| Comment Number: | OL-10509074 |
| Received: | 3/15/2005 12:34:51 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:
The current personnel system is the summation of many years of working to find ways to protect the workers from abusive supervisors. Even though I cannot deny the fact that the system has become overburdened and bogged down, the proposed personnel system will not make things better. It will, in fact, make things worse. The primary purpose of all the current rules and guidelines were set to give the workers some protection from supervisors that have little or no care for them. These protections help to keep a worker employed even if they refused to “kiss up” to the supervisor. Granted, these are isolated incidents, but I have witnessed a number of supervisors that “punished” any worker that did not “brown nose” them. And, in turn, have given special awards to those workers that did. I have seen female workers “work their stuff” to get certain benefits. (One incident, a large-breasted female allowed her supervisor to fondle her so she would get an outstanding on her performance ratings, thus qualifying her for a big bonus.) I believe that before many workers became supervisors, that they had to perform some kind of “special duties” in order to get the backing and support from other supervisors, which set them up for promotion. And, since most of the current supervisors had to perform these special duties themselves, then they would be damned if anyone else is going to make it into the supervisory ranks without performing similar duties. Under the proposed system, supervisors will be given the authority to punish, or fire any worker for “just cause”. The definitions of “just cause” would include, “not performing sexual acts…”, or “refusing to suck up…”, or a number of other personal reasons that are not job-related. Employees would need to attend special classes. Such as: “Best Sexual Positions for the Best $$$ Award”, or “Political Survival in the Federal Workspace”. None of these classes would have anything to do with “job performance”, rather ways to “suck up” for that pay raise, bonus, or just to keep your job. Employees would concentrate most of their time and energy just to get on the “good” side of the supervisor, which could lead to that pay raise or bonus. Even though I agree that the system needs to be changed, but without checks-and-balances, any proposed system will fail badly. I believe that the biggest problem is not the system; rather it’s the “bad” supervisors, supervisors that know how to abuse their authority for their personal gain. The present system may not be perfect, but it does help to keep these bad supervisors under some control. The proposed system would turn these supervisor loose, to gather and build their workforce of drinking buddies, ass-kissers, and sexy “eye-candy” employees. It won't be a workforce of the best qualified. The employee needs to feel as a part of the team, as an asset to the team. This is not possible when one worker knows that they can get fired simply because they are not a female with big breasts, or a chiseled hunk-of-a-man, or for any reason if the supervisor has a bad day. If the proposed system included a method of having the employees rate their supervisor, then both would be more apt to behave properly. Have the supervisor’s pay increases, bonuses and awards, be partially based on a rating from the people they supervise. That way, if the supervisor wants a pay raise, then they have to treat their workers fairly, honestly, and equally. Employee acts of ‘sucking-up’ would be nullified, and would give a method of “accountability” for the supervisors. I am a Vietnam era vet with over 30 years of Federal service. Even though I can retire within a few years, I am scared to death that I could be fired simply because I pissed off my supervisor 23 years ago. Yes, the system needs changing, but I think more attention needs to be focused on those who “will” abuse the system, with better protection for those of us that actually work.