Return to Article: Lawmakers could deal Pentagon pay system another blow
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82913
NSPS salary negotiation upon being hired is flawed. In my job we have other detachments that underwent the NSPS hiring of civilians to convert from military posiitions. Two YA-02 (GS-12 Step 1) were offered and three YA-01 (GS-11 Step 1) target YA-02 positions were being filled at each detachment. Those being hired made it clear that that negotiations were being compared to the GS-11 and GS-12 pay scales for reference. While those being hired as a GS-11 Step 1 made it clear they wanted GS-12 Step 1 pay at their time for promotion, the government negotiator hiring them did not specify that once they were hired that they would not get more than a five percent raise when being promoted under the NSPS system. Therefore, at the these persons time of promotion and reluctant five percent pay increases which fell way short of GS-12 Step 1 one pay, made a quick exodus to more lucrative contractor jobs. The goverment negotiators new what the person was expecting at promotion time. In order to do that the person would have to negotiate GS-11 Step 5 pay. In fact on the GS pay scale, all Step 5s are within the five percent promotion pay for the next GS step 1 level pay. This wasn't ignorance on the part of the person being hired as they clearly explained what GS level pay they expected upon promotion. It was the direct failure of the goverment negotiator to explain this, wether intentional or not. Get back to the GS system so there is no ambiguity in the hiring process. Give back the sense of equaility and that everyone is a valuable employee as the GS system currently portrays.
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81586
Any time you introduce subjectivity as a variable in the performance equation, the result will be inequity. When the system dictates the performance grade of an individual, then it is inherently wrong. In a perfect world, NSPS is great. The reality is that DoD Civil Service is imperfect, and it is leadership that promotes performance, not money. Ironically, its the old Head of Cabbage system that put those people into power. (i.e., put a head of cabbage in the corner, and sooner or later it will have scenority over everything in the room)
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80984
NSPS is a horrible system. It is cumbersome and time consuming and actually does nothing to enhance work performance. You cannot receive a fair rating because of the pay pool rules, generally casting everyone with a 3 (mid-level) rating. We also lose a percentage of our annual salary increase as compared to those under the general schedule. I will certainly encourage my congressman to vote to abolish the NSPS system. It was a bad idea from a poor administration.
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80970
The merits of NSPS, such as mandatory counseling tracked via a web-based system with managers getting in serious trouble for not doing the counselings, should be maintained and added to the GS/TAPES program. The GS/TAPES program is a fairly good program that had shortfalls largely because of poor management.
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80914
A good example of how NSPS does NOT award equal pay for equal work: We had two employees transfer (transfer of function) between 2 pay pools after the evaluation period: They were evaluated as a 3. The second pay pool maintained the evaluation of 3. The second pay pool awarded them less then the first.
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80869
While NSPS had well-meaning intentions, it has proven to be a dismal failure in just about all regards.
It is way too easy for less-than-perfect good-all-boys to game the system and vote themselves giant pay raises. All the while patting each other on the backs while Civil Service and our great country goes down the tubes. This will be a test of Gates and his ability to administer wisely. Us fed-up, disenfranchised civil service employees are watching.
The only people who I can find who like NSPS, are the folks who were stepped out under the general schedule system, and were never going to receive another step increase. Under NSPS, they can resume getting annual step increases under the guise of pay-for-performance.
I have not seen one person who should not be in civil service, get tossed under NSPS.
So, the only benefit I can see, is a monetary benefit lining the pockets of the same people that are paid to make decisions who still not making those hard decisions.
Let us not wait for six months - dump NSPS now!
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80863
While the concept of NSPS was encouraging, the implementation of it has been very discouraging. In the case of my organization, only supervisors were converted to NSPS. Since the majority of supervisors obtained their positions because they were high performers, we were used to receiving the highest ratings under the GS system. Even though the "bonus" we received with our appraisal wasn't much, we were satisfied because the high ratings helped us as we pursued promotion opportunities. Under NSPS, however, this can't happen. Because the pay pool is small since only supervisors have been converted and because each rating level has a set number of shares tied to it, only a few of us can receive the highest rating (5). The majority of us can only receive an average rating (3). So our performance rating isn't determined by how well we meet our objectives, it is based on how many of each rating level they can give considering the pay pool. Since non-supervisors will never be converted to NSPS, the pay pool will always be small, and the majority of supervisors will never receive the ratings they deserve. I would love for NSPS to be eliminated. I have yet to meet anyone who feels this system is effective. If anything, it's added to our workload while offering little chance of being recognized for our hardwork and achievements.
