No need to wait for a COVID-19 vaccine
If you’ve been waiting to get vaccinated against COVID-19, drop-in vaccination is available at vaccination sites across King County, no appointment needed.
Vaccination in your car is available every day at the Snoqualmie Valley Hospital and on Mondays at King County’s Auburn Outlet Collection clinic. The Auburn clinic is open until 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, and several sites are open on Saturdays and Sundays. Please see the list of sites below for more details.
As of May 13, everyone ages 12 and older is eligible for COVID-19 vaccination. Learn more about vaccination for youth at kingcounty.gov/vaccine/youth.
Vaccines are available across King County at high-volume vaccination sites, pharmacies and clinics (and many don’t require appointments). To schedule a vaccination appointment in advance at King County’s Kent ShoWare and Auburn Outlet Collection clinics, click here.
Visit our one-stop employee COVID-19 vaccines webpage where you can learn how to find out when you are eligible, how to schedule a vaccine, your leave options, and much more.
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King County Security Tips – Wire Transfer Fraud
What would you do if you received an email from your CEO or CFO asking you to make an immediate or urgent wire transfer of funds? If you are the person in your organization who is responsible for such tasks and receive requests like this regularly, you may not think twice.
However, with the increased sophistication of hackers and cybercriminals, you must Stop, Look, and Think before deciding how to proceed. Business Email Compromise is an advanced form of spear-phishing which targets employees of businesses that routinely perform wire transfer payments or work with foreign companies or suppliers. This form of cybercrime is steadily on the rise, and companies are losing thousands, even millions of dollars instantly because of a spoofed or compromised email address.
How it Happens
First, the scammers target the email accounts of business executives or high-level employees. Either they will gain actual access to those individuals’ email accounts through a targeted phishing attack and wait for the perfect time to take over (such as when those employees go on vacation or leave for a business trip), or they will simply spoof the email address and change where the email is sent when it is replied to. This is called header manipulation. Then, they will email an employee within an organization who may be responsible for making wire transfers or handling funds, asking them to process a transaction.
When you receive any requests to transfer or wire funds:
- Look closely to verify the email address when you receive a wire transfer or monetary transaction request. Check for any spelling errors or missing letters.
- Call the person who is requesting the transfer directly to verify that the request is legitimate, or follow your corporate verification procedures carefully.
- If you think a request is suspicious in any way, trust your instincts and inform management or IT immediately.
- If you reply to the message, be sure to look at the real email address before replying.
To prevent your email from being the one that is compromised:
- Never provide your security or account credentials to anyone.
- Do not click on any links or open attachments in emails you receive, unless you are absolutely positive they are safe and from a legitimate sender.
It is best to have a wire transfer process in place that requires more than just an email request. Either a phone call, face-to-face, or multi-person process is best. Remember, you are the key to preventing cybercrime in your organization.
For additional assistance, contact kcitcsat@kingcounty.gov.
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Could you use a vacation?
Updated June 23, 2021
A year ago, at this time, if you had a vacation planned for 2020 you probably cancelled it or were considering cancelling. If you hadn’t planned one, you were probably wondering if and when you would get to travel again.
With almost half of all U.S. adults fully vaccinated, many people have begun traveling again or are making plans to do so. Some have accumulated robust vacation leave balances because of postponed or canceled travel plans. If you are wondering if it is safe to travel, the answer depends on several variables — how you plan to travel, where you want to go, the rates of infection in your destination, and your behavior once you arrive. Fortunately, the CDC has a travel page dedicated to information that can help you with your decisions.
Whether you take a flight to visit relatives, a road trip to a national monument, or just enjoy the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, there are many benefits to stepping away from your busy work routine. Even if you don’t intend to travel this year, taking time away from work can be an important part of managing your overall well-being.
“Vacation doesn’t need to mean travel, but it does mean not working,” explains Mary Norman, King County Employee Assistance Program counselor. She says vacation is a time to intentionally recharge and set aside the responsibility of work. “That means not checking email,” she emphasizes, “Studies show that a rested and relaxed employee is a better co-worker and public servant no matter what their job description.”
If you’re not fully vaccinated yet or just unsure about heading out to those places where social distancing might be a challenge, a break from your daily work routine should still be on your calendar. The popular ‘staycation’ idea, such as tackling a home project or just enjoying some down time with a good book, can do wonders to rejuvenate and recharge you for when you come back to work.
