Comment Number: OL-10508264
Received: 3/14/2005 11:31:40 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 have worked as a DOD employee for 22 years and have never seen such a poorly thought-out proposal as the National Security Personnel System (NSPS). These rules would create a system in which federal managers will rule by favoritism creating a very undesireable work environment. Employees pay will now be based on the buddy-buddy system - dependent on your ability to brown-nose the supervisor. The current GS pay schedule is objective and serves us all better. I am very dedicated and proud of my job, but under this proposal Federal employees could be deployed to a war zone at short notice. I signed up for a civilian job not the military. This is what we have a military for. Federal workers should not be under attack right when many are working hard, long hours to support the U.S. troops. I do urge you to force DOD to rethink this proposal and preserve fairness and respect for the U.S. Defense Department workers. Please note: Subpart C Pay and Pay Administration - 9901.301 to .373 - Our pay is alreay performance based. Step increases can be withheld and awards are available as appropriate. Eliminating step and cost-of-living increases will negatively impact my retirement. My retirement plans count on continued step increases. I depend on the increases to keep up with many increasing costs including health care and insurance. Step and COLA increases should stay in place. The General Schedule is objective and fair. No reason to change. If DOD manages the pay pool what says the pool will be funded? Congress should remain in charge. Problems are already being experienced in FAA with people who remain at the top of their pay band. They have to receive a bonus for any increase and then it doesn't count toward retirement. This will kill incentive to work for DOD. I thought DOD want to attract new employees. What will the pay bands be? Will there be locality pay? Not enough information has been provided. I understand each pay pool will have limited resources. Someone would have to be "knocked down" for money to be available for another to move up. Subpart D - Performance Management - 9901.401 to .409 - There will be a lot of distrust and back-stabbing going on. In order to get a higher share of the pay pool - employees will be looking to make others look bad - or in other words - make themselves look good at other's expense. Teamwork will be a thing of the past. I can't imagine a more deplorable working atmosphere. Subpart E Staffing and Employment & Workforce Shaping - 9901.501 to .515 and Subpart F .6012 to .611 - (1)As DOD employee I support the military - I am NOT IN the military and should not be deployable. My husband worked in DOD position with mandatory, world-wide rotation. This was a choice we freely made. Build up the QASAS and similar world-wide programs, but don't revamp the entire civil service program and try to deploy everyone. (2) I object to the idea of serving more than one probationary period. I have proved myself as a valued DOD employee. (3)My performance is already factored in a RIF. My senority should count also. The current system is fine. My status should not rest on the shoulder of one person and I should also be able to appeal to MSPB. (4) DOD should not be allowed to hire non-U.S. citizens. Subpart G 9901.701 to .721 Adverse Actions and Subpart H 9901.801 to 810 Appeals - All employees should be entitled to due process. Congress mandated employees to be treated fairly and afforded the protections of due process, yet, this proposals seem to eliminate that process. Subpart I 9901.901 to 929 Labor-Management Relations. If management is going to change conditions of employment, our Union should be allowed to negotiate changes. Unions shoud not lose the right to participate in formal discussion between bargaining unit employees and managers. These comments will also be sent to my representatives in Congress. Thank you.