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80856
Great, so I got hosed in transferring to NSPS because we were in a different pay scale to start. We were first converted to GS, then to NSPS. Despite assurances that I would not lose pay, I did. My base pay is now less than a new hire for the same position. Now I will probably end up making even less again when I get retransferred back to GS. I was making about 63K annual, now I am making 55K. Along with the comments about being told you cant get this, a five is a once in a lifetime rating, everyone gets threes, being told I cannot get promoted based on a time in grade requirement, Whats the point?? Disparity in policies and procedures about in the system. If you work for one area, you get rewarded for performance, if you work in another, you have to meet time and grade requiremments before you can even be considered for performance, never mind you are doing a job rated several levels higher than you are currently. Bottom line up front, NSPS is about reducing lifetime costs, your COLA is split to 60%, if you get a three you will get it all. Your pay increments awarded are split between a bonus and your base salary, on average 72/28. So over the life of your career, you will lose massive amounts of retirement benefits because your base pay will have been accumulatively reduced in an exponential manner. In the end even though you made similar monies, at retirement your BASE PAY has been significantly reduced, and that is where your retirement will be calculated on, not that you made 100K total, but that your base pay was 62K and the other 28K was paid out in a bonus. Ergo Uncle Sugar has saved himself quite the chunk of change.
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80833
It doesn't matter what system is in place, you can't make everyone happy and there are always going to be whiners. I manage a staff of appoximately 100 people, 70% are NSPS and 30% are GS. From my perspective, the NSPS personnel have done much better on raises the past few years than the GS personnel have. Stop whining. Feel furtunate that you have a job with a pay check coming in. I'm sure lots of people out of work would trade places with you.
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80828
I am a supervisor working for DoD, and at the start of the ratting cycle we are given our goals and objectives as orders with NO negotiations from upper management. Than we were told by upper management that no one will receive more than a THREE on any ratting, and they will not receive more than TWO Shares of the bonus money. This is a system that WILL not work as long as we have managers that truly do not care for the people that work for them. Management has way to much power to discriminate in both hiring and promoting within the organization under the NSPS as I have seen this first hand with the majority of all senior level promotions coming from one base with our region.
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80778
This is aweful!!! Finally a system that MAKES supervisors do their jobs and ensures open accountability with REAL rewards to the people and it is killed.
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80734
In 2006 I was a GS-11 I left federal service to work on the state level. I returned to federal service to an NSPS position with no pay protection so now I am being paid to what amounts to a GS-9 step 3, which is about 11K less than I was making in 2006. If we return will my pay return to what I was receiving previously?
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80705
"As a fresh DoD hire not under the NSPS system (yet, if ever), I personally don't see why so many are so averse to having their compensation directly tied to their PERFORMANCE"
I'd love it if I actually got compensated by performance, I don't. Since NSPS started (I was in the first spiral) my workload has tripled and I'm not exaggerating, yet I'm only a 3 and I bust my ass everyday while others who work for the pay pool rep seem to only get 4's or 5's and I see them getting to work late and leaving early.... You my friend, have no clue how bad it can be.
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80672
I am a Veteran who served 25 years of active service with the United States Army. Had a perfect record on all my evaluation reports. After retirement from the Army worked 5 years under the GS System and was rated top block all 5 years. Once I went under NSPS I feel I have been discriminated with low ratings NOT by the immediate supervisor but by the Pay Pool Manager. My speculation is that if the Pay Pool Manager feels he/she is running out of money to cover the bonus of those being rated with four or fives, immediately proceeds to reduce the rating on others who can be discriminated, downgrading the rating to a 2 on all objectives so you don't get any pay that year. The system is totally unfair and should be reversed to GS immediately. My appeal still going on within my agency because my immediate supervisor rated me with a three on each objective but it was downgraded, on all objectives to a two by the Pay Pool Manager.
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80661
In my opinion the NSPS system is an unfair bias system that was designed to weed out who gets recognized for their performance and who doesn't. In other owrds the rewards are given to the managers and their counterparts, and the employees who are the backbone of the agencies are the ones who gets screwed over. I thought the GS performance system was a more fair system, and provided recognition where it really should be given. I didn't see anything wrong with it myself, and we all know why Buch and his cronnies did away with it to begin with. Their method of doing things is not working and it should have been thrown out when they left. Besides the NSPS system is one that has done nothing but contributed to the lowering of morale of the employees, in my agency anywys. So many employees are unhappy with it. It's a useless and predujudice system. And I agree 1,00%, President Obama and his admiistrtion should ZAP it!!!!!!!!!! And go back to the old GS Performance system. At least that was a fair system!!!!!
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80658
I was skeptical when NSPS first arrived here at NORAD. The system never really made any sense to me, especially the way I could be transferred from job to job without having any input and how some people could get jobs without even bidding on them. I have seen contractors handpicked for government positions. I have seen GS-12s and 13s denied promotions because a retiring Colonel walks into an opening. It's a good way for managers to shirk their responsibility of dealing with sub-par people by simply moving them to some innocuous position out of the way instead of dealing with the problem. Then they get to be someone else's problem. I'm sure Mr Rumsfeld thought this was a good idea at the time, you know, like invading Iraq.