However you decide to take a break, with the mid-year point approaching, it’s a good idea to make those plans as soon as you can. You can always check your leave balances in PeopleSoft. If you have questions about your vacation time, check with your supervisor or HR Manager.
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Mask requirements remain in force for King County employees
On May 13, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities – large or small – without wearing a mask. Washington Governor Jay Inslee announced full alignment with the CDC masking guidance, and provided for businesses to retain the right to require customers and employees to wear masks.
At King County, our existing mask mandate for employees remains in force while we review and update our policy guidance.
Under our Temporary COVID-19 Personnel Policy, “Employees must wear a mask when they cannot maintain a distance of six feet from others, and are strongly encouraged to wear a mask when whenever possible indoors.” This temporary policy applies to all Executive Branch employees. Employees in other branches of County government will receive guidance from their leaders.
Many of our fully vaccinated employees will continue to be required to wear masks under the CDC’s new 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. Prevention measures are still recommended for unvaccinated people.
We will provide further updates once they are available. Thank you.
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King County Security Tips – Is That Email Really from HR?
One of the easiest ways the bad guys trick you into falling victim to their fraudulent scams is to exercise a sense of trust by pretending to be someone you know. More than likely, you receive emails from your Human Resources team on a frequent basis. Scammers take advantage of this constant communication by crafting spear phishing attacks using emails that spoof your HR team.
Spear phishing attacks are email scams that typically target an individual or organization by spoofing, or appearing to come from a trusted sender. Don’t blindly trust emails that seem to come from your HR department. See the tips below to learn more about these types of scams.
How Do I Spot a Fake?
Does this sound like typical communication?
- Pay attention to the context in the body of the email.
Look for spelling errors, grammar errors, and odd sentence structure. - Are you being asked to review unfamiliar policies or procedures?
If you’re being asked to download an attachment or click a link to review a policy you’ve never heard of, think twice before you click. - Are you being asked to do something that wouldn’t typically be addressed via email?
Beware of emails containing an attachment for your “paid bonus” or any other matter that seems out of the ordinary for email communication.
Who sent the email?
- Does the sender’s email address appear to be from an unfamiliar domain or a third-party company?
If the domain of the sender’s email address is generic, for instance, “humanresources.com”, the email may not be from your internal HR department. Ensure the email is from an address that your HR team typically uses to send mail. But remember, even if the domain is from your organization, it could be spoofed. - Does the email signature make sense?
Ensure the signature in the body of the email matches the name and job role of the sender. Some HR phishing scam emails have unusual, or inaccurate job titles in the email signature–or have no signature at all.
When in doubt, always pick up the phone and call someone from your HR team to confirm the email is safe and legitimate. They’ll be thankful you used your resources, rather than putting King County at risk.
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Metro working with Public Health to get the word out to employees about vaccines
While COVID-19 vaccine availability has been steadily increasing in the region, the number of people getting vaccinated has begun to level off. Recently, Metro hosted a King County employee vaccine clinic at Metro’s South Training Center where Virginia Mason Franciscan Health vaccinated 575 King County employees. During the preparation for that clinic, Metro realized that some of their mission-critical workers are hesitant to get the vaccine.
There are still many people in King County who have either decided not to get vaccinated or are still undecided. It’s normal to have questions or concerns about the three vaccines, and it can be difficult to wade through the mass amount of information (and misinformation) coming through on social media, the news, and from friends and family. In addition, a significant number of Metro operators, facility workers, and other mission-critical onsite workers have limited access to email which can make sharing vaccine resources a challenge.
As part of the Metro Employee Vaccine team, Samantha Souffront, Metro’s Wellness Manager, partnered with Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC) to reach staff directly at their worksites to combat misinformation and provide support for employees as they make this important healthcare decision for themselves and their families.
“Metro employee volunteers attended a PHSKC-led training to learn effective ways of addressing hesitancy and sharing factual information one-on-one with their peers,” Samantha said. Beginning May 10, the volunteers began staffing onsite information tables at multiple Metro locations through the month of May, working various shifts, in an “effort to provide vaccine education and answer questions.”
Becky Reitzes, an Educator Consultant II with PHSKC, developed the training for Metro. She has been involved with designing and implementing trainings for a variety of community organizations during the pandemic, providing her extensive experience and knowledge to help them in their efforts to educate the community.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has been an anxious and troubling time for so many people and families in our communities,” Becky explains. “On top of that, there is misinformation out there about the vaccines, and sometimes a distrust in government and medical institutions.”
