new personnel system. As a 24+ year veteran of the civil service system, and having worked in a variety of different agencies, I am concerned with so many of my rights as a GS employee being eliminated, or being placed into Management's hands so indiscriminately without an independent "watch-dog" overseeing functions and policies of both management and the working force. This new system is being implemented on the basis that all supervisors and managers are; 1) civilian employees also, and not military who are used to working with military vice civilian personnel; 2) competently trained to manage civilians; 3) fair, impartial, and unbiased to treat all their employees equitably to avoid the "good-old boy", "boss' pet", or "brown-noser employee" syndrome once again saturated throughout the DoD civilian personnel system. Speaking from experience as a female, working in a predominetly male career field, with military managers, many of whom are very inexperience in working with, let alone managing civilian workers, I do not believe the new NSPS system will work as fair or equitable to all employees as the higher-ups have envisioned. I am especially concerned about how employees will be treated through RIFs and budget-cut force reductions without the currently established laws which greatly protect all employees rights through these processes. Anyone, no matter of tenure, experience, etc., can find themselves on the street at their boss' whim without any right of appeal or discriminatory protection. I know many of my co-workers are changing their minds about a career as a DoD employee, calculating how soon they can retire to get out of this new unfair system, and discouraging everyone from considering applying for a job as a Federal employee from now on. They say they want to recruit competent workers and "team-players", and get rid of the dead-weight work force that has clogged the DoD system all these years. Personally, I take exception to those comments and this attitude by Management when I have proudly dedicated over 24 years as a civil servant, always striving to do an exceptional job in the support of our military and my Country. Now those 24 will be wasted with my tenure being stripped away and the possibility of being booted out at any time at any of my Manager's discretion. I do not agree with the majority of this new NSPS system, and am anxiously counting the days until I can retire. I empathize with the younger generation of civil servant employees who are going to have to live with these new policies - or do like everyone else... quit the Federal system and go civilian where your job won't be in jeopardy every day when you come to work because of your boss' mood that day.