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80651
As a fresh DoD hire not under the NSPS system (yet, if ever), I personally don't see why so many are so averse to having their compensation directly tied to their PERFORMANCE. I have already seen a few instances of people climbing the ladder to supervisory-level positions while being far unqualified for the position simply because they, more or less, showed up everyday. I came here after being a top salesperson in the private sector and am going to continue to put 110% effort into my new Federal position, regardless of whether I get compensated fairly based upon performance or just equitably and automatically "bumped" annually so that those who lounge around all day don't have to sit and cry with their "Johnny got a bigger piece of pie than me" complaints. Apparently NSPS has its fair share of "issues," but if you tell people that the harder they work and the more innovative they are the greater their "reward" will be, you'll see productivity levels rise to ASTRONOMICAL levels. Right now what do routine "performers" get for their efforts additionally above those who just sort of "exist" in the office? Nothing. The GS system is a failure, and the NSPS system needs "tweaking" for sure but has POTENTIAL to be something great!
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80621
Wow, I can't believe how much love the old GS systems is geting. The GS system is only fair in that no one is rewarded for performance, unless breathing is considered performance. The only people hurt by NSPS are those with a greater sense of entitlemen than work ethic, which is probably why Congress is so sympathetic to your plight.
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80611
I am one of many government employees that left a GOV position for another position because I was feed up with the NSPS system. The system wastes employee man-hours filling out forms while giving the "Good old boys" the power to take money from the true workers and give it to their "buddies". The NSPS system does not save money and it definitely does not help improve the moral of the workers.
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80606
It would be goodbye and good riddance to the Bush/Rumsfeld "kill the overpaid federal employee system" aka NSPS so we can replace them all with really overpaid contractors.
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80605
Hooray for Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, D-N.H., it would be very wrong to ignore such LAMENTING cry from highly qualified and able personnel about NSPS. This outcry is not about lazy workers, but about a working system that is not FAIR. The GS system by far is the greatest devise that bridged all differences; it is FAIR, not perfect but manageable. The GS system is also flexible and would allow improvements if need be. With that said, my goal is finishing my training assigment with DoD (I love DoD), but I will move on to non-NSPS organization if DoD does not convert.
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80596
Move everyone back to the old system. The real problems are "managers" who can't manage. They allow nproductive/incompetent individuals (all the way up the ladder) to stay and do not reward the folks who really do the work. Until we address poor management and discrimination, our problems will remain. But NSPS made it worse.
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80550
I've been employed with the federal gov't for just over four years of my total 30-years of adult employment. So, the far majority of my career has been serving my country as a warfighter (8-years) and in private industry (18-years). I happened to be one of the employees that was converted to NSPS, with no option. The reason it hasn't been a big deal for me is because NSPS unlike most government programs is modern and similar to the programs of our private competitors. Job objectives drive a much better business result than the long standing old appraisal system where there's no means of establishing performance goals & standards of performance. Pay for performance is more than fair; in fact, employees have more input in defining their performance plan, therfore can better control their destiny, that's if they don't mind performing! I share the opinion of many and believe that receiving step-increases/pay raises just because you show-up most days is criminal and far too costly to the tax payers. That system breeds laziness and spoiled employees. If our longtime gov't employees don't step-up and embrace modern change, there'll continue to be more loss of workloads to private competitors and even more BRAC candidates. If you like government work, I'd encourage you to get on the ball & stop complaining about having to be held accountable & GO to Work to Work! The days of being able to count on the FREE ride is coming closer to an end! While you are complaining about having to perform for your pay and whining "it's no fair", young soldiers are dying for your freedom making a lot less than the average civil servant with their families on WIC supplements. I know, I've been there and that's why I pursued an education and strive everyday to better myself...it's a CHOICE!! Bottomline, NSPS though not perfect is exactly what we in the federal government need to drive the right cultural change, so we can truly compete as a viable competitor in industry!
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80528
I was extremely motivated about NSPS during the promotional campaign for its implementation. Then "a horror" surfaced! Management befriended one employee in the office and the rest, with all of the experience and good work ethics, were literally ignored and placed on the back burner to "burn". During one appraisal period, 5 employees out of 7 sent out Reconsiderations for their performance. I lost all respect for NSPS after I have had to send up 2 Reconsiderations! It has been a waste of the Federal Government's time and money!
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80527
AMEN! Unfortunately, reverting back to the GS/GG system would grandfather in all of the external new hires that came into government much higher in the pay band than the existing civilian employees.
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80498
I am very glad to hear the NSPS is on the way out. There is no standardization, no mandatory accountability and this leaves the system wide-open for unfairness. None of the real problems with the GS system were addressed, And they need to be. There are DoD civilians who come to work just to get their paycheck. These people are simply shunted in the corner while others have to pick up the slack or they are transferred to another work place. The current "pass fail" system of evals does not address the levels of acceptable and non-acceptable performance. The lack of standards in position creation, hiring practices and opportunities for advancement also need to be addressed. Too many hires are made, not because the person is best for the job, but because the job is best for the person. Like the old Zenith TV commercial says, "The quality...(must) go in before the name goes on."
