| Comment Number: | OL-10508463 |
| Received: | 3/15/2005 8:50:36 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:
H. R. 1588—237 Separation Pay Proposed System: ‘‘(5)(A) Separation pay shall be paid in a lump sum or in installments and shall be equal to the lesser of— ‘‘(i) an amount equal to the amount the employee would be entitled to receive under section 5595(c), if the employee were entitled to payment under such section; or ‘‘(ii) $25,000. In section (H. R. 1588—241 ‘‘§ 9903) the new NSPS uses monetary bonuses for attracting highly qualified experts. These bonuses are adjusted for inflation by allowing the Secretary to increase the amount annually. I feel that the separation pay should also be adjusted so that inflation does not erode the sum of the separation pay in the future. In a matter of only a decade the separation pay could be reduced by almost one third. I believe that if bonuses are important for attracting employees, they should also be important for terminating employees whom have faithfully served the Department of Defense. Proposed System: ‘‘(A) $50,000 in fiscal year 2004, which may be adjusted annually thereafter by the Secretary, with a percentage increase equal to one-half of 1 percentage point less than the percentage by which the Employment Cost Index, published quarterly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, for the base quarter of the year before the preceding calendar year exceeds the Employment Cost Index for the base quarter of the second year before the preceding calendar year.