| Comment Number: | OL-10511986 |
| Received: | 3/16/2005 7:13:48 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:
There is no one section. Interspersed throughout, the proposal clearly emphasizes flexibility, adaptability, simplifying the existing burdensome system and above all, rewarding productivity. It's an unquestioned fact that as people age, they are more resistant to change, they adapt to changing situations less readily. The person in their sixties is not as quick mentally as the person in their twenties. Their productivity probably peaks somewhere in their forties. In that phase, they still have lots of energy and they've picked up a lot of moxie. I've had my share of 80 hour weeks, then 70, then sixty, then fifty. I still work forty plus, but I don't have the energy or stamina to keep up with the youngsters. If they are like me when I was their age, they'll out produce me. I definitely out produced the older folks of my time. That high level of productivity will be rewarded under the new system. The lower level of productivity, in comparison, will be penalized. If some people get more (I'm speaking of pay) from a fixed pool, then others must get less. I think you must be honest and concede that this system will disadvantage the older worker. It will advance the young, highly productive individual into supervisory and management positions. They, in turn, will get rid of the older, not so productive people in their work force. So doing will reflect favorably on them by virtue of increased unit productivity. That will make it possible for them to advance further. I think you'll need to carefully analyze the impact NSPS will have on loss of experience and the burgeoning unemployed who get squeezed out but are too young to draw Social Security. This is going to be very interesting. All you can do is project now. Ten or twenty years down the road, what you see in the rear view mirror will be very interesting. You'll never admit to age discrimination. In my opinion, that's exactly what will happen. It would be nice if someone would address this in a straight-forward manner.