Pet of the Week: Auggie
Who is this handsome doggie? It’s Auggie, our Pet of the Week! This senior Havanese was brought in by his previous family because they could no longer care for him. Auggie lived in a home with one cat, and is sweet and affectionate. He would be thrilled to cuddle up with you at home! Auggie can be quite shy, so he would do best in a calm and quiet home – that’s why we call him one of our “Bashful Blue” personality pets. He can get anxious when he’s not with his people, so it would be good for him to have a place where people are home all the time. Auggie is so friendly, he would fit in with almost any household, although he doesn’t have much experience with children.
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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October 15: Participate in the ShakeOut drill and KCInform employee alert test
On Oct. 15 at 10:15 a.m., millions of people will practice how to Drop, Cover, and Hold On during an earthquake as a part of the annual ShakeOut drill.
As part of the ShakeOut drill, at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15, we will test KCInform, our employee alert and warning system. A text, voice message, and email will go out to all registered County phones and emails, along with personal phones and emails that have registered. The message will look like this:
This is a test of KCInform, King County’s employee emergency notification system. This is only a test. Remember to Drop, Cover and Hold On at 10:15 a.m. during the Great ShakeOut. Thank you.
KCInform is used to notify County employees of emergency situations, infrastructure disruptions, facility closures, changes in your department’s business operations, and other critical impacts. Your King County desk phone and @kingcounty.gov email address are already in the KCInform system, however please register your County provided cell phone (if applicable) and personal cell phone and email address to ensure you don’t miss important, time-sensitive messages. The service is free and your personal contact information is secure and protected.
If you aren’t registered with KCInform, please contact kcinform@kingcounty.gov to request your unique registration link. Visit the KCInform website to learn more, or watch our short video.
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Free live, virtual exercises classes for King County employees
You asked for it and here it is! In response to employee requests, Balanced You, in partnership with Vivecorp, will begin offering free, live, virtual exercise classes on Wednesday, Oct. 21. King County employees and anyone in their home, including children, are welcome to join.
During the pandemic, many people have shifted to outside exercise due to gym closures and restrictions. As fall and winter set in, Balanced You recognizes that it will be harder to get outdoors and exercise, so we want to provide you with other ways to move. Recently, in Employee News, we asked what type of exercise classes were of interest to employees. King County employees let us know they prefer yoga and strength training, so we designed a schedule focused on these. It’s one more way we’re supporting your health and well-being.
Visit this Balanced You blogpost for the class schedule and instructions on how to register and join. These classes will be hosted on Zoom. They will be begin on October 21 and continue through the end of 2020. We look forward to seeing you there.
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COVID-19 cases are rising in King County – What does that mean for schools?
Crossposted from Public Health Insider
Cases of COVID-19 are on the rise again in King County, after two months of decline. As we move into the school year and into fall, a time when COVID-19 spreads more readily, it’s time to renew our commitment to fighting the spread of the virus in our community, for everyone’s sake. It’s more important than ever to mask up, stay distant and limit your contacts with people outside your household. We’ve driven the case count down before, and we can do it again.
While daily case numbers fluctuate, public health experts look to longer, two-week snapshots as a more reliable way to gauge how the epidemic is growing or shrinking. Adjusting for population, we calculate a key “incidence” metric you may have heard of: cases over 14 days per 100,000 people. This number is a key measure that the Washington Department of Health (DOH) uses to determine whether COVID transmission in a community is high, moderate or low, as it relates to the relative risk of reopening schools.
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Supporting Latinx Heritage Month through the 2020 Annual Giving Drive
As we celebrate Latinx Heritage Month from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, we’re highlighting four nonprofits participating in the Annual Giving Drive whose work supports Latinx, Hispanic, and Latino-identified communities in our region:
- Casa Latina (9307): Empowers Latino immigrants through employment, education, & community organizing toward the full participation of the Latino community in the economy & democracy of this country.
- El Centro de la Raza (9349): Human & Emergency Services (food, housing, etc.), Child & Youth programs (college readiness, academic achievement, etc.), & Education/Asset-building programs (employment, etc.)
- Latino Community Fund of Washington State (9652): Cultivates new leaders, supports cultural and community based non-profit organizations, and improves the quality of life for all Washingtonians.
- Seattle Latino Film Festival (9963): Film festival bringing audiences and filmmakers together for an educational experience and to support the magic of filmmaking as part the global Hispanic culture.
There are hundreds of nonprofits working on the causes you care about that you can support in this year’s campaign. Find out the many ways that you can take action in support of the participating nonprofits who are doing great work in our community and around the world.
From now to Nov. 20, you can go online or use a paper form to make a pledge to your favorite Employee Giving Program nonprofits by:
- Payroll donation: One-time, once–per-month, or twice-per-month.
- Time donation: Eligible vacation or comp time. See your department Lead Ambassador for details in your office.
- Check or credit card: Made out directly to the nonprofit.
- Volunteering: Up to three sick days per calendar year at a nonprofit in the EGP (for non-represented and employees whose union has approved this benefit, including those covered by the Master Labor Agreement).
For more information, contact your Employee Giving Program Ambassador, visit www.kingcounty.gov/giving, email EmployeeGiving@KingCounty.gov or call 206-263-9405.
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Commitment to people with disabilities and Employment First
People with disabilities face long standing barriers obtaining competitive employment. Recent pre-COVID-19 data shows the overall jobless rate for people with disabilities at two times that of people without disabilities, and if you experience a developmental disability, the rate is triple that of your peers who do not have a disability. As we honor Disability Awareness Month this October, we recognize King County’s strong network of people with disabilities, their families, employment service providers, school partnerships, and business champions who are upholding Employment First to help people with developmental disabilities overcome barriers and gain employment in the community.
