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**The Reaper** · 12-17-2009, 15:52

I have a bit of insight into this, having worked as uniform, contract, civilian, and civil service.

The advantage of the contractor is that if you require a left-handed former 18D under 5'6", with blonde hair and a PhD to start next week and to work for an unknown period, they can make that happen. The contractor will make more money than a GS, but the employee will make less. They can also be released from service quickly, and with no long-term committment. They are essentially temp-hire employees who are exempt, but are required to meet hours and deliverables.

The GS (or NSPS) civil-service employee will cost more, be harder to retain and to account for, requires additional incentives, take longer to hire, and will be more difficult to get rid of. They will cost you more than the contractor in total costs and benefits, but they can provide longevity in key positions. They are usually long-term hires, though many positions are term or part time. In some cases, they are union members. They are hourly employees who can request overtime or comp time if their labor exceeds their base hours.

The uniforms are permament employees who are temporarily in a position and location. They will cost roughly the same as civil servants in similar positions and pay grades, but are exempt and can be worked as many, or as few hours as desired. Obviously, serving under arms, they can be made to do things that their civilian counterparts may not, and are subject to military justice.

Just my .02, YMMV.

TR

12-17-2009, 15:52	#7
The Reaper Quiet Professional Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Free Pineland Posts: 24,825	I have a bit of insight into this, having worked as uniform, contract, civilian, and civil service. The advantage of the contractor is that if you require a left-handed former 18D under 5'6", with blonde hair and a PhD to start next week and to work for an unknown period, they can make that happen. The contractor will make more money than a GS, but the employee will make less. They can also be released from service quickly, and with no long-term committment. They are essentially temp-hire employees who are exempt, but are required to meet hours and deliverables. The GS (or NSPS) civil-service employee will cost more, be harder to retain and to account for, requires additional incentives, take longer to hire, and will be more difficult to get rid of. They will cost you more than the contractor in total costs and benefits, but they can provide longevity in key positions. They are usually long-term hires, though many positions are term or part time. In some cases, they are union members. They are hourly employees who can request overtime or comp time if their labor exceeds their base hours. The uniforms are permament employees who are temporarily in a position and location. They will cost roughly the same as civil servants in similar positions and pay grades, but are exempt and can be worked as many, or as few hours as desired. Obviously, serving under arms, they can be made to do things that their civilian counterparts may not, and are subject to military justice. Just my .02, YMMV. TR __________________ "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910 De Oppresso Liber 01/20/2025
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