The key dates to start your vaccine schedule
All King County Executive branch employees must be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18, 2021, and there are some important dates you need to know to meet this requirement.
We’ve put together a short 90-second video that outlines the key dates for the three approved vaccines – Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson – and when you’ll need to start the vaccine schedule to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18, 2021.
Watch the video below:
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What are the benefits of getting a COVID-19 vaccine?
Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is not only important in protecting you from contracting the virus, but you are also helping to protect your family, friends, co-workers, and customers, especially those who may be at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 and those who cannot be vaccinated.
COVID-19 vaccination will help you from getting sick or seriously ill with COVID-19.
- It helps protect you by teaching your body’s immune system to fight the virus without having to experience a COVID-19 infection.
- In the clinical trials, the COVID-19 vaccines that are currently available were found to be highly effective in protecting people from COVID-19.
COVID-19 vaccine will be an important tool to help stop the pandemic.
- Getting vaccinated will help to protect you, your friends and family, and other people in the community from COVID-19.
- The combination of getting vaccinated and following public health recommendations will offer the best protection from COVID-19 at this time.
- Wearing masks and social distancing help reduce your chance of being exposed to the virus or spreading it to others, but these measures alone are not enough. Vaccines will work with your immune system so it will be ready to fight the virus if you are exposed.
Over time, as more people are vaccinated, we may no longer need some of the other COVID-19 prevention measures that are necessary at this time.
If you haven’t already been vaccinated, you can find out where to get your vaccine and find answers to your questions at www.kingcounty.gov/vaccine. All King County Executive branch employees must be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18, 2021.
This information is courtesy of Public Health – Seattle & King County.
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2020 Innovation Award for Cost honorees
The King County Innovation Awards seek to honor employees within department teams whose projects, improvements, and ingenuity deliver exceptional, measurable results. These honorees have considered challenges within their delivery of services to King County residents, and developed solutions that address an important need. Through the True North values of “We solve problems” and “We drive for results,” these honorees met each challenge in a creative and forward-thinking manner.
Receiving the Innovation Award for Cost, which includes anything that is financially related and affects the County’s finances, is the Department of Executive Services in partnership with the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Their project focused on implementing cost-effective insurance policies to help clean up the Lower Duwamish Waterway.
Due to the pandemic, the Executive and other leaders at King County congratulated the 2020 honorees by video.
The Office of Risk Management and the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office worked with an insurance archeologist, forensic accountant, and computer probability models to negotiate millions of dollars in insurance settlements at an enormous cost-savings to taxpayers.
“Risk Management and the Prosecutor’s Office ultimately recovered $97 million for the county; Money that we never expected we would have,” said Budget Director Dwight Dively. “And it appears that that will more than cover the entire cost for the County of cleaning up.”
“So through that outstanding work, we have protected our taxpayers and ratepayers from a significant cost that they otherwise would have incurred.”
View this video to see Budget Director Dwight Dively recognize the honorees for the Innovation Award for Cost. Select the time
Executive’s Performance Excellence Awards
The Innovation Awards are part of the Executive’s Performance Excellence Awards series, honoring employees and workgroups at King County for their exceptional contributions to performance, leadership, and innovation.
“As we build a best-run government at King County, these awards recognize individuals and teams who have gone above and beyond to look at how they can do things differently to better serve our customers and employees,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine.
Learn more about the King County Performance Excellence Awards here.
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Getting vaccinated has never been easier
All King County Executive branch employees must be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18, 2021, and there are many options for getting vaccinated in your community or at work. No appointment is needed at many community locations, and most pharmacies, clinics, and Public Health centers now offer drop-in COVID-19 vaccination.
Vaccination is available regardless of insurance, citizenship, or immigration status. You will not be billed or charged for vaccination. COVID-19 vaccine is always free. Because obtaining the vaccination is mandatory, employees will be paid for the time spent getting the COVID-19 vaccine. This includes travel time to and from the vaccination site.
Visit the Vaccine Locator or check the King County partnership sites listed below for site schedules, drop-in options, and available vaccine types.
King County Public Health Centers: Click here to schedule a vaccination appointment at King County’s Kent, Auburn, Downtown Seattle, or Bellevue Eastgate vaccination clinics.
