| Comment Number: | OL-10507320 |
| Received: | 3/14/2005 10:14:38 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:
It’s clear to me that the proponents of this proposed new system are clearly in no danger of having to live under the new rules they are intending to foist upon the rest of us. Even more clear to many civilians is that this new system is being rammed through under the “guise” of National Security needs. The intent of NSPS is total control over the civilian work force, similar to the control the military has over its members, without the added benefits. The civil service system was designed as a separate, complimentary force to the military, not a mirror image. Why would any civil servant want to remain in this restyled military-like civilian work force? If we wanted to be in the military, we would join. With unprecedented numbers of civil service retirements expected in the near term, who do these “overhaul-ists” think they are going to attract to fill these vacancies. Educated young people entering the work force of the future, will be dissuaded by these added control measures and persuaded into filling jobs in the civilian sector instead. Control measures such as open ended job descriptions, remove existing rights to civilian workers and ensures whatever a supervisor dictates, is legal. How will civilian employees be able to judge their own suitability for jobs, when job specific details are left up to supervisors? This proposal bodes no benefit to the employee. Reality says that civilians are at the bottom of the priority list for a military supervisor’s time. Who among the good military supervisors is going to have the inclination or the time to worry about the training and development of civilian employees, when their primary concern is to concentrate on preparing their Soldiers for war? NSPS proponents want us to believe the absurdity that with today’s deployment cycle, military supervisors will be worried about the careers of their civilian employees. No, their energies are going to be devoted to spending whatever remaining time they have with their families and rightly so. If it sounds like I’m frightened, I am. We civil servants should all be frightened. The baby lamb is being handed to the wolf. The personnel system reformers are attempting to do away with protections that were built into the existing system for good reason. Based on my 20 plus years on Active Duty, I am aware of the friction/love-hate relationship that exists between the military and civilian employees. This friction exists because military supervisors do not have the same latitude in dealing with civilian employees, as they do with military personnel. A major change dictated by NSPS results in making job descriptions vague and/or open ended and allowing supervisors to significantly control how much money civilians will earn, throws the door wide open for abuse. What checks of this enormous power will remain in place? Almost none as I see it. I see pay bands as having the most potential for abuse. Pay bands will have a major negative impact on the force by fostering favoritism. Historically positions have been coded as civilian for the very reason that civilians are not subject to the same political pressures military personnel face. Occupational Health/Safety and Inspector General duties are two examples. It doesn’t appear that someone has thought out the ramifications of these changes. Do we really want these and other civilian employees making politically biased decisions, for fear of jeopardizing their earning potential? If the intent really is to change the system to enable the civilian work force to better meet National Security needs, then make changes only to those positions involved in meeting those needs. Changing the entire system when changes are really only needed in a few areas, will cause more harm than good. Here we go with the “one solution fits all” mentality again. It never works. Make incremental changes if needed, where needed, like increasing the number of Emergency Essential positions. Instead of pay bands keep the existing system which ensures fairness across the board. There will always be employees who earn more than they deserve, but I see this as the lesser of two evils. I see the greater evil being wide salary disparities, which will only serve to alienate the good, solid performers who are the majority. NSPS would allow for additional recognition for the favored few, which is an additional turn-off to the solid majority, not an added incentive. I think if the NSPS is adopted, the leadership will find that recruitment problems have worsened, the existing ranks have increasingly thinned and that those civilian employees who have always been so critical in providing the continuity, won’t be there. They will have taken jobs with the much more expensive contractor employers.