Comment Number: OL-10504808
Received: 3/10/2005 10:59:36 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 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. The proposed changes in my opinion will have a dramatic effect on our unit cohesiveness and the ability to do our job in a stable working environment. The changes to the pay system will allow supervisors to determine what subordinates deserve a raise and which do not. The problem with this is for it to work all supervisors must be fair when judging their subordinates. Past practice has shown that this kind of system leads to people taking care of their friends and not necessarily taking care of the most proficient workers. This system will create a situation in which workers are in conflict with one another and afraid to speak out about harassment, violations of the law, and workplace safety problems. Workers will be more concerned with how their own performance is and will neglect to help out their coworkers in essence killing teamwork all together. Mission accomplishment success rates will decline and we will be left with a harsh working environment. This law will also dramatically impact our local unions and reduce their powers to almost nothing. Managers will be able to impose work schedule changes at the drop of a hat instead of providing subordinates with proper notification. As it stands right now managers are bound by law to give subordinates two weeks notice of any work schedule changes giving them ample time to adjust their lives. In my opinion I don't believe a manager would be very happy if their subordinate came in and said, "I am quitting right now, good bye". Subordinates are bound to give two weeks notice before they leave their job to give the manager ample time to fill the position. Another point I wanted to address is the deployment of civilians to anywhere in the world anytime. The law right now states that anytime we go out of country we have to be in military status therefore we are subject to military law. If we are in civilian status alone and are detained by a foreign government for any kind of accusation then we fall under that government’s jurisdiction and are subject to their punishments. This in my opinion is unjust. We are citizens of the United States and members of the armed forces; we should be tried by our government that way it is done fair and equitably. We should also be given enough notification to prepare our families and our finances for our absence. Please keep these points I have addressed in your mind when you allow the law to detrimentally affect my life and the ability of my unit to accomplish it's mission swiftly and safely.