Volunteer Tails: Fostering Bunnies
Crossposted from Tails from RASKC
At Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC), we care for more than just cats and dogs. Depending on the need, we’ve taken in guinea pigs, birds, snakes, and even a rat or two.
This year, we’ve taken in a large number of rabbits, which has been a bit unusual. Unfortunately, rabbits don’t do well in the shelter environment – but fortunately we have a group of dedicated bunny foster families who care for these fuzzy critters in their own home until they’re adopted. This story about one particular bunny comes from Kellie, one of our foster volunteers.
“Last night I had five bunnies break out of their pen. The mess I came down to made me question why we foster. I thought to myself it’s so much work. Maybe this is not worth it.” Read more.
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Local food for all: Launch of 2024 refresh of the Local Food Initiative and Regional Food System Program
Crossposted from Keeping King County Green
King County took a big step in becoming a leader in metropolitan food systems planning in 2014 when Executive Dow Constantine launched the Local Food Initiative (LFI) to expand the local food economy, to benefit county food businesses and farms, and to improve access to health and affordable food in low-income communities.
Now, nearly a decade later, King County is launching a refresh of the LFI and King Conservation District’s complementary Regional Food System Program (RFSP).
“The time is right. Climate change is more urgent than ever, the COVID-19 pandemic showed just how fragile our food system is, and inequities can no longer be tolerated,” said Michael Lufkin, Local Food Economy manager for King County and project lead for the LFI update. Read more.
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EvergreenHealth remains in Regence network
Regence BlueShield and EvergreenHealth reached a contract agreement on Aug. 31, 2023. Services provided by Evergreen Health Providers and facilities will continue to be considered in-network by Regence. The provider network contract was immediately effective. If you are enrolled in the Regence KingCare Select Eastside Health Network or the Regence KingCare PPO medical plan and you see an Evergreen Health provider, there will be no disruption to your coverage or benefits.
If you have questions, please call Regence BlueShield at 800-376-7926 or contact the King County Benefits team at 206-684-1556 or email KC Benefits.
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White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Dr. Gupta visits King County to learn more about efforts to support youth
Crossposted from Cultivating Connections
Last week, Dr. Gupta joined King County Executive Dow Constantine, Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) Director Leo Flor, students, a parent of an alumni, and staff for a tour of the Interagency Recovery Academy, the state’s only publicly funded recovery high school. DCHS supports behavioral health outreach and recovery activities at the Recovery Academy by contributing state and federal funding.
The Interagency Recovery Academy was established in 2015 as a partnership between Seattle Public Schools Interagency Academy Queen Anne Campus and the King County Behavioral Health and Recovery Division in DCHS. Read more.
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Reminder of Racially Just training for all Executive branch employees
King County has launched a new training, We Are Racially Just: Our King County Values at Work, to help ensure that we all understand what it means to be racially just and what we can do in our own work to advance racial justice at King County.
“Racial justice necessitates breaking with the status quo, disrupting business as usual, and approaching our work differently,” King County Executive Dow Constantine said. “It can be hard work and it can be uncomfortable, but in order to make progress we must lean into one of our pro-equity actions: Get comfortable with discomfort. This training will build our understanding of racial justice and give us tools to help King County become a more anti-racist, pro-equity organization.”
Executive branch employees who are computer users will be required to complete this training by Dec. 31, 2023. Employees who are non-computer users will be required to complete this training by September 2024. Employees who do not have regular access to a computer will receive alternative instructions for completing this training.
New employees must complete the training within 90 days of their date of hire as part of the onboarding process. To find the training, go to your KC eLearning NEOGOV Learn dashboard.
To see your completed trainings, click on Training and then View Course Transcript. For assistance accessing the trainings, please contact KCIT and open a HelpDesk Ticket. You can do so here online, or by calling the HelpDesk at 206-263-4357.
You will be paid for your time to take this training. Your supervisor will work with you to fit this training within your schedule. If you have any questions, please talk to your supervisor.
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Using sick leave to volunteer helps employees make a difference in our community
Updated April 20, 2026
This week, April 19–25, is National Volunteer Week and King County’s Employee Giving Program offers a unique way for employees to convert up to three instances of sick leave each year to volunteer in their community.
The volunteer program allows all employees covered by the Coalition Labor Agreement with the King County Coalition of Unions, other collective bargaining units that have ratified this option, and all non-represented employees to use up to three instances of sick leave per year for volunteer service at a local school or participating Employee Giving Program nonprofit.
