Comment Number: OL-10511228
Received: 3/16/2005 2:36:44 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’m writing to express my concerns about changes to work rules in the Department of Defense (DoD). The proposed regulations were printed in the Federal Register on February 14, 2005. As published, the proposed regulations lacks critical details on various aspects of how the new system will operate. I believe the proposed regulation will not only undermine the civil service and hurt the ability of Defense Department employees to accomplish the agency's mission, but not contribute to the National Security. I have worked for DoD for years. As a retired veteran who understands what it means to don the uniform the military and go where you are ordered; I am angry that these proposals seem to treat the employees who help defend our country as the nothing more than furniture to be shuffled from place to place with little or no regard to there needs or wishes. Most DoD employees work hard and are committed to the jobs they perform. Having dealt with Civilian employees for over 25 years, I believe that mistreating them will only hurt the agency’s mission. Accordingly this system will change the way workers are paid, evaluated, promoted, fired, scheduled, and treated. These rules would and may likely create a system in which federal managers are influenced by favoritism rather than solid hard working civil servents. Under the current General Schedule and FWS, employee pay was clear. It was funded by Congress and could not be taken away. However, NSPS will take away this certainty. Salaries and bonuses are to be funded by DoD? In the past – as recently as just last year – DoD did not fund its awards program. Given the agency’s miserable record on this issue, how can employees feel confident that our salaries and bonuses will be funded in the future? Why are the details missing from this regulation? Under Sub section C Pay and Pay administration 9901.301 With the new patronage pay system, AKA “pay for performance,” the amount of a worker's salary increases 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 undermine teamwork, increase conflict among some employees, and only 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 and afraid to speak out about harassment, violations of the law, and workplace safety problems. Furthermore, there will be no impartial appeal system to assure that everyone is treated fairly. Under Sub section E 9901.516 and Sub Section F 9901.601- Federal employees could be assigned anywhere in the world, does this really include a war zone? Have gotten to a point in this country that we would actually send NON-combatants in a war zone? Are we at the point civilians are to become cannon fadder? I am proud to serve my country, has the Geneva Convention gone out the window? While I was on active duty I understood I might be called to walk in harms way; are we now asking our civilians to tread that path? Today’s volunteer system works well. America is at war. We are fighting for democracy abroad. The same as we have been for the past 50 years, the war is no longer cold and the deaths are no longer accidental, but the regulations are will no longer separate the protector from the protected, Will the civilian population become subject to the UCMJ as well? Do we declare marshall law and send women and children to the shelters by sundown? I strongly urge the DoD to rethink this proposal. To put the devil back in its place, to give the details so badly needed in the regulation. We need work rules which preserve fairness, which show the employee and supervisor alike the line or standard they must each ahear to. We are Americans as well and are glade serve the American people, and respect the rights of all the government workers from the lowest to the highest .