Comment Number: OL-10510889
Received: 3/16/2005 12:47:02 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:

Comments: I write to express my concerns about changes to work rules in the Department of Defense (DoD). The proposed regulations, known as the National Security Personnel System (NSPS), were printed in the Federal Register on February 14, 2005. This message will be sent to both DoD and my representatives in Congress. I have worked for DoD for a few years, however I am angry that these proposals seem to treat the employees who help defend our country as the enemy. This system will change the way workers are paid, evaluated, promoted, fired, scheduled, and treated. These rules would enhance the DOD current system by which federal managers are influenced and conduct favoritism, rather than serving the civil concerns of the American people. “The higher the level or rank structure, the more respectful and fair treatment is provided”. I experienced this (who you know-terminology) just getting into the DODsystem. Annual Pay Raises Under the General Schedule and FWS, employee pay is clear. It was funded by Congress and could not be taken away. However, NSPS will take away this certainty. Salaries and bonuses are funded by DoD. With the new policies, how can employees feel confident, motivated, and have a sense of job security so that they can purchase a house or new auto not knowing if our salaries and bonuses will be funded in the future? Furthermore, as DOD employees, we don’t get to vote or instititute our own raises and economical cost of living allowances. Pay System OR “Friend of the Supervisor” With the new patronage pay system, which DoD calls “pay for performance,” the amount of a worker's salary will depend almost completely on the personal judgment of his or her manager. This system will force workers to compete with one another for pay raises, which will destroy teamwork, increase conflict among employees, and reward short-term outcomes. There is no guarantee that even the best workers will receive a pay raise or that the pay offered will be fair or competitive. This system will create a situation in which workers are in conflict with one another (violence in the workplace), and afraid to speak out about harassment, violations of the law, and workplace safety problems. Throughout my Federal tenure, results doesn’t happen until you start complaining at the top. Furthermore, there will be no impartial appeal system to assure that everyone is treated fairly, so who can the DOD employee go to and not feel entrapped. Schedules and Overtime NSPS will allow managers to schedule employees to work without sufficient advance notice of schedule changes. This will make it extremely difficult for working parents to care for their children and family. It will also mean that abusive managers could harass employees with bad schedules or short notice. Overtime rotations can be canceled, which means that employees may not be able to plan adequately for childcare and other important responsibilities. This also creates negative attitudes and unstable working relations between employees and supervisors. “A happy employee or customer can and will communicate”. I personally go to graduate school during the evenings and would feel challenged to decide between school or job. Currently, when overtime is needed, I can adjust my plans and it works out great. Civilian Deployment Federal employees could be assigned anywhere in the world, even into a war zone, with little or no notice. I am proud to have served my country for 21 active duty years, numerous deployments, and after my military retirement, my family and I decided to settle down and have a stable life TOGETHER. I decided to keep my past military experiences and knowledge within the DOD, so I decided for a DOD civilian job. I did not, nor did my family, re-enlist in the military. How many (Executive Managers) will be willing to relocate and work beside me abroad for the same time frame and within the same support constraints, (pay, medical, protection, uniform, dental, housing etc)? America is fighting for democracy abroad. This proposed change is America’s regulations on attack of workers’ basic rights. Furthermore, NSPS will divert the attention of defense workers from the soldiers’ welfare to protecting themselves from abuse on the job. I urge you to force DoD to rethink this proposal. We need work rules that preserve fairness, serve the American people, and respect the rights of Defense Department workers, not creating obstruction or violence, differences in culture, race, and gender differences.