Comment Number: OL-10507708
Received: 3/14/2005 2:09:21 PM
Subject: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Request for Comment
Title: National Security Personnel System
CFR Citation: 5 CFR Chapter XCIX and Part 9901
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Comments:

I have been a federal employee for over 17 years, and a very happy one at that. I chose to take a big pay cut to come to work for the government years ago because I had enough of the subjectivity and arbitrary manner that employees were treated and let go in private industry. Now, with NSPS, I and other fellow employees will have to deal with the very same types of issues that I thought I had gotten away from many years ago. I was let go from my last job simply because I did not play golf with my boss!!! Is this the way to run a government? The excuse offered that "the supervisors are subject to the same performance standards like all other employees" did not prove itself out in private companies. Abuses still occurs everyday. Everyday someone gets fired from a private company because the boss did not like the way he/she looks, acts, or speaks, which had nothing to do with performance. Another problem I have with NSPS is the paybanding system. Look at all the major companies, they have many grades and steps to distinguish different levels of responsibility. Why are we doing away with the 15-grade GS system? It's fine if poor performers don't get the step increases, or other increases, but I would be against crunching up the grades so that it would be impossible to know who is the boss and who is the subordinate. This would make it harder to manage employees, and reduce the incentive to improve individual performance. NSPS has many good points, and will make some needed improvements, but I would like to voice my objection to the two key issues above. Thank you.