| Comment Number: | OL-10505890 |
| Received: | 3/11/2005 9:27:24 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:
As a manager I understand the need to update our personnel system however, I do not feel this system is going in the right direction. We would like to believe that all Managers are fair and treat individuals equally; that promotions, awards, pay increases will be based on performance not personal preferences. I speak from experience and first hand knowledge, this is not the case. At the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers it is just the opposite. Individuals are rewarded based on friendships and “enter” circles. The Agency just recently went through a reorganization and unfortunately the only individuals "adversely” impacted were minorities and women. The reorganization was not run out of the Human Resources (HR) Department but out of the Resource Management Office (RM) and it just so happens that the RM’s office grow from the abolishment of positions held by minority employees. The committee put together to look at disputes will be made up of individuals (Management officials) who of course will support their own. This is fact not an opinion based on past practice and first hand knowledge. One of the Managers stated he was looking forward to the new personnel system because it will allow him the freedom to tell “those” people to sit down and shut-up without having to worry about a “lawsuit”. Is this really the way we want to go. We recently offered a new hire incentive pay to bring him on board (a GS- step 5 versus a step 1) our reason was because he was well qualified and made more money on his current job. Without sufficient documentation and against the advice of the HR Director the individual was offered the higher pay. We currently manipulate the regulations to support what we want to accomplish this new system makes it even easier to inflict harm and disparate treatment while already alive and well in the Corps of Engineers will become more the norm. For a corrupt organization such as the Corps of Engineers, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Implementing this system will adversely impact on employees and their rights.