Comment Number: OL-10511298
Received: 3/16/2005 2:57:24 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 am a professional, with many years of civil service. I am proud and honored to serve. I'm also a disabled vet. My concerns are many. The FR mentions rewarding commitment to public service. Isnt' this the same thing as longevity? How long will someone stay if they can't be rewarded for it? My husband gets an annual increase at a large corporation as a laborer because he has longevity. He also gets team rewards, not individual. I've often heard from several sources (Congress and Senators) that DoD civilians are already paid below their public counterparts. And I know this is true in my area of the country by looking at the job market. How does this new system even address the issue? With lower than average pay and no rewards for staying, how do you expect to bring in the high performers? Don't high performers get the Superior Performance Awards as a way of compensation for a job well done? Next concern: Civilian and military are mixed together as supervisors and subordinates both. I've had 3 military supervisors in the last 3 years. One didn't get to know me, the other didn't like me, and this one likes me. I bet I wouldn't have seen a raise those 1st 2 years under this system. Also, when I moved from one base to another, my performance ratings were not as good at the new base. Why is that? Because of perceptions by different people. How could I be an Outstanding one year and just okay the next? I did the same job at both bases. Next concern: Cronyism..my boss has a nephew who needs a job. Guess who just lost hers? And I don't have as much time to defend myself or have as much help from my union. Next concern: Pay-for-Performance will be based on how well my boss communicates his expectations and how well I understand them. Oops! I misunderstood and he wasn't clear... Now I'm out a pay increase until he gets better communications skills. Trust me, he won't! I am a good performer and a loyal civil servant (19+ yrs). I'm nervous about my job security now more than ever. All it takes is one boss who just doesn't like you to loss your job. Maybe I should have taken that civilian sector job with the higher pay and big benefits. I thought I was serving my country, not my bosses. Yikes! One last point. The Constitution is an old document, over 200 years old. It still works. We make ammendments to meet the changing times. Why can't we do the same with the current system?