Drive-through or in-car vaccination is available at the Snoqualmie Valley Hospital (Monday through Friday), HealthPoint Renton (Tuesday through Saturday), and the Kent Public Health Center (Monday through Friday). More details are below.
Free rides to and from your vaccination are offered by Lyft and Hopelink Mobility (phone: 425-943-6706).
Free childcare is available for vaccination appointments and recuperation from KinderCare (phone: 1-866-337-3105), the Learning Care Group (phone: 1-833-459-3557), and the YMCA (contact your local YMCA to learn more).
Several pop-up vaccine clinics are coming up for King County employees and their families.
You can receive a second Moderna or Pfizer vaccine dose at most sites, even if you received your first dose at a different location. Please bring a photo of your first dose vaccination card.
You can find out where to get your vaccine and find answers to your questions at www.kingcounty.gov/vaccine. Our one-stop employee COVID-19 vaccines webpage also has information on how to get a vaccine, your leave options, and much more.
Everyone ages 12 and older can get a vaccine. Ages 12-17 can get Pfizer ONLY, ages 18+ can get Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson. Learn more about vaccination for youth at kingcounty.gov/vaccine/youth.
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A workplace free of discrimination, harassment, and inappropriate conduct
By Whitney Abrams, Chief People Officer
Three years ago I launched King County’s Nondiscrimination, Anti-Harassment and Inappropriate Conduct Policy as part of our efforts to provide a workplace culture where every employee is treated with respect and valued for their unique skills, experiences, and perspectives.
Our policy is clear: any type of harassment or discrimination at King County is prohibited. The policy clearly sets out the conduct and behaviors that will not be tolerated, as well as how to report incidents, all employees’ responsibilities, and the consequences of non-compliance.
Since launching the policy in 2018, we have listened to feedback and found that there were areas that could use better clarity and updating. The first, most obvious change is that we have updated the title to Nondiscrimination, Anti-Harassment & Inappropriate Conduct Policy & Reporting Procedures to make it clear that the procedures in the policy are for reporting rather than investigation.
Other changes include:
- Making clear that the county will determine the appropriate response to complaints, which may or may not include a formal investigation
- Making clear that inappropriate conduct must be based on a protected class
- Adding domestic violence victimization to the protected status list
- Adding deliberately misgendering someone to the examples of harassment
- Making clear that inappropriate conduct includes conduct not rising to the level of illegal sexual harassment
- Adding that an employee can report a violation either verbally or in writing.
In addition, we have added language to the supervisors and managers responsibilities to lay out their responsibility to:
- Use good judgment in determining appropriate corrective actions and that if unsure, they should consult with their HR Manager, and
- Actively monitor the workplace to ensure compliance with this policy, and that failure to do so may result in discipline.
You can review the updated policy here. We will soon launch required training for all employees in the Executive Branch, including employees in Elections, Assessments, and the Sheriff’s Office, which will include a short video and an online course. The training will help to ensure that we all understand the updated policy, and our expectations and responsibilities in the workplace.
Thank you for helping us create a safe, supportive, and respectful workplace culture where every employee can thrive.
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How to make sure you are fully vaccinated by Oct. 18
All King County Executive branch employees must be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18, 2021. Oct. 4 is the last opportunity to get vaccinated to meet the Oct. 18 deadline.
To meet this requirement, employees must:
- Receive their second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or the first shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, by Oct. 4, 2021, and
- Provide verified proof of vaccination by Oct. 18, 2021
Make sure you know when you need to start your vaccine schedule in order to meet the Oct. 18 requirement:
- If you opt for the Moderna vaccine, you need to get your first dose no later than Sept. 6, 2021.
- If you opt for the Pfizer vaccine, you need to get your first dose no later than Sept. 13, 2021.
- If you choose the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccination, you will need to get the vaccine by Oct. 4, 2021.
| Vaccine | Series Dose Requirement | First dose no later than | Second dose no later than | Completed series | Fully vaccinated |
| Pfizer | 2 doses, 21 days apart | 09/13/21 | 10/04/21 | 10/04/21 | 10/18/21 |
| Moderna | 2 doses, 28 days apart | 09/06/21 | 10/04/21 | 10/04/21 | 10/18/21 |
| Johnson & Johnson | Single dose | 10/04/21 | N/A | 10/04/21 | 10/18/21 |
If you haven’t already been vaccinated, you can find out where to get your vaccine and find answers to your questions at www.kingcounty.gov/vaccine.
