Have you delayed routine dental care?
If you haven’t had a preventive dental check-up this year because of concerns about the coronavirus or difficulty scheduling an appointment, don’t worry—your dental plan incentive level will not be impacted.
Under the Delta Dental plan design, diagnostic and preventive care—such as exams, cleanings, and x-rays—are 100% covered for those in the Regular or Transit ATU 587 employee benefit groups.
An incentive program applies to crowns and restorative services, including fillings, endodontics, periodontics, and oral surgery. For those in the Deputy Sheriff employee benefit group, the incentive program also applies to diagnostic and preventive care.
Normally, your benefit level increases each year until you reach the highest incentive level—as long as you see a dentist at least once per year. However, when you are ready to see your dentist next year, your incentive level will be the same as it is currently.
In addition, dental offices have implemented new protocols, including additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), to protect the health and safety of you and your family members.
If you have questions about your dental benefits, please go to Dental and Vision Plans or contact the Benefits Team at 206-684-1556 or KC Benefits.
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Roads Services Division receives Public Employer of the Year Award
Pictured: In October, King County Road Services Division received the Public Employer of the Year Award at the 28th annual Governor’s Awards.
On Oct. 27, the Governor’s Committee on Disability Issues and Employment (GCDE) held their 28th annual Governor’s Awards, which recognizes outstanding employers in the public and private sector who recruit, retain and advance individuals with disabilities and demonstrate best practices in the workplace. The Public Employer of the Year Award went to King County Roads Services Division for their dedication and support of Matt Everson, an employee in King County’s Supported Employment Program.
This is the first time King County has received the Public Employer of the Year Award and the second time it has been nominated. Jeremy Ferguson, Traffic and Roads Maintenance Section Manager stated, “What a surprise! I was just put on the spot to receive the Public Employer of the Year Award from the Governor’s Committee on Disability Issues and Employment in a statewide Zoom call. This is an incredible honor, and we couldn’t have done it without the innovation and leadership of staff, especially Kathi Murata and Julie Griffin.”
“Matt is truly a great asset to our team,” Jeremy continues. “He brings joy on gloomy days, even from home as we work through this pandemic. Christina Davidson has helped guide us along the way, and job coaches at Trillium Employment Services have been great to work with.”
As COVID-19 hit and Executive Constantine implemented mandatory telecommuting (now extended until July 5, 2021), this dramatically impacted supported employees within King County, many who provide in office support. During this time, the Roads Division advocated for Matt to resume his work remotely, identifying new tasks and creative ways to have the work delivered to him. Matt was assisted in setting up a laptop and monitor to work from home. His work is now sent via company courier with assigned pick-up and delivery times. Matt’s managers, co-workers, previous co-workers, and job coach have kept in touch to support Matt over Skype, email, FaceTime, text and phone calls. Staying connected is crucial aspect to Matt’s success and adjusting to the “new normal.”
During the Governor’s Awards virtual celebration, Governor Inslee shared how “As COVID-19 began hitting businesses, many employees with disabilities were laid off or furloughed. Today, we recognize employers who have found new ways to continue operations with their staff. There is a real opportunity here to take the lead in rolling out workplace plans, mediating risk of the virus, and making their workplace inclusive to those with a disability.”
It is exciting that King County can receive the Public Employer of the Year Award, a testament to employees who care about one another’s success, such as the King County Road Services Division. Christina Davidson, Supported Employment Program Manager, highlights how this makes a real impact on supported employees.
“It is powerful to be recognized for King County’s work to hire and retain employees with developmental disabilities through the Supported Employment Program, especially during the challenging times of COVID-19,” she said. ”The Roads team has been very supportive to Matt since he started and that has continued through the telecommute mandate.
“King County is proud to offer career and life changing opportunities to employees,” Christina shared.
To learn more, visit the Supported Employment Program website, or contact Program Manager Christina Davidson at Christina.Davidson@kingcounty.gov to find out how to take advantage of this program.
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Mask usage up to 88%; Dispensers added to 200 more buses
Crossposted from Metro Matters
Thank you for wearing a mask! Mask usage among bus and shuttle passengers increased to 88% during the week of Nov. 23. Our mask counters observed the following usage among bus and shuttle passengers in recent weeks:
- 88% – Week of Nov. 23., 2020
- 85% – Week of Nov. 16, 2020
- 83% – Week of Nov. 9, 2020
- 84% – Week of Nov. 2, 2020
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Featured Job: King County Flood Control District Chief Engineer
Salary: $112,856.00 – $151,779.00 Annually
Location: Seattle, WA
Job Type: Appointed
Department: KCC – King County Council
Job Number: 2020-12537
Learn more about this position or view all available positions.
