Executive Constantine proclaims 2023 Falls Prevention Awareness Week
Sept. 18 is the start of Falls Prevention Awareness Week, which Executive Dow Constantine has declared for King County. Falls are the leading cause of injuries for people 65 and older in King County, but they are largely preventable. This week, join county programs and community partners in raising awareness on how to reduce fall risks for our friends, family and ourselves. Learn more here.
Read the full proclamation here.
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King County Security Tips – Unexpected emails
When you receive an email from an online service or business partner that you are not expecting, proceed with caution. For example, if you receive an email from eBay stating that you have just won an online auction, there are a couple of questions you should ask yourself.
- Are you a member of eBay? (This goes for online banking as well. If you receive an email from a bank you do not have an account with, do not click any links)
- Did you bid on any auctions recently? (If you did not bid, you cannot have won)
This does not apply to eBay alone. The bad guys can use any online service such as banking, shopping and social networking to try and trick you. Remember to Stop, Look, and Think before clicking on any email links.
When in doubt, open a web browser and visit the company website of the person who sent you the email. From there you can log in to your account to verify any activity that has taken place. Do not click a link in the email to visit the site. Open a browser and type in the address of the company.
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King County employees receive discounted tickets to UW Husky “Superhero Day” Sept. 23
The University of Washington (UW) Husky football team invites all King County employees to attend the first conference game of the season against the California Golden Bears on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 7:30 p.m. Employees can purchase discounted tickets here. This game is themed “Superhero Day” and will pay tribute to the true superheroes of Seattle – first responders, teachers, healthcare workers, city and county workers, and others.
See all available discounts on the Employee Discount webpage.
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Plan your next adventure with Backyard FunFinder
Did you know that King County has 200+ parks and trails in our Parks system?
It’s easier than ever to plan your next adventure with our new Backyard FunFinder interactive map. This new tool centralizes all King County park, trail, and natural area information in one place and replaces our former Park Finder and Trail Finder tools.
You can search by geographic area, amenities, and recreational opportunities. In addition, you can look up which public transit options are available and if there are any construction projects or other impacts happening in the area.
Go to www.kingcounty.gov/FunFinder to check it out yourself.
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Recognizing Metro’s Operators of the Month, July-August 2023
Crossposted from Metro Matters
They style hair, fix vacuums, garden, run gift shops and study geopolitical history. What they have in common is they enjoy being behind the wheel, serving the public and getting people where they need to go. They are our “rolling ambassadors,” the kind, courteous and helpful smile that greets you every day when you ride with us.
They represent over two centuries of driving experience. The operators who drive your bus are as unique as you, and all of them love driving and giving back to their community.
Meet your Operators of the Month for July and August 2023. Read more.
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We are racially just: Our King County values at work
A message from King County’s Learning & Development team
To reach our True North – a welcoming community where every person can thrive – we must achieve racial justice. “We Are Racially Just” is a core value of King County. Through personal testimonies from King County employees, the We Are Racially Just: Our King County Values at Work eLearning course explores what it means to be racially just and helps to familiarize employees with King County’s Pro-Equity and Anti-Racist actions and identify behaviors that can support these actions at work. This training helps to ensure that each of us understands what it means to be racially just and what we can do in our own work to advance racial justice at King County.
We would like to take a moment to acknowledge all the folks who came together to make this eLearning possible. This was truly a collaborative effort by Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EIB) and HR Managers, the Racially Just Competency Steering Committee, staff from the Office of Equity, Racial, and Social Justice (OERSJ), the OERSJ Advisory Committee, the Workforce Equity team, and many others who contributed countless hours, numerous reviews, and many, many conversations. We’d like to celebrate the work and contributions of our Learning & Development team, our narrators who lent their voices to the eLearning, and all the folks who provided feedback during the development process.
We would also like to show our gratitude to the King County employees who allowed their anonymous stories to be included in the eLearning and the employees who were interviewed for the We Are Racially Just Value video. A special thanks to the folks who helped to ensure that our training was accessible to King County employees with disabilities, our NEOGOV admins, and the folks involved in developing and coordinating the rollout process on the Employee Engagement and King County Communications teams. Finally, a huge shoutout to all the employees who have taken the eLearning and chosen to continue to engage in other learning opportunities across the County to deepen their understanding of racial justice and racial equity.
If taking this eLearning is still on your To Do list, employees who have regular computer access at work should complete the eLearning by December 31, 2023. Those without regular computer access have until September 30, 2024. You can access this NEOGOV eLearning here: We Are Racially Just: Our King County Values at Work. Thank you again to everyone involved in creating a welcoming community at King County where every person can thrive.
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Back to school mental health
It is that time of year when teachers are busily getting their classrooms ready for the drove of students to enter, parents and caregivers are gathering school supplies, and students are picking out their first day outfits. It is an exciting time, but it can also be a time of mixed emotions for many youth that are struggling with feelings of anxiety and depression.
This is a critical time for students and their mental health. The back-to-school transition is challenging enough on its own—navigating academics, social dynamics, and personal growth are very difficult. Social media and online activity add an extra layer. There is growing evidence linking heavy social media use with increased risks for anxiety and depression. These mental health issues can, in turn, impact a student’s school performance, such as difficulties focusing, studying, or even simply attending school. It’s important for caregivers and school personnel to understand what is happening on social media and how to reduce its negative impact. Read more.
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Step into Fall with healthier habits
Learn more about tracking and WW tools to help you on your journey of success. Join WW by Oct. 31 and get a free Smart Scale that syncs right to the WW app, making your activities easier – and tracking is one of the keys to building healthier new habits.
Available for all new sign ups Sept. 1 through Oct. 31. It’s easy to get started, available to all employees and benefits-covered spouses and state-registered domestic partners, and King County pays for half of your membership dues.
(Please note: The dollar value of the employer paid portion is a fringe benefit and will be included as taxable income to the employee.) Achieve your wellness goals to eat healthier, move more, develop a more positive mindset, lose weight, or all the above.
To redeem your scale offer, join WW and then visit ww.com/freescale by Oct. 31.
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What we know about the new COVID-19 vaccine: Q&A with Dr. Eric Chow
Crossposted from Public Health Insider
This week, the CDC recommended that everyone six months and older get an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect against the newer variants and potentially serious COVID-19 complications now ahead of possible increases in infection this fall and winter. We talked to Dr. Eric Chow, our Chief of Communicable Disease Epidemiology and Immunization, to get the latest about the updated COVID-19 vaccine.
Dr. Chow, why is there yet another COVID-19 vaccine?
COVID-19 viruses change, and that makes it harder for our bodies to fight off new versions, or variants, even if you’ve had COVID-19 or been vaccinated previously. It’s harder for your body’s immune system to fight off variants that are different than the ones it’s fought before. Read more.
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Emergency Management does the Puyallup
Crossposted from the DES Express
Emergency Management staff, along with the King County E911 Program Office and the Washington State Patrol, attended the Washington State Fair for an evening earlier this month. The Washington State 911 office hosted a booth for the duration of the fair and encouraged government agency partners to join in. Emergency Management staff shared community preparedness information with event goers and promoted Alert King County, a regional public information and notification service.
While pulling the evening duty, Susanna Trimarco tried some state fair classics, including a Krusty Pup (similar to a corndog), a scone and an elephant ear.
Employee News 