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80459
How many people have left agencies with the NSPS/DCIPS for agencies without it? Our agency lost more people in the first three months of 2009 than we lost in all of 2008. Under NSPS/DCIPS the only way we can get a raise is to take a position with another agency or leave for a contractor. Along with all the other problems that DoD has with supervisors (who aren't) and crony hires, we didn't need this system to make people resentful and leave. But... it will save the US so much money... I guess that's after all the additional work for the managers AND employees of doing the performance objectives, taking additional classes to learn how to write or answer performance objectives, attending seminars on how NSPS or DCIPS will save the world and then having to manage hiring boards to get all your drinking/golfing buddies a job.
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80426
Thank goodness our elected officials are trying to return us to the GS System. We were all forced into this very unfair system that steals from our retirement, that lies about our performance, that has our performance ratings managed by others, that does not reward governemnt workers, that has been judged in court as illegal, that has been proven this it discriminates. Why are we waiting to go back to the GS system? Any one with half a brain, would put this whole thing to bed and return us to what worked well. This is one time that you do want to throw out the baby with the bath water.
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80421
When the NSPS employees are put back in the GS pay scale they should go back to their pay grade and step they were before entering NSPS. It appears to me like all the good ol boys gave themselves a jump to the upper scale of their pay band and now if they are put back to the GS scale and get to remain at the high pay level how does that save the government any money. Also how is that fair to someone who was not put in NSPS and didn't have a chance to increase their salary. The whole thing is a scam.
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80416
Everybody needs to STOP complaining. Learn how to make this system work, take me for example: I brown nose, I do the group-think thing, I skip doing my job so I can make sure my self-assesments are PERFECT. I don't really do anything now, I skip completing critical tasks to my organization because it doesn't fall under one of my objections. All I care about is doing my objections. OOHHHH looky here, I do less now and I get a 4 with a nice chunk of change too, I love NSPS!!!!
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80398
Try going back and forth from being deployed and see how it affects your ratings and pay; not! The system is a nightmare.
Also, rating over 11 employees on Interims and closeouts took several weeks on top of doing my regular job. Do I get rated on a 80% NSPS Objective; I think not. If you want a normal job find a non supervisory position.
I personnally will try to find a job under the GS schedule next time. It makes a Supervisory position more enjoyable.
Sincerely frustrated
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80396
This article and the extensive comments make forinteresting reading. My interest is from a technical point of view about the way in which such systems are structured. One aspect of one of the GAO reports on the system which particularly interested me was their discussion of the issue of linking employee objective to their agency's strategic goals and mission. It was discussed, but not extensively in the GAO report, but it is central to the whole logic of a pay for performance system. If such a system does not link what is being rewarded to the overall mission of the organization, then in what sense is it pay for performance, exactly what performance is being paid for? I think that the problems with this system stem back to a lack of clear planning in developing such systems and the assumption that a pay for performance system will always be the best way to go. I discuss this pay for performance system in more detail in a recent blog posting outcomesblog.org/index.php/problems-in-pay-for-performance-systems/
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80395
NSPS is not appropriate for the Federal Law Enforcement community, as it breeds contempt and distrust between members of a community absolutely dependent on trust and teamwork under difficult and often life-threatening siutations. It was a mistake to ever implement this system. I sincerly hope President Obama and our other elected officials in public office can understand and rectify the tremendous folley of NSPS.
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80393
Please do deal NSPS its death blow. I'm tired/fatigued of watching the morally corrupt have such an easy time abusing the system. It's like stealing candy from a George W. Bush baby.
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80386
In theory "pay for performance" is great. In reality, as a supervisor under NSPS I have had to devote many weeks each year to writing objectives, rewriting objectives, writing interim assessments, writing assessments, training and more training. It takes way too much of my and my staff's time, for too little result. Everyone including myself will be a 3 - we could have received similar pay under the GS system and have had back realistically probably a month of work to be productive rather than documenting our every twitch and its profound impact on our agency's mission.
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80383
Neither the GS system or NSPS are without problems, and never will be while humans run them, so the best we can do is reduce the possibility of human subjectivity. Industry does not do this any better - there is just as much angst every year when they pay bonuses.
I have benefited well under NSPS, since others in my organization like my work, and I can clearly show how much I accomplished. It does not matter that I'm not in the Front Office, since it's based on performance.
I know those in my office, and you all know some of them, who simply do their time and expect to keep getting pay raises based on how long they've been here, not what they are accomplishing toward the public good. They are the ones complaining the loudest now.
I also see what others have commented on - the person who got a payout that exceeds their true worth to the organization, and the vast differences between how organizations rate their people.
So although it has done well for me, the overall effect has been negative, so NSPS needs to improve significantly. And if it goes away, we need to improve the GS system to better reward those who perform well above the norm.
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80377
The sooner they get rid of this Rumsfield/Bush initiative the better. Every CS employee knows NSPS it's a sham and no where near P4P. The politically connected get the rewards while doing less work while the ones further down end up being the dumping ground for all the grunt work get crumbs. 14 page evals with discussion after discussion about objectives which constantly change. What a waste of the american taxpayers money NSPS is!!