The goal of this training is to provide volunteers the tools to share accurate information with their Metro peers so they can make informed decisions about the vaccine. This in-person effort also gives our staff the chance to show their co-workers they appreciate and care about the work they do and the essential service they provide to our region.
“The safety and well-being of our employees is always a top priority at Metro,” said Terry White, Metro’s General Manager. “I am very pleased with the outcome of the County’s onsite vaccine clinic, and we will continue to support our employees and their families in making informed decisions and helping them get the vaccine if they choose to do so. I appreciate Public Health’s partnership and the ongoing efforts of our staff and volunteers.”
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Executive Constantine proclaims May as Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders Month
King County Executive Dow Constantine has issued a Proclamation recognizing May as Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders month.
“We honor the invaluable contributions and leadership of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders across King County, whose communities are diverse and distinct in culture, ethnicity, history, language, nationality, racial
identity, religion, and a variety of complex identities – which means there is no single story of the AANHPI experience, but many different stories that strengthen our society,” Executive Constantine said in his Proclamation. “I encourage residents to join in this recognition of the cultures, traditions, and histories of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in our County and nation.”
Read the full proclamation below.
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Mandatory telework to end July 5, 2021
by Dow Constantine, King County Executive
King County Executive
It has been more than a year since I instituted mandatory telework – for those King County employees whose work allowed for it – to slow the spread of COVID-19. I made this decision based on Public Health guidance for how we can make our workplaces as safe as possible for front-line employees and customers while continuing to provide essential in-person service. Your health and safety, and the health and safety of those we serve, continue to guide my decision making.
Vaccines are clearly our best path to ending to this pandemic, and our vaccination program has been very successful. In King County, almost 70% people 16 or older have now had at least their first shot, and nearly 50% are fully vaccinated. This is a tremendous achievement, and a testament to the efforts of our public health professionals, community partners, and volunteers who are working tirelessly to vaccinate every eligible person in our region.
However, we are still in a pandemic, and the number of COVID-19 cases remains too high. At King County we remain under mandatory telecommuting through July 5 for all Executive Branch employees who are currently telecommuting, except where there is an operational need to physically return to the workplace.
While there is still some uncertainty ahead of us, we are planning for the post-pandemic future. After consulting with Public Health experts and other County leaders, I have decided not to extend mandatory telework for Executive Branch employees beyond July 5, 2021. This is the first step in the gradual transition to our post-pandemic Future of Work model for delivering services. Leaders at the King County Sheriff’s Office and Department of Assessments are also ending mandatory telecommuting for their employees on July 5, where applicable. King County Elections and the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office will continue with mandatory telework where applicable beyond July 5 and will provide additional guidance to their employees. Employees in King County Council, Superior Court, and District Court should continue to follow the guidance from their leaders.
Ending the mandatory telework phase of our work does not mean everyone will come back to their worksites on July 6. In fact, most employees who are currently teleworking will continue to work remotely at least part of their workweek during this transition phase.
I recently approved the Future of Work plans submitted by departments for how King County will deliver services after the COVID-19 pandemic. Departments will now begin implementing these plans in accordance with public health guidance. Depending on where you work in our organization, you may continue to provide services in-person, perform all of your work remotely, or observe a hybrid model of both in-person and remote work.
Your department and division leaders will soon begin communicating timelines and expectations with you as we approach July 6. Worksites will only be re-activated when it is safe to do so, facilities and equipment are ready, and the need from our customers is there. We will not take unnecessary risks with health and safety.
We are continuing with plans for the closure of the Administration Building and associated moves to King Street Center and other locations. The Facilities Management Division in the Department of Executive Services is working with affected departments and those employees will receive specific information from their department leaders.
Finally, if you haven’t already had or scheduled a vaccination, I encourage you to book an appointment today, or simply walk in to one of the many clinics now offering vaccines without an appointment. We strongly encourage all employees to get vaccinated in order to protect yourself, your family, and our customers. Go to vaccinelocator.doh.wa.gov to search for COVID-19 vaccine appointments near you by zip code. We have also built an employee vaccines webpage where you can learn how to schedule a vaccine, information about your benefits, and much more. The latest vaccine information from Public Health is available at kingcounty.gov/vaccine.
