| Comment Number: | OL-10511716 |
| Received: | 3/16/2005 4:54:42 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 write to express my concerns to the planned change from the current DoD employment system into the NSPS until it has been completed, defined and agreed to by my elected representative of Congress and Union. I have worked for DoD over 20 years and have received an exceptional performance rating for the last 10 years. I am appalled that a change of this magnitude can be rushed and pushed through by DoD agencies and that federal employees and unions are helpless to prevent something that will impact the future security of the USA by destroying the civilian employees JOB and PAY security under the NSPS system. Under the NSPS there will no longer be a guarantee cost of living raise to any DoD employee, EVER. How will these employees keep up with inflation and provide for their families. The new regulation is an attack on workers pay and seniority based on a perceived requirement to attract and pay our better educated youth. Sir, Who has built, fielded and supported the best ARMY, NAVY, AIR and MARINE forces in the world ? I hope this legacy will continue into the next generation of weapon systems under the NSPS System. My opinion is the NSPS change is all about money. Only so much money will be available for each organization for performance awards each year. Some employees which support our soldiers will suffer because of inadequate funding of the NSPS program under DoD. The DoD civilian employee will be required to divert their attention from the soldiers welfare to protecting themselves from abuse on the job by cronyism. I pray that Congress will force DoD to rethink the NSPS proposal. I believe that the NSPS system will hurt the agency’s vital mission because some employees will seek Job Security in the private sector. Has it been considered how long it takes to train a federal employee? Much like our military was downsized by the previous administration. Look what this has cost, we now have reserves and National Guard defending our country. This system will change the way workers are paid, evaluated, promoted, and treated by management. Under the General Schedule and FWS, employee pay was clear. It was funded by Congress and could not be taken away by DoD. Under NSPS salaries and performance awards are funded by DoD. Last year DoD did not adequately fund its current awards program. In addition, DoD civilian personnel will be in direct competition with DoD weapon systems for money. Given the agency’s record on the funding issue, how can the employees feel confident that salaries and bonuses will be adequately funded in the future? With NSPS the amount of a worker's salary will depend completely on the personal judgment of his or her supervisor. What if a manager feels all his employees deserve pay for performance but the money is not allocated? This system will force workers to compete with one another for pay raises this will destroy teamwork and increase conflict among employees. This could conceivably create a new term like "going Federal instead of Postal. There is no guarantee that even the best workers will receive a pay or cost of living raise or that the pay provided 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, or safety because management will have control of your pay and raise. Another concern is Civilian Deployment, Federal employees could be assigned anywhere in the world, a war zone, with little notice, a none voluntary assignment without compensation. I am proud to serve my country but I am also responsible for my family, a mortgage, college education for kids and support to elderly parents. There will be no JOB or PAY security under the NSPS system. We signed up for a civilian job. We did not enlist in the military when we took a federal job. We need work rules that preserve fairness, integrity, serve the American soldier, and respect the rights of the DoD employee.