| Comment Number: | OL-10503666 |
| Received: | 3/7/2005 11:20:49 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:
You state the following on this website "The proposed pay rules also provide for periodic “rate range” adjustments, to adjust the minimum and/or maximum rate of a pay band. When a minimum rate of a pay band is adjusted upward, employees will receive an equivalent increase." I am particularly interested in the effect this will have on individuals who are at the top of a pay band. Does periodic mean at least once a year or can it mean every five years? If a pay band is not adjusted at least on a yearly basis in conjunction with the general schedule increase approved by Congress and some part of a "locality adjustment", then those individuals who are in that situation can only be compensated for their performance by an award. This does not seem very fair and I would say it is a disincentive since my experience with awards is that they are the exception not the rule. Additionally awards do not provide any benefit to the employee in determining retirement salaries. If the desire is to make this system one that will be fair and provide an equal opportunity for receiving benefits then a step in the right direction would be to create the system with the understanding that the bands will at least be adjusted annually with the minimum adjustment being what is approved by Congress for the general schedule increase. Not doing so unfairly penalizes those individuals at the top of a band who are performing satisfactorily and still plan on making significant contributions to the organization.