Employees may make requests for a reasonable accommodation based on a medical disability or for sincerely held religious beliefs. Philosophical, political, scientific, or sociological objections to vaccination will not be considered for an exemption or accommodation.
Employees should work with their agency’s human resources staff to assess whether they are eligible for a reasonable accommodation due to a medical disability or for religious reasons. Absent unforeseen events, employees must request an accommodation by Sept. 17, 2021.
The county may not be able accommodate all requests. Examples of an undue burden for the purpose of accommodating a sincerely held religious belief include if the accommodation is costly, infringes on other employees’ job rights or benefits, compromises workplace safety, decreases workplace efficiency, or requires other employees to do more than their share of potentially hazardous or burdensome work.
This policy applies to all employees in the Executive Branch, that is, employees who report to the Assessor, Elections Director, the County Executive, and the Sheriff. This includes telecommuting employees, those who previously had COVID-19, and temporary employees.
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Congratulations to the 2020 Executive’s Performance Excellence Awards honorees
Several King County leaders today announced the honorees for the 2020 Executive’s Performance Excellence Awards in a series of video announcements, recognizing employees and teams for their exceptional contributions to performance, leadership, service, and innovation to better serve our customers.
“These awards honor employees and workgroups for their exceptional contributions in performance, leadership, and innovation,” King County Executive Dow Constantine said. “Recognizing great work is important; celebrating our accomplishments is important; and that’s the purpose of the Performance Excellence Awards. It’s an opportunity to celebrate our own successes and the employees who are responsible for them.”
The Executive’s Performance Excellence Awards were created to recognize projects, improvements, and innovations in departments that are driving exceptional, measurable results. What makes these accomplishments even more impressive is the extraordinary challenges and uncertainty that employees were under with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eight awards were presented for 2020 in two categories:
Innovation Awards: People, Cost, Service, Equity and Social Justice, and Sustainability
Leadership awards: People Leaders, Individual Contributors, and the Fred Jarrett Leadership Excellence Award.
This year, the awardees are being honored in a series of video announcements featuring several King County leaders – including Executive Constantine, Chief of Staff April Putney, and members of the Executive’s Senior Leadership Team. Leaders also attended team meetings to personally congratulate the honorees. Click here to see the 2020 honorees and watch the videos.
“Congratulations to all of this year’s nominees for the tremendous work they are doing for our customers and to move us closer to our True North: Making King County a welcoming community where all people can thrive,” Executive Constantine said.
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Get vaccinated against COVID-19 at pop-up clinics
King County employees and family members age 12 years or older can get vaccinated at one of several upcoming pop-up vaccine clinics hosted by King County. We’re pleased to partner with two vaccinator firms, Discovery Health and Pliable, to provide the clinics.
All three vaccine types – Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson – will be available at each clinic. If you’ll be getting a second dose of Pfizer or Moderna, remember to bring along the CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card that you received when you got your first dose.
Walk-ins are welcome. To save time, however, pre-registration is strongly encouraged. Select the date and location you want from the list below and click on the link to register. For the Discovery Health clinics, registration will also help you secure your preferred vaccine type.
- Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Metro’s Safety and Training building at 11911 E Marginal Way S. in Tukwila. Register with Discovery Health by your preferred vaccine type: Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J.
- Monday, Sept. 20, 2021 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., King Street Center Second Floor Patio at 201 S. Jackson Street in Seattle. Register with Discovery Health by your preferred vaccine type: Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J.
- Wednesday, Sept 22, 2021 from 6-9 a.m., Regional Communications and Emergency Coordination Center, 3511 NE 2nd St. in Renton. Register here with Pliable.
- Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., Metro’s Safety and Training building at 11911 E Marginal Way S. in Tukwila. Register with Discovery Health by your preferred vaccine type: Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J.
- Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2021 from 1 to 4 p.m., Cedar Hills Regional Landfill, 16645 228th Ave SE in Maple Valley. Register here with Pliable.
