| Comment Number: | OL-10509247 |
| Received: | 3/15/2005 1:56:30 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 am a federal civilian employee with 28 1/2 years of service having worked in the human resources arena most of that time. Granted, the current personnel system needs to be revamped. But, not to the detriment of federal civilian employees. For example, the current performance appraisal system is subjective to say the least. If you have a supervisor who has a personality conflict with yours, you get a lower appraisal. I recall a supervisor giving an employee a lower rating because she had missed so much work that year due to her son's surgeries. She had been there at least 120 days and should have been rated on her performance on those days, not rated on something she had no control over. When confronted with that information, which is in the regulation, the supervisor refused to change the appraisal. This was an outstanding employee and caused her morale to plummet. Changing the Reduction In Force (RIF) procedures and only counting the last performance appraisal would cause the government to lose exceptional employees who just happen to have a supervisor (civilian or military) with whom they have a personality conflict. I have actually witnessed that scenario. Military, especially, do not have a good understanding of the civilian personnel system. Having said that, the NSPS system will still be subjective, but this time, it will affect your pay. I've witnessed pay-banding in the Non-Appropriated Fund employees when one employee's salary jumped $30,000 within a few years because she was well-liked by her superiors. While others were kept at the lower salary in the band. One last thing, Donald Rumsfield is a loose cannon and has been allowed to dictate at will whatever he wants. I work at an Army installation and have many military friends who have suffered physically and mentally from decisions he has made. I surely do not want him having anything to do with our federal civilian personnel system. With the ineptitude of senior leadership in the Army that I've witnessed in my career, God help us all.