“Volunteering is one way we stay connected to the communities we serve,” King County Executive Girmay Zahilay said. “It puts our ‘Be in community’ value into action by showing up for the people who call this region home. As public servants, we care deeply about our neighbors, and this benefit helps us build real relationships and trust beyond the workplace.”
Volunteer service includes a wide range of opportunities including gifts of time, labor, or expertise in support of community initiatives, which directly benefit the community beyond our immediate selves and families, and results in improvements to our local or global community.
Employee Social Impact and Well-being Manager Junelle Kroontje says, “Nonprofits are really excited about this benefit and have some super cool opportunities for our employees to engage in, from long-term board service to helping out at specific events.”
Some examples are packing or distributing food at a food bank, judging a science fair, walking dogs at an animal shelter, mentoring as part of an official volunteer program, and more.
Volunteering provides much needed support to nonprofits and has a positive impact on those who volunteer. Volunteering has a wide variety of mental health benefits including to help counteract stress and burnout.
“When you ask most people what they want to do when they retire, they will often say two things – travel and volunteer more,” said Kroontje. “During an employee’s work life, making time for volunteering can be difficult. By allowing our employees to use up to three days of sick leave to volunteer at a King County Employee Giving Program nonprofit or at a local school, it frees them up to do it today – instead of waiting for retirement.”
Employees need to confirm that organizations are eligible for the program before they volunteer.
“It is important to note that the nonprofit chosen by an employee must be in the Employee Giving Program to qualify for use of benefit,” said Kroontje. “The nonprofit application process is open every spring, employees can refer a nonprofit to us if it is not already part of the Employee Giving Program.”
You can check if an organization is part of the program by looking it up on the KCEGP Nonprofits website. If you have questions about eligible volunteering activities, you can reach out to employeegiving@kingcounty.gov.
After employees identify a nonprofit for which they want to volunteer time, they must request leave in advance and in writing, per collective bargaining and department leave request procedures, specifying the name of the school or organization and the nature of the volunteer services to be performed. Employees can take advantage of the sick leave for volunteer service up to three days per calendar year. Each volunteer opportunity must not exceed a normal workday. Employees are encouraged to volunteer at least half of a workday to maximize use of this benefit, since use is limited to three instances per year. Find the request form, policies, procedures and FAQ here.
“Our employees not only want to show up through their work to support the community, they also want to do it personally,” Kroontje said. “This benefit helps make all of that possible.”
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Finding hope and raising awareness during National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
This September, as we recognize National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, we are reminded that we can all provide hope and support to those who are struggling. Too many people experience suicidal crisis or mental health-related distress without the support and care they need. The COVID-19 pandemic added to our anxieties and challenges, putting further stress on people’s mental health and wellness.
We know that every year thousands of individuals die by suicide, leaving behind their friends and family members suffering a tragic loss. When we lose someone to suicide, it has a deep and profound effect on us.
We can all help prevent suicide by raising awareness, reducing the stigma around suicide, and encouraging well-informed actions. We can make a difference by learning to identify the risk factors and recognize the warning signs. We can support one another by checking in on one another, letting people know that they are not alone, and knowing what resources are available to help people at risk for suicide, including:
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which offers 24/7 access to trained crisis counselors who can help people experiencing mental health-related distress
- Mental Health Benefits and Resources for King County employees
- Mental Health Accommodations for King County employees
- Recognize the signs and know the risk factors via National Alliance on Mental Illness
- Mental Health First Aid Training.
Watch for Suicide Prevention and Awareness resources throughout September, and please continue to care for yourself and lookout for one another. Together we can break the silence and stigma, and spread the message that hope, help, and support are available. Together we can prevent suicide.
Sincerely,
Whitney Abrams (she, her, hers)
Chief People Officer
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Resources to help people at risk for suicide
September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and an opportunity to highlight some of the resources and services available to support mental health and emotional well-being.
“We know that every year thousands of individuals die by suicide, leaving behind their friends and family members suffering a tragic loss,” Chief People Officer Whitney Abrams said. “When we lose someone to suicide, it has a deep and profound effect on us.”
One way we can help people who are struggling is to learn to identify the risk factors, recognize the warning signs, and know what resources are available to help people at risk for suicide, including:
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which offers 24/7 access to trained crisis counselors who can help people experiencing mental health-related distress
- Mental Health Benefits and Resources for King County employees
- Mental Health Accommodations for King County employees
- Recognize the signs and know the risk factors via National Alliance on Mental Illness
- Mental Health First Aid Training.