If you have any questions, please email them to kcemployees@kingcounty.gov and will work to provide answers and compile answers to frequently asked questions.
Please take care of yourself and continue to take measures to keep you, your family, and our community as safe as possible.
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Talent Acquisition steps up to the challenge
Finding the right job candidates during COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown many challenges at King County departments as they work to protect employees and customers from the virus while ensuring their services remain easily accessible. Continuing to recruit talented staff to fill the wide array of positions at the County, while maintaining social distancing is one of those challenges.
Alongside the Talent Acquisition team within the Department of Human Resources (DHR), many departments at King County have their own recruiting teams. As you might expect, initial outreach to candidates is typically done by phone and email. The process of interviews by hiring managers and others has been historically in-person for the most part. When mandatory telework was announced in March 2020, it was all hands-on deck for recruiters in the various departments across King County to manage a major shift in bringing on new talent.
“Interviewers needed to ramp up quickly to get comfortable with the technology and logistics that would now dictate the online interviews they would be conducting,” stressed Jamie Robinson, Sr. Analyst in DHR who leads the process and strategy for King County Talent Acquisition.
Jamie and her colleagues are involved in the development and distribution of recruiting tools and training for King County departments, flexing to provide guidance and support for those who converted to virtual recruiting.
Technology would be the answer and, fortunately, the NEOGOV recruiting system was already in place. Recruiters were accustomed to using it as a tool to house candidate resumes, interview schedules, and track recruitment steps. But there would need to be some training to get Human Resource practitioners, subject matter experts, interviewers, and hiring managers accustomed to the additional functions that could be used to streamline and digitize a formerly paper-heavy process.
The big lift came when the team needed to convert the New Employee Orientation — normally held in person — to completely online. This would take a concerted effort working with several teams in DHR. The NEOGOV system was equipped for onboarding and the team quickly got to work building out the processes, tools, and training to launch it in just a few days.
Some teams that were just getting started using Skype, MS Teams, and Zoom for internal meetings were finding it difficult to transition to online interviews, so the DHR team stepped in to offer assistance in a variety of spaces and provide training in using the Zoom technology for virtual interviews. Jamie stated, “No detail was too small. Things one might not think of, such as making sure the interviewer is in a quiet space or how to create a background that isn’t distracting, became part of the guidance toolkit.”
Not all recruiting steps went virtual
Just as there are many jobs in King County that cannot be performed virtually, some recruiting continues to call for in-person activities. For the Civil Service team, creating a pool of candidates for deputy sheriff openings requires some of the most intense testing and interview processes of any job in the County. One of the initial hiring elements for a deputy position is a physical test, for which there was already a national vendor in place to handle. Now that Civil Service can manage more of the initial rounds of interviewing virtually, they have a broader pool of out-of-area candidates to choose from.
Initial challenges of going virtual for this team included figuring out the logistics on how to provide interview panelists the resources they need. MS Teams was used to create a closed, confidential location for interview materials, and the team converted to using Zoom for interviews. By April last year they were able to shift most work to remote processes, but some required a hybrid approach.
Last summer the team conducted a sergeant’s promotional exam in a gymnasium to accommodate a proctored test for 100 people, on the same day, with enough space for the candidates to socially distance. Those who passed had to come in for an in-person assessment, a set of practical examinations that lasts approximately six hours per candidate.
“I was impressed with how quickly the team adapted, and feedback from candidates has been positive,” said Brannon Mark, Interim Civil Service Administrator. Though she admits the team still deals with “virtual fatigue” from being online so much, since they’re doing eight to 11 interview days per month because the process takes longer and there’s less flexibility in scheduling.
Working with the job candidate
The Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) has been successful in transitioning its processes to a virtual experience. One of its main efforts is to ensure the interview process is fair to all, so if a candidate doesn’t have sufficient online access, they might come into the office to use a computer while the interview panel remains virtual.
Another positive element of working virtually is being able to run everything using the NEOGOV platform from scheduling and confirmations through onboarding and training.
“It really drives efficiencies for us, especially since everyone’s calendars seem to be so full,” states Diana Eberly, Sr. Analyst in DNRP. “The next step we hope to implement is a follow-up survey to measure satisfaction from everyone – candidates, hiring managers, SMS’s and interview panelists. That will help assess how successful we’ve been.”
Find out more about King County careers and open job opportunities at kingcounty.gov/careers.
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