Comment Number: OL-10504121
Received: 3/8/2005 1:48:20 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:

Pay and Administration, Subpart C - Setting and Adjusting Rate Ranges: 1. It appears patently unfair to calculate pay adjustments that constitute locality pay based on career group. Locality pay is meant to cover cost of living type increases incurred by all individuals in a given geographic area. If certain specialities are already earning more money due to their "market need" then they would receive a double benefit by getting a higher locality adjustment. Additionaly, this would only serve to unfairly punish those workers in lower paid career programs. 2. Why are adjustments set at "...any increase to the minimum rate of their band..."? This appears to result in a lower percentage for those high in the pay band. The net result would be to punish performers who have earned higher pay in the bands. 3. Rating Methodology DoD: For years AF used the basic 5 level rating system and the results were less than stellar. A simpler and more flexible approach would be to emulate the current Air Force Pass/Fail system. This would give the supervisor total flexiblity to award deserving employees without an some future imposed quota system on the number of 5's/4's etc. 4. No recognition for alternate awards. Current Air Force procedures allow supervisors to recognize outstanding efforts with money, time-off awards or a combination. The NSPS appears to eliminate non-monetary awards. To many people time-off is more valuable than money (especially in light of tight DoD budgets). Suggest NSPS allow supervisors to reward their employees in non-monetary as well as monetary methods and that these non-monetary methods be formally recognized as rewards for job accomplishments. .