| Comment Number: | OL-10503717 |
| Received: | 3/7/2005 1:27:55 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:
I write to express my concerns about changes to work rules in the Department of Defense (DoD). The proposed regulations, known as the National Security Personnel System (NSPS), were printed in the Federal Register on February 14, 2005. This message will be sent to both DoD and my representatives in Congress. First I disagree completely with the Administration's stated need for the added "flexibility to hire, fire and reward high performers". This plan will demoralize workers. Teamwork, the backbone of any DOD organization is destroyed by this system. If I have to compete with my peers for a limited pool of performance money, I not only benefit by out performing my colleagues, I benefit by making him look bad. This cutthroat mentality will undermine a smooth working organization. Entering into NSPS will cost workers their COLA approximately one year before they are eligible to a raise under the pay for performance system. If Spiral 1 employees enter the performance system in October 2005, they will not receive their COLA in January 2006. This money will be placed in the performance pool. However, Employees will not be eligible for performance pay increases until they receive their performance appraisals until October 2006, almost 10 months later. This is grossly unfair. The pay for performance system will discriminate against older workers. Older workers stay on the job for retirement benefits. Supervisors know this and will allocate performance money to younger workers without regard to relative performance just to retain them. The scheme for retention during a RIF places too much emphasis on performance. When an outstanding employee with one year can be retained over a 20-year employee with a highly satisfactory rating, the system is ripe for patronage. Who can argue over such a slight difference in performance rating, yet the difference in who keeps their job is immense. These are just a few of the problems I see with NSPS and I truly hope you will give them some consideration.