| Comment Number: | OL-10503642 |
| Received: | 3/7/2005 10:24:41 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 have some real reservations about the NSPS system. As a government employee for 23 years I have seen many initiatives come and go and have watched as legislators have tried to change the system annually and take away hard fought for workers benefits. The government workforce always seems to be an easy area to point at and say "we can cut here because government workers are lazy and don't perform". When smaller programs of trying to give bonuses to workers for exceptional service have been tried, they have failed miserably. This is such a wide sweeping program that its failure would be disasterous. Here are a few of my concerns: 1. Even hard working employees who have been with the government many years will tend not to be rewarded because there will not be enough money to reward new employees and old ones. The fear of having the new employees leave will cause managers to give all the rewards to the new employees. Employees that are tied to the region or are in the CSRS retirement system who have shown years of dedicated service will see their benefits eroded compared to the new employees who do not have the experience. 2. The NSPS legislation allows for penalties of up to 10% of wages but does not specify what actions could cause such a pay reduction. This would tend to be applied unevenly. 3. Union bargaining only at a national level will not be effective. This seems like "union busting" which the government has been brought in to stop in the private sector but is unwilling to apply to itself. Unions serve a specific and necessary purpose in the government and fair bargaining at all levels is important.