| Comment Number: | OL-10510346 |
| Received: | 3/16/2005 9:05:39 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:
Sirs, I am almost 55 years old with 24 years of government service. I am very concerned with the new NSPS changes that are in the wind. On the surface it looks like a good plan, but there are some changes that I don't agree with. Longevity in employment has a long and sucessful history in government service. It is a disservice to long term civil service veteran like myself and most of the people I work with that are nearing retirement. To think, under the newly proposed system that any of us could be laid off in lieu of an employee with less service and experience is horrifying. I live in Rhode Island and work in Connecticut. These are both very high cost of living areas, the locality pay adjustment that we recieve here is a great help to our paychecks. I don't know how I could continue to support my wife and children, yes, I have young children, without the locality adjustment. I have no doubt that under the NSPS the locality adjustment would be reduced or eliminated. At the base that I work at we have some supervisors that have personal issues with some of their employees. They should not have the absolute power to decide who to lay off in case of a rif or like situation. Being only human the potential for abuse is very real and an undeserving employee could have his or her life ruined by a personality problem with the supervisor. This goes against all the protections that the civil service has traditionally given it's employees. This same supervisor, using the new rules, could freeze the pay of thay employee on a whim. Like I said before, supervisors are only human and the potential for abuse is very real, it is astounding. I ask you as one civil servant to another, please, do not make any changes to the current pay system that we have been using for the last several decades until it has been completely studied and reviewed and employee safeguards have been protected. The employee unions must have a substantial say in the final product, otherwise, the people that run the everyday workings of the US Government will be greatly wronged and the resulting consequence could be devastating to our country when they are needed most. Thankyou, Bill Ferrigno