| Comment Number: | OL-10506894 |
| Received: | 3/13/2005 8:10:45 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 wish to express my concerns about the new National Security Personnel System that was printed in the Federal Register on Feb. 14, 2005. I have been a DOD employee for 17 years. I am concerned about what the new system will do to the federal work force. First, I would like to know how NSPS will better support its national security mission? How does the General Schedule system, currently in place, not support the national security mission? When have federal workers not supported the national security mission? I believe with the proposed system, the mission will be hurt because the working environment among federal workers will become unstable. DOD and OPM say they have designed the new system with input and participation from key stakeholders. When did they ask the federal employees for their input? How could they have gotten input from the people that this system affects the most if they wouldn't allow input from the unions that represent the employees? How can they say that the new system preserves the core, enduring values of the civil service when they are taking away many of the rights of the federal worker? DOD says the current HR system is inadequate and cannot manage the civilian workforce in today's environment. Reasons given are hiring is too slow and cumbersome. Who created that problem? Does DOD realize that by downsizing the federal workforce and regionalizing functions have created much of the backlog and cumbersome processes they are referring to? Unfortunately, the same people and the same regional functions will still be performing the hiring processes. So, if changes are going to be made that will make it better, then why not do that with the GS system? DOD says the pay and performance management systems are outdated. With the GS system, employees do know when they will receive a pay raise. With NSPS, employees will have to depend on pay raises from managers and supervisors who have yet to master the GS system. The current GS system provides for outstanding performers to receive bonuses and step increases. Managers and supervisors do not use that tool now to award their good performers. Why is it better to hand complete control of an employee's pay raise over to managers and supervisors who do not take care of their employees now? And, who's to say who is a good performer? One supervisor may believe that an employee is an outstanding performer and the next supervisor may think he's only fair. How is an employee suppose to know what to expect? Also, the "good ol' boy" system is running rampant now. How much more so will it be, when employees have to depend on their managers and supervisors for their pay raises? It will become every employee for themselves instead of promoting teamwork to get the mission accomplished. There is no guarantee that the best performers will receive a pay raise or that the pay offered will be fair or competitive. The NSPS fact sheet says that intense training for supervisors and managers is planned. Who's going to conduct this training? At the present time, under the GS system, training is badly needed for supervisors and managers in many areas. But, they aren't receiving it because of the lack of personnel to do the training and the lack of time to take the training because of the heavy workloads. Another key issue in NSPS is to do away with lengthy, detailed job descriptions and allow more flexibility to assign employees new or different work. How will an employee know what is expected if he doesn't know for sure what his job really is? If an employee is hired because of certain skills he possesses for a job, then management decides to assign him new or different work that he doesn't have the skills for, what will happen to that employee? Civilian deployment is a big concern. When I signed on as a government employee I knew where I would be working. Now I can be deployed anywhere in the world? Please consider making changes in the NSPS.