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80375
It really is facinating to see how rampant delusion is spread within the Federal Government and in particular the DOD. People actually believe that NSPS promotes performance! Somehow SMART objectives make me a more capable, skillful, and motivated employee. Oh that's right, our bonus is tied to a pay pool is which based on the number of people within the organization. That's talent! Mediocrity!? My God, when are we going to get a clue?
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80373
Hand amoral managers any P4P system and the majority of workers will see their pay and benefits drop. These managers will reward their favorites - those they golf with and those who buy into the-all-important group-think. This is exactly what happened in DOD. In addition, DOD workers suffer with both bad management and the pay-pool thieves. DOD needs to admit their mistake of backing NSPS. The damage they have done to their workforce is tremendous. The trust is gone forever. I for one have advised younger college educated professionals to look elsewhere for employment. DOD has made itself the last choice of employment.
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80370
For years I labored with little recognition and less reward. NSPS gave me the opportunity to earn higher increases by objectively documenting my performance. Now I feel my efforts are recognized. In 30+ years of government service, I am more motivated now than ever. If some commands are abusing the system, punish them - not me.
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80369
This system is the worst case of the "Buddy system I have ever seen. I was a GS-11 and would get step increase every couple years now that is gone and I am always told I can only get 5% more, that isn'the way the GS system worked. It seeems that the supervisors need only make comments that TRUELY indicate the employees performance which I have not seen done.This system is beneficial to those who are good at writing the appraisels, performances or EPR's. We have also spent a lot more time writing, re writing, sending, acknowledging that we have received the evaluations and so on and so on, in fact just about the time the process is completed it is time to start it over agian. The other thing is the evaluation system always has problems. I see people being hired in with less experience than I have had and are coming in at a highter pay than I make with 30 years of experience in architecture and the Government system. I am told I can't be a part of the union because of having a professional degree and then I get no representation in any way. Some people are still on the GS system. I did not get to choose but was told I was on NSPS. It seems ineffecient having two pay systems. If I had a vote I would keep the GS system that was in place and just hold the people who are doing the rating to a higher rating standard.If you do the work your rated accordingly, if not your rating should indicate that the work is below standard. Instead of coming up with a new system make the people use the existing system correctly.
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80368
I am going on my third year under NSPS as a Supervisor. I have been doing interims for my employees for the last two weeks. I have had my objectives changed 3 times so far this year. I will go to a training class on NSPS pay pool for 2 days in September. I will write up my assessment to be due into the system by 1st week in October. I will do the write ups on all my employees. I will be on pay pool panels for 2 weeks. My use or lose leave that I usually take in 1st quarter will not be used because I have too much NSPS deadlines to meet. Then after all the wasted hours spent, me and my workforce will be "valued employees" and get rated at a 3. Meanwhile another government agency across town does not have to put up with NSPS and gets to use their time doing some real work instead of writing the so what question of "how great I am and how well do I walk hand in hand with God" to accomplish the mission.
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80365
NSPS is a flexible, efficient working tool that rewards hard work and good performance. The Union is the biggest opponent of NSPS. That alone should give reason to SUPPORT NSPS. The Union does not reward productivity or hard work but demands mediocrity. The GS and WG schedule are the tools that the Union uses to make sure no one stands out or gets ahead. NSPS encourages and rewards the attributes we want in a work force that is vital to keeping America safe!
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80363
Agree with majority. NSPS must go. However, the GS systems needs to be tweaked. No time in grade requirements to move up to the next grade. Step increases should be every year to the 10 year mark. After that it's normal pay increases voted in by Congress or seek the next higher grade. Time off awards should be increase to a max of 80 hrs. (better than money... the Government can't tax time off... yet)
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80361
I for one think NSPS is great. I will loathe the day that we return to the GS Schedule to determine pay. All of you folks that were hired at a "GS equivalent" grade under NSPS will return to that grade level with a save pay if we revert to the old GS system. Patricia B., that means that since you were hired at a GS-12 level you will stay a GS-12 in the conversion no matter how high you pay is next January 15th. You will be given a step 10 with "Save Pay", and as a stepped out GS-12, you will only be eligible to get cost of living raises and cash bonuses as long as you remain a GS-12. You will never get another step raise unless you apply for and get chosen for promotion to the GS-13 level.
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80358
A person's pay under NSPS should never fall below the pay level of where they would be under the General Schedule pay system, but this is happening under NSPS.
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80355
Does this article mean all federal employees or only Pentagon employees and those under union contract?
Since I am throwing questions out there, is anyone else having problems measuring objectives? Some things in project managment just can not be measured.
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80350
NSPS is big rip off both for the government and the individual. Being an engineer with a Masters Degree, I have been passed over several times for promotion under NSPS. I work hard and only get a 3.2??? Give me a break. At least under the GS I knew I was getting a decent raise. Please revert us non bargaining employees back to GS!