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Pet of the Week: Maya
Hi! My name is Maya and I am available for adoption. I am about 103 pounds! I was nominated as the Pet of the Week on December 8, 2020. This means that my adoption fee has been waived. I was brought in by my previous owner on November 12, 2020 because the owner had medical issues and can no longer care for me. My previous owner described me as super friendly and loving, but very strong and active! Staff here noticed that I may not do well with cats, or other dogs. I would do best as the only pet in an adult only home! My personality color is RED. I am a spirited dog with a fun-loving personality! I am still working on my manners, so I would do best with a family who is willing to work with me and help me become the best dog I can be!
Read more and view all available pets at www.kingcounty.gov/adoptapet. Have you or someone you know adopted a pet from RASKC? Let us know. We’d love to tell your story.
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Video: Dr. Jeff Duchin on COVID-19 trends in King County and vaccine planning
Crossposted from Public Health Insider
With COVID-19 continuing to spread rapidly in King County, Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin shared the latest data and took questions from reporters during a media briefing on Friday, December 4, 2020. Dr. Duchin also offered advice on flattening the curve going into the December holidays, and discussed what we know about vaccine planning.
For more on COVID-19 data trends, visit our data dashboards. For more on COVID-19 vaccine planning in King County, visit www.kingcounty.gov/covid/vaccine
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Training Spotlight for December 10
Winter classes through Seattle College campuses are now available. See the new lineup here at the King County Eventbrite page.
Please visit our King County Eventbrite website and our Learning and Development website for more opportunities. For more information, contact the Learning and Development Team at KCTraining@kingcounty.gov or visit Learning and Development at www.kingcounty.gov/learning.
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Three easy steps to file your 2020 records
Sure a lot has changed in 2020, but all King County employees are still required to file public records in Content Manager (even if you’re working from home). Complete these easy steps and cross electronic records management off your “to do” list:
- Delete transitory records from your inbox, SharePoint, or drives.
- File records with 2020 year-end cutoff dates into Content Manager. Your records will count toward your agency’s year-end filing stats. Don’t know the retention period for your records? See the King County Retention Schedules.
- Set up your folders for records with a 2021 year-end cutoff date in Outlook, SharePoint, and Content Manager.
“Records management is an employee responsibility all year long, but year end is a great time to clean up and start fresh in the new year,” Lisa Mankin, Records Management Analyst, said.
As King County continues to deal with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, much of the county workforce is either adapting to long-term telework or facing space consolidations and office moves. So what do you do with the paper records left in your office?
Some agencies have decided to “scan and toss.” A blanket Disposition After Digitization now allows agencies, including those transitioning to work from home, the ability to scan and toss certain types of records as long as they meet the Washington State imaging standards.
“Digitizing paper records can be a time-consuming task, but this solution has the benefit of reducing your file room size and makes records more accessible for employees working remotely,” Mankin said.
Here are additional resources to help employees facing office moves or transitioning to long-term telework:
For more information, or for a personalized consultation, contact Records Management at Records.Management@kingcounty.gov or 206-477-6889.
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Disability Employment Etiquette, December 11
The Council of State Governments (CSG) and the State Exchange on Employment and Disability will present a webinar on “Disability Employment Etiquette” as part of CSG’s 2020 National Conference. The webinar will focus on interacting with people with disabilities and creating inclusive workplaces.
- Friday, Dec. 11 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Register here.
Additionally, the Partnership on Employment and Accessible Technology has released “Making Documents Accessible,” a resource to ensure documents are designed so people with and without disabilities can easily access and edit them. View “Making Documents Accessible” here.
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Pet of the Week: Grace
I was nominated as the Pet of the Week on December 3, 2020. This means that my adoption fee has been waived. I am a sweet, elegant lady who is looking for a quiet home where I can be given space to do my own thing, and solicit attention on my terms–I am very affectionate once I warm up to new humans, and my purr is loud and true! I also make excellent biscuits, and I have the prettiest eyes in all of the cattery. My personality color is RED. I am a spirited cat with a fun-loving personality! I may be sensitive to handling, so I would do best in a home with a cat savvy family who knows when to give me some space.
Read more and view all available pets at www.kingcounty.gov/adoptapet. Have you or someone you know adopted a pet from RASKC? Let us know. We’d love to tell your story.
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