No one should ever have to struggle alone, and we can all help prevent suicide by raising awareness, reducing the stigma around suicide, sharing information, and encouraging well-informed actions.
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Executive Constantine proclaims National Payroll Week
King County Executive Dow Constantine is recognizing the dedication and expertise of King County’s payroll professionals by proclaiming Sept. 4 through Sept. 8, 2023 as National Payroll Week.
“King County payroll professionals play a key role in maintaining the economic health of the County, in ensuring the economic security of families by carrying out diverse tasks such as processing paychecks, payments to child support, and tax withholding, reporting, and depositing,” Executive Constantine said in the Proclamation. Read the full Proclamation below.
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Celebrating the team behind your pay
As we celebrate National Payroll Week, we’re highlighting the work of the Central Payroll Operations Team which ensure that all employees are paid accurately and on time every pay period.
Central Payroll Operations works hard to ensure paychecks are received in a timely, smooth manner, with no hiccups or inconveniences to employees. The team also handles payroll taxes and provides employees with annual W-2 forms.
“Payroll seems like it would be really simple: department timekeepers report time and time off, Human Resources reports changes to positions or pay rates and employees magically get a paycheck or direct deposit,” said Pam Bell, Payroll Operations Supervisor. “But the truth of the matter is something is always changing, like state laws, union contracts, or federal laws. Honestly, there’s never a dull moment.”
Pam joined King County in 2004 and has been in her current role since then, including the team’s transition to the Department of Human Resources from the Department of Executive Services on Jan. 1, 2021.
The team and the payroll community across the County have a rigid production schedule they follow to meet payroll deadlines, and to do so means regularly adapting to constant changes. This includes potential changes in multiple County systems (such as Oracle and PeopleSoft), adjusting to support employee needs, and relying on current, up-to-the-minute information from timekeepers and departments. Doing this work efficiently and quickly means utilizing Lean methods and implementing continuous improvement methods.
“We always try to do things as streamlined as possible to get work done, but success really depends on our ability to work with others, like the Business Resource Center (BRC),” Pam said. “If there is a new law or regulation, for example a new medical leave type, then we have to work with our business partners and the BRC to make sure it can get done for employees.”
“We are always looking for continuous improvement as we have a short period for turn-around time to ensure pay is delivered to employees every two weeks, so we have to be quick,” she adds.
The team works to be agile and nimble so new codes can be implemented and tested for things like extended family medical leave, COVID-19 leave, emergency leave bank, identifying wage types, and filing payroll taxes for the County.
“To be honest, I can’t imagine anyone being successful in this group of professionals if they weren’t agile or able to make quick decisions,” Pam said. “You can’t say ‘Oh I’ll do that tomorrow or next week’ because things have to be done within the next hour. To be happy in this work, you have to be very present in what you are doing all the time.”
Pam credits her team and the focus they bring to their work for being continuously successful in providing employees an essential service.
“We also deal with the output from payroll, meaning everything you see on your paycheck, every deduction you see, our section, the Benefits, Payroll, and Retirement team does,” she said. “Our work is essential, but ‘behind the scene.’ and we work closely with the department payroll and HR representatives.”
If employees have payroll issues, they speak with their department payroll representative to review the data that was submitted by the department for her team to process. Once all the data has been received from all those processing payroll across the county, her team ensures taxes and deductions are applied and payments from all payroll deductions are made to federal and state agencies, unions, and vendors are made timely.
Pam and the Central Payroll Operations Team take great pride in their work, for the value it brings each employee, and for the role it plays in King County as a community leader. They view their mission is to support everyone across the county who plays a part in processing payroll, and there are close to two hundred people outside of the central team who do this work.
“We pay everybody across the County. It doesn’t matter where you work, what you do, or who you are, our mission is to make sure that you have a paycheck on payday and that it’s right,” Pam said. “Besides being a team who is comprised of people who are very good at what they do and enjoy working with the payroll community across the County, we enjoy working in the public sector and are grateful that employees can count on us because they bring such value and service to all of King County.”
“During National Payroll Week, remember to thank your department or agency timekeeper for their continued work for the important work they do, every day, to ensure that you are paid each payday. We, in Central Payroll, are grateful that we work with such a caring and hard-working a payroll community.”
Employee News 