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80349
NSPS (Not Suitable Personnel System) is way to subjective. Last evaluation my payout was a 60/40 split. Who decided that 40% of my raise was an award? Did the pay pool do that for all or just to the working stiffs. That cut 40% of my earnings that would have gone to retirement buildup under the GS system.
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80342
I think the only good thing that came out of NSPS is that managers for the first time had to find out what their employees did. We are a very management-light activity and they truly don't know what people do. then as others have mentioned, the pay pool folks who actually do your review know even less. So much so that we now have to write in our assessment what we do AND how what we do relates to our mission. So they actually began to rank our value by the jobs we had not necessarily by any criteria of how we met the objectives.
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80341
Hooray for Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, D-N.H., the NSPS has been around too long and is still imperfect; in fact it's too cumbersome for supervisors and employees to use. Too much time & taxpayer money has been wasted on the NSPS without improvement. It should be gotten rid of immediately.
It's no secret the National Security Personnel System (NSPS) is far from universally popular. Why is this being pushed? Cannot people admit they are WRONG? In all the comments on the personnel plan 80-90% of government workers do not want it. Hasn't anybody been listening to the feedback on MAXHR/Human Capital Operating Plan/NSPS? FAILURE is what it should be called. WHAT A MESS! The General Schedule is the most fair pay plan and should be reinstated immediately.
The NSPS is unfair because it does not treat all employees equal."NSPS performance reviews were of no value to the employee because they were done without any conscience and performed by a panel that did not know what the employees did," said Pat Tamburrino, an assistant deputy chief in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.
To Supervisor under both: Why do you think there was no money in the GS pool?
To Patricia Bishop: Several people said they gained initially under the NSPS but it stopped there. Too many people have lost money, awards, and cannot see a promising future under the NSPS. How many government departments have room for growth or would even allow for continued outstanding performance? Under the GS system you would keep your pay regardless what step you were but under the NSPS who knows?
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80340
Two years ago, I received a 4 with 3 shares. Last year, I received a 4 with 4 shares. Both ratings were based on going well above and beyond the standards, working nights and weekends to complete projects months ahead of the proposed timelines. And yet, I am still paid $2500 LESS than if I would have remained a GS employee. I certainly don't serve my country just for the pay, but still, it is somewhat disheartening when you look at NSPS up close.
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80339
FOlks, I believe those who are complaining are those that under the GS system sat back, sluffed on the job, and got rewarded for doing nothing. You don't like the fact that under NSPS you have to work! There are so many positives to NSPS that outweigh any of the negatives. The Performance piece does need some tweeking, but overall it is paying those individuals who are performing at or above what the GS system would have paid. This system is still very young; give it some time before calling it a failure!
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80338
NSPS="Not Supporting People Stop it"! It was only set up as a giant favoritism ring just like what the previous administration stood for the "The rich get richer and the poor get poorer"! DFAS-Cleveland/DOD have also jumped on the band wagon with, you are a "national security threat" and ARE terminated if your credit report is poor. How is this going to support the "New Recovery Acts"? To lose a job after over 30 years is scary!
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80337
Seems odd....Obama and OPM are calling for a Govwide PfP program while trying to dump NSPS. I think this is a lot of hot air.
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80327
I would like to see the legistration proposed by Rep. Shea-Porter approved. I always felt NSPS created a system of unfair treatment of civil service employees that did not exist under the old system.
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80325
The truth is that the majority of employees are "average" performers but if you ask them they all will tell you they are the top performer and deserve a huge pay raise. The alternative to a bell curve distribution of ratings would be to give everyone the same pay raise regardless of performance and that will dramatically reduce the amount of the raise for everyone and solve nothing. For those who think the old GS rating system was any better and abuse proof are living in a dream world of naivity. ANY rating system can be manipulated and subject to favortism. While NSPS certainly has issues, going back to the old system of giving step increases (raises) regardless of performance is just as bad. I'm not an Obama fan by any means but his people need a chance to come up with a system that more fairly rewards performance over fogging a mrror.
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80324
I've seen too many people without the education nor substantial applicable experience hired into positions because they "knew the boss" in a previous "life". The good-ole-boy network is alive and well. The best way to improve performance would be to have a mission driven work environment where the manager is required to define the objectives and layout what is expected. Change should start at the top!
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80318
Too much time has been spent in writing objectives to be judged against. Then you are judged by people (pay panels) Highly Paid Mgrs, "06's" and SES level persons who may not even know you. They determine your level of pay. Interesting, that this reprises "Pay Banding" also which didn't work before-and doesn't work well today either.
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80316
In my 30 years of federal service, hard work has not rewarded me with anything other than knowing I personally have served my country to the best of my ability. As I don't play golf with the right people, don't go to their church, don't align myself with the correct office politics, I have not been promoted, although I know those that have done the above mentioned practices, with less experience, be promoted above me.
NSPS just allows more favoritisms. At least with GS pay, you can get a decent salary.