Employment First has a long history in Washington and King County. It calls out that people with disabilities are productive and highly valued members of a diverse workforce and holds that anyone who wants to work can, regardless of potential obstacles presented by their disability. To make employment a reality, it places the onus on all who ally with job seekers to develop the supports needed to help them reach their employment goals. These values, leading to results-based expectations and state policy, have fueled deep partnerships in King County that have significantly contributed to leading individual employment outcomes in Washington for working-age adults with developmental disabilities.
The King County Employment First Community continues to grow and meets every other month maintaining progress. The group has developed 8 goal areas and guidance for cross-community workgroups that are actively addressing specific challenges, including COVID-19, to make employment for all a reality for our fellow citizens.
If Employment First is of interest and importance to you, please consider joining the community and its work. For more information and how to join, contact Richard.Wilson@kingcounty.gov.
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Volunteer to close a drop box with King County Elections on November 3
Looking for some Election Day excitement? Meet your neighbors and continue your commitment to public service by volunteering as a drop box closer. Drop box closers are the friendly face the public sees on Election Day, ensuring that every vote is counted, and every voice is heard.
- Who: You and your co-workers
- What: Closing ballot drop boxes across King County
- When: Election night, Tuesday, Nov. 3 from 6-8:30 p.m.
- Where: A drop box location near you
- Sign up: Click here.
Most voters wait until Election Day to return their ballots and drop boxes are often busiest in the last few hours of voting. We need your help to provide customer service and assistance to voters using this last opportunity to return their ballots. Sign up and join us for a fun and fulfilling experience helping your neighbors experience the excitement and community of casting their ballots.
You’ll be partnered with Elections staff and no experience is necessary – we provide all the training you need.
All locations are outside, and we ask that volunteers wear masks to help prevent the spread of CoVID-19. If you do not have a mask, we can provide one for you. More information about precautions being taken will be provided to all volunteers ahead of Election Day.
Our colleagues who volunteered in the August Primary described their experiences as rewarding, safe, and inspiring. Join us by signing up to help with the Primary election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020 from 6-8:30 p.m.
Please note that this volunteer opportunity is for current King County employees only and is not open to those outside of King County employment, including friends and family.
Have questions? Learn more here.
Fun Fact: On National Voter Registration Day, Sept. 22, we saw 10,000 new voters added to the rolls. Are you registered? The simplest way to register to vote is to go online to VoteWA.gov. The deadline to register to vote online or return a paper registration form by mail is Monday, Oct. 26.
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Training Spotlight for October 13
- QuickBooks Level 1 – Online – North Seattle College – Explore everything you need to get started with QuickBooks Desktop. This class is $85.00 and takes place on Thursdays for two sessions on Oct. 15 and 22. Register here
More opportunities are available on our King County Eventbrite page. 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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Celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Today we celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day and the rich heritage, culture, contributions, and resilience of Indigenous people in our region and here at King County.
There are 29 federally recognized tribes in Washington State and King County is home to a thriving Native American population from Tribal nations across the country. We are on the ancestral lands of the Muckleshoot, Snoqualmie, Puyallup, Tulalip, and Suquamish Tribes, and the Duwamish people.
Our region benefits tremendously from the generations of Native people on whose land we currently live, and who today continue to fight for their rights, and to protect and promote their culture, language, customs, and values – and their future.
Generations of racist practices and institutions continue to harm and hold back Native people nationally and in Washington State. Native people experience disproportionately worse outcomes in our community: health, access to housing and good paying jobs, educational attainment, income, incarceration rates, and more. This year’s Count Us In, the annual Point-in-Time count for Seattle and King County, found that while Native American/Alaska Native people made up one percent of the population in Seattle/King County, 15 percent of the respondents are experiencing homelessness.
Yet as they have done for generations, Indigenous people continue to stand strong in the face of racism, oppression, and injustice. For several years, our employee-led King County Native American Leadership Council has worked hard to lift up the voices of our Native employees and to serve as a link to Tribal communities and urban Native people throughout King County. Together with our Tribal partners, we are working to develop community-driven solutions and a strong government-to-government relationship between King County and Tribal nations that help ensure that Native people can truly thrive in this region.
All of us benefit from strong partnerships with Indigenous people, and the knowledge, perspectives, and experiences they contribute to our workforce and community. As a government and individually, we all have a responsibility to work to remove the barriers which negatively impact the Native community. We have an obligation to ensure future generations thrive.
On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, let us join with the Indigenous community and honor their ancestors in fostering justice and combating racism, and building a strong future here in King County and across the United States.
Sincerely,
Dow Constantine
King County Executive
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Reasonable Accommodations for WA State DOC Prisoners, October 15
The King County Superior Court and Community Committee presents a facilitated panel discussion on the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and how it functions within Washington’s Department of Corrections (DOC), in particular how Washington State prisoners interact with the ADA-mandated reasonable accommodation process and the DOC’s duties in providing reasonable accommodations to prisoners with disabilities.
- Thursday, Oct. 15 from 12:15 – 1:30 p.m. Join via Zoom. Use passcode: 239752. To dial in, call 253-215-8782 and use ID# 91789390895.
King County Superior Court Judge David Whedbee will host the discussion between Assistant Attorney General Candie Dibble, who regularly represents the DOC in healthcare-related litigation; Risa Klemme, DOC’s statewide ADA Compliance Manager; and Heather McKimmie, a senior attorney at Disability Rights Washington and Director of the AVID Program, which focuses on advocacy for individuals with disabilities in Washington prisons, jails, and the Special Commitment Center.
The presentation will also recognize the 30th anniversary of the ADA as the speakers address how DOC has evolved its reasonable accommodation process in compliance with the ADA over the last 30 years, what the current cutting-edge ADA issues are, and how structural and institutional shortcomings may still need to remedied.
Employee News 