- Thursday, Sept 30, 2021 from 6-9 a.m., Regional Communications and Emergency Coordination Center, 3511 NE 2nd St. in Renton. Register here with Pliable.
- Thursday, Sept 30, 2021 from 1-4 p.m., Roads Division Renton Maintenance Facility, behind building “A” at 155 Monroe Ave NE in Renton. Register here with Pliable.
- Saturday, October 2, 2021 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., Metro’s Safety and Training building at 11911 E Marginal Way S. in Tukwila. Register with Discovery Health by your preferred vaccine type:: Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J.
Vaccinations required for all King County employees
King County will now require all employees to be fully vaccinated, effective Oct. 18, 2021. To meet this requirement, employees must have received their second shot of a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or first shot of a Johnson & Johnson vaccine, by Oct. 4, 2021, and provide verified proof of vaccination. The directive applies to employees in the Executive branch (employees who report to the Assessor, Elections Director, the Sheriff, and the County Executive).
If you are unable attend to attend the above clinics, you can find alternative locations for getting vaccinated at vaccinelocator.doh.wa.gov and kingcounty.gov/vaccine
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All employees and visitors must wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status
All people are required to wear masks when indoors in all King County buildings, facilities, structures, and vehicles, effective Tuesday, August 17. The directive applies to employees and all persons entering county facilities including all members of the public, contractors, volunteers, and others entering county facilities.
King County’s employee mask policy is updated as follows:
- If you are working indoors or in an enclosed space with others (for example, multiple people in a vehicle) you must wear a mask whether or not you have been fully vaccinated.
- If you are working outdoors, regardless of vaccine status, you may only remove your mask when you are working at least six feet from others.
- Some employees are required to wear masks at all times while working under the state and CDC guidance due to the nature of their work. This includes employees in correctional facilities, homeless shelters, schools, public transportation, long-term care, and healthcare settings.
If an employee has a medical condition that impacts the employee’s ability to wear a mask, they should contact their Human Resources Manager.
The Delta variant of COVID-19 is far more contagious and is spreading twice as quickly as the original strain. Furthermore, people who are infected with it, including some vaccinated people with breakthrough infections, carry around much more virus in their nose and throat. Wearing a high quality, well-fitting mask will help us stop the spread of COVID-19 and its dangerous variants, including Delta.
The most important tool for limiting the spread of COVID-19 and protecting everyone in our community is getting vaccinated. If you haven’t already been vaccinated, you can find out where to get your shot and find answers to your questions at www.kingcounty.gov/vaccine.
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Street and sidewalk closures around City Hall Park
A series of street, lane, and sidewalk closures will commence Friday, August 13, around City Hall Park as the City of Seattle prepares to close the park and begin restoration at the site.
For the past six weeks, a County and City-funded contractor called the JustCARE program has been working with the 50-plus people living in the park, located just south of the King County Courthouse, to help them move voluntarily to safer and more sustainable shelter options. This includes individual safety and shelter plans for each person. As of today, almost all the people who were living in the park have now vacated it, moving to indoor shelter options provided by the City and County.
The City of Seattle has posted signage at the park announcing that it will close City Hall Park Friday morning, August 13. Starting at approximately 6 a.m. tomorrow, there will be street, lane, and sidewalk closures as the Seattle Department of Transportation and Seattle Parks and Recreation prepare to begin restoration work at and around the park. These closures and changes include:
- The 4th Ave & Jefferson St south crosswalk will be closed, but the east and north legs will be open to maintain ease of access to King County facilities
- Sidewalks surrounding the park and crosswalks leading to the Park itself will be closed, and pedestrians will be directed to use sidewalks on opposite sides of each affected arterial
- There will be curbside lane closures on 4th Ave and Yesler Way
- Dilling Way and its angled parking will be closed
- Fencing around the park will begin to go up once the park is closed. Once fencing is completed, the surrounding sidewalks and crosswalks should be reopened unless necessary fencing precludes their use.
In addition, sidewalk repair work at 3rd Avenue and Yesler Way begins Monday, August 16, and pedestrians will continue to be detoured around that smaller workzone next week and potentially into the week after.
We appreciate your patience and understanding as this work is undertaken.
Employee News 