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80314
The problem with NSPS is command influence from the Highest Command level who directed that 75% of our employees would receive a 3.2, there would be no 5's given, and for supervisors to go back into there systems and change it accordingly. They are worried on how the Corps stacks up against others.
PS This is against the law, but they are doing it.
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80313
I agree that there are a lot of problems with NSPS, but there are more with the GS system. I have people under both systems. I was unable to give good people any monetary award under the GS system this FY because there was no money. (Yes, I did give time off.) Still, NSPS at least gives everyone a shot at a monetary award. It makes the supervisory learn to write to properly award people, but no amount of writing will get someone a monetary award when there is no money for awards.
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80310
If NSPS is such a great system then why doesn't Congress go under NSPS?!??
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80307
I understand the supervisor whom presented one rating and the pool changed it (implied downward). My supervisor feels the same way that her ratings of her employees are being ignored for the sake the bell curve for 3.00. And this is the people that really don't have any idea (specifically) what the employees are doing. That is the largest problem of NSPS; Supervisor cut from the award system and awards determined by people who don't know what the work was done. This is my third year in NSPS. The first year we were allowed to write our own objectives and I got a 4.00. The second year they insisted that we accept one objective that they (the pool managers)wrote. That year I got a 3.00. The third year, they virtually wrote all of the objectives. Who knows what will come out of it. What happen to the negotiation of objectives? Gone by the way of the necessity of building the bell curve. And be around long enough to know what happens when you argue to much about what the supervisor has already decided.
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80301
Robert M. hit the nail on the head. Move everyone back to the old system. The real problem is "managers" who can't manage. They allow unproductive/incompetent individuals (all the way up the ladder) to stay and do not reward the folks who really do the work. Until we address poor management and discrimination, our problems will remain. But NSPS made it worse.
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80296
I totally agree with Richard Grulich when he said to let the employees rate their supervisors. Some of them to need to take a good look in the mirror. They need to clean up in front of their own door before trying to clean up in front of their neighbor's door. NSPS needs to go away and throw the control points out with it too.
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80294
I would like nothing more than to be taken out of NSPS...however, under the GS schedule I am a GS-12, but because of NSPS, my pay is somewhere in the mid-range of a GS-13...what would happen to my pay if returned to the general schedule???
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80286
About time. Seems like the management initiatives of the past few years have all become a self melting spiral of burden and cost (i.e. NMCI also).
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80285
I am glad to hear that the NSPS will going away and I hope it will be soon. It is very stressful when you are trying to meet your yearly objectives and you can't, due to the organization budget, for training, supplies, equipment, etc. The organization do not give you the tools you need to perform your job but expect for you to be pay for your perforance,.
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80284
As one of the hardest working people in large team who had proof that I exceeded every single objective the last two years yet still got rated a "3" (average) with an average 2 shares payout and now making less $ than my GS counterparts, I will say that this system is ATROCIOUS and should be abolished immediately. Apparently my story is not uncommon and from the hundreds of comments we see here the majority seem to agree.
For those that think only union stooges and slackers want this nightmarish system to go away, think again. When hard-working, highly motivated, educated professionals bust their rear and STILL get less than GS, I'd say the system is broken and we should return to GS.
Somebody is getting that money...it must be someone on the pay pool panel's buddy. Great system. Thanks Bush/Rumsfeld.
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80283
Having retired after 34+ years and the last few under NSPS. I can only suggest the following...scrap NSPS and go to a pass fail system that incorporates behavior and attitude accountability into the evaluation. Cap pay raises to 3% per year and limit bonuses to 1%. Remove locality pay after the first year that the 3% is paid to establish region based pay.
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80280
It's time for NSPS to go away permanently. They tried and it just didn't work out! NSPS was not fair to anyone. Even those that were hard working and dedicated. You got a raise but it still wasn't worth the amount of work you put in. The GS system has ways to reward people, supervisors just need to do the research and use them.
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80277
NSPS was never anything more than an attempt by the reborn Robber Barons of today to get by on the cheap while bringing the spoils system of the 19th century back to our federal workforce; to reward those federal employees who are politically and ideologically in line with the views of whichever end of the political spectrum is running the government at the time over those whose views do not and those who have none. The GS system is not perfect - no personnel system ever will be - but it is as fair as any ever devised by man. This is a very good start to putting objectivity and fairness back into our federal personnel system!
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80271
The rest of the Federal Work force can only hope that this will be a start to total repeal of NSPS throughout the entire Government. Pay for Performance does not work, it is unfair and applied in ways that are not transparant. The system which has higher level supervisors who do not know the employee, does not know what the employee does, and in most cases dosen't have the background to understand the employee's job that somehow they can apply a proper amount of pay for the employee's performance is insane!
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80261
As a supervisor, I gave a specific rating to one of my employees, only to have it overturned in the NSPS system, by individuals who do not know the employee nor do they know their working habits. The pay pool manager also cut shares from 2 to 1.
