| Comment Number: | OL-10510043 |
| Received: | 3/16/2005 12:40:31 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:
I am writing to express my concern about changes to work rules in the Department of Defense (DoD). This message will be sent to my Representatives in Congress. These proposals when implemented will treat DoD employees like criminals. Most DoD employees-like most federal employees-work hard and are committed to their agency. Mistreating employees will only hurt the agency. This system will change the way workers are paid, evaluated, promoted, fired, scheduled and treated. The implementation of this system will lead to increased favoritism rather than serving the civil concerns of the American people. There are two areas of special concern addressed below: PAY FOR PERFORMANCE-would provide pay increases and bonuses as a means of recognizing specific accomplishments and special achievements. Emphasizing something out of the ordinary ignores most of the essential work that is not considered special or an accomplishment. The day to day, mundane, boring work that must be done in order to achieve the goal of the agency would be ignored and the employees performing these duties would be punished. Without accomplishing the ordinary there would be no special. Should the employees who perform the real work be punished for performing their assigned duties? LIMITING UNION REPRESENTATION-Federal unions are already limited in terms of activities and bargaining topics. This system is designed, in part, to deny union representation to bargaining unit employees. Denying employees the right to grieve and arbitrate matters relating to pay, evaluations and termination would, in effect, eliminate the effectiveness of Federal unions while increasing the need for such representation. Although there would allegedly be other administrative processes, the neutrality of these programs and systems is questionable. The desire to expand and increase the use of disciplinary actions, while limiting employee's access to relief as well as expediting management's implementation of adverse actions indicates that many employees would be used for evil fun and games by management. This mentality would create a workforce of undesirables who are primarily collecting a paycheck while looking for other employment. Why would an agency as vital to the security of this nation as the Department of Defense, or any agency, want employees gleaned from the bottom of the barrel instead of from the top? Termination and performance issues are more important than ever, especially given the increased ability of management to take punitive action without justification. Given also the trend to contract out more duties and responsibilities to organizations which employ people who receive low salaries and no benefits, it appears that the federal government intends to try to cut the deficit on the backs of hard working individuals, be they contract or federal employees.