| Comment Number: | OL-10509532 |
| Received: | 3/15/2005 4:02:48 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 strongly object to the new NSPS pay system. It is a thinly veiled attempt to decrease the civilian personnel budget and remove adequate Congressional oversight of the civilian personnel system. The new NSPS has little to do with improving the nation's defense, rather, it is designed to assist in DoD's efforts to move more money into equipment acquistion from the civilian payroll account. Most DoD employees see this new system for what it really is and are upset and discouraged by the prospect of having to work under a system where they will eventually lose pay and benefits. The looming arrival of the new system already has had an adverse impact on the morale of the civilian workforce, a situation which, I would think, is not a desired result since we are in the process of fighting a "War on Terror." This new system sends the wrong signal to the civilian workforce at the worst possible time. In addition, the writers of the new system apparently are oblivious to how the new system will foster the growth of nepotism and favoritism in the federal government. I believe the main reason the current system was adopted many years ago was to prevent, or at least to limit, favoritism in the workplace. Now it seems that employees will be at the mercy of their supervisors and will have to play up to the boss to ensure they get a decent paycheck. Those employees with different viewpoints will be forced to keep quiet or else their supervisors will cut their pay. The writers also obviously have little knowledge of just how poor a great percentage of federal supervisors are when it comes to being objective and fair with their employees. Having worked in the civil service for many years I can honestly say that roughly 30 to 40 percent of the supervisors I have contact with are not objective or fair in their assessment of their employees. To put the employees of these supervisors in this new system will only serve to hurt morale and even more importantly, decrease productivity and original thinking. Again, I don't think this is what we want to have happen in this national time of crisis. I am truly disappointed in the DoD leadership that have put forward such a document that will only serve to hurt its workforce. I thought we were all in this "War on Terror" together.