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80260
From my experience and perspective, NSPS is one of the better things DoD has accomplished to finally recognize and reward the majority of the people who are willing to work hard and make signficant contributions. I note the loudest objections come from union representatives trying to preserve pay equity via a mandated pay increase system vice merit.
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80258
I hope for the sake of DoD and its employees that this amendment pushes through. The NSPS is a waste of government money and time. Speaking as an employee (and not a supervisor), we spend hours and hours and hours (literally!!) each year for training (trying to understand the system!), creating annual objectives, meeting with our supervisor to discuss objectives, making changes, completing interim self-assessments, meeting supervisor to discuss interim reviews, making changes, completing end of year self-assessment, meeting supervisor to discuss end of year assessment, and making changes. On top of that, it is extremely stress induced - if we don't meet our objectives due to overseen circumstances (e.g., there is way TOO much work to do to meet our objectives timely and efficiently), what kind of rating are we to receive? We could be the most diligent, hard-working people, and do a great job, but if we don't meet our objectives, we could get a low rating and no increase at all! Also, you need to be a good writer/communicator to get a good rating. This system is tedious, frustrating, time-consuming, and does not reflect a person's true job performance.
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80256
Once again, the party of defeat and disgrace works with their worthless union owners to undermine our national security. The only thing wrong with NSPS is the politicization by party politics from the corrupt democrats. The corrupt protecting the incompetent.
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80252
I really hope that this goes through.
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80249
Well, here we go. And not a minute to soon. Now everyone can kick back and strive for mediocrity in the full knowledge that they will get the exact percent raise as some idiot busting their tail to get the job done. Hey and the union is going to make sure us poor pitiful NSPS employees get the full raise. They forgot that we get more than that now as a valued employee. Protecting the down trodden slacker. Hooah.
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80243
Getting rid of NSPS would be the best thing that could happen; the system is way too subjective; too easily manipulated to do harm to the employee.
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80242
NSPS is a time intensive effort especially for Supervisors. It does allow the Supervisor and Employee the oppurtunity to identify strengths and work in a constructive manner to improve or fine tune performance. I found that it encourages employees to gain confidence and excel at their strengths. What needs to be fixed is that employees should have a role in rating their Supervisors in NSPS. The highest and lowest rating could be thrown out. Supervisors would get a real insight into what they need to do to improve.
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80241
Let there be dancing in the streets!!!!!!
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80229
It appears that the flaws in the new pay system are starting to become more apparent. Instead of creating more confusion, shouldn't the amendment require all government employees be returned to the old pay system which worked just fine when used properly?
The next epiphany I would like Congress to have is the realization that no pay system will compensate for poor management. Once they finally address that problem specifically, we'll start to see real improvement in the way the government does business.
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80227
Here it comes. Finally! I knew this back in 2005 when I met a Ms. Anita Halpern who was around 85 at the time and very high up in the food chain as a consultant after years of leading the food chain in Washington. she said it would be gone in 2009 with a new President.
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80226
Please go back to the GS System. The NSPS System is unfair.
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80224
If the NSPS converts back, what will happen to the overtime rate? Under NSPS were are paid time and a half, under the GS we were paid approximately $3.50 additional to our hourly rate for overtime.
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80221
I would be in favor of it but I'll believe it when I see it.
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80218
Music to my ears NSPS please go away!
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80216
I think moving back to GS pay system would be great.
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80214
I agree that NSPS should be returned to GS as I don't believe there to be sufficient tools in-place to ensure fairness under NSPS (too subjective). NSPS merely is a tool to take from some and give to others who may or may not deserve monetary rewards under the system.
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80212
I feel that the lawmakers need to deal this pay system a BIG blow. I am currently a GS 12 equivalent (NSPS YA 02 pay band). My pay is only equal to that of a GS 9 Step 4. I came into the federal system in 2006 as a temporary employee (GS 9 Step 1), after my retirement from active duty. As a TEMP employee, I was not considered an employee and could not get any benefits or step increase. But, under NSPS even as a TEMP, one is considered an employee. It only counts for pay purposes only and that is why my pay under NSPS will never equal to my equivalent grade. The reason for this is the 0 - 5% rule. I am current approximately $17k short of my base pay as a GS 12. I have had many job offers, but all want to give me 0-5% increase in pay. I would like to see our leaders work under these conditions.
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80207
Someone is finally making some sense. I praise the Congresswoman from New Hampshire. There is no way the DoD will be able to show substantial improvements in a year. They will just have to find a way to go back, period.
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80204
Having been under NSPS and during a research paper in CES on NSPS evaluations I believe that it is a very unfair system. Not that the system does not have merit, but it has given the thieves of injustice that much more room to increase their wealth while continuing to keep their foot on the hard working employee necks. It is quite obvious that making the majority fit into the valued employee lets most supervisors off the hook in doing what they are required to do - communicate with the workforce.
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80203
How many times do I have to say it ??? NSPS was/is about breaking unions,cutting retirement benefits, paying B scale wages and forcing veteran workers out ! Bush and the Republican party had zero respect for federal workers. It is about time this gets fixed !
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