Building a more resilient, sustainable, equitable King County: Executive Constantine announces regional strategy to confront climate change
King County Executive Dow Constantine today announced his proposal for the 2020 Strategic Climate Action Plan, which includes cutting greenhouse gas emissions countywide in half by the end of the decade, a stronger focus on climate justice, and preparing the region for climate impacts.
“Climate change is impacting King County today, deepening inequities and intensifying natural hazards – flooding, wildfires, extreme heat – that put people, our economy, and our environment at risk,” said Executive Constantine. “We surpassed many of our goals from the current Strategic Climate Action Plan by listening to experts, basing decisions on science, embracing innovation, and forging strong partnerships. This next plan builds on our momentum, operating at a region-wide scale with a stronger commitment to climate justice.”
The 2020 Strategic Climate Action Plan is a five-year blueprint for county climate action, integrating climate change into all areas of county operations and its work with all 39 cities, partners, communities, and residents.
Read more in the official press release, and view the video below to learn more.
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Featured Job: Economic Development and Veteran Initiatives Manager/PPM IV
Salary: $100,134.11 – $126,926.18 Annually
Location: WA 98188, WA
Job Type: Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week
Department: DCHS – Community & Human Services
Job Number: 2020SC12001
Division: Adult Services
Closing: 8/30/2020 11:59 PM Pacific
Learn more about this position or view all available positions.
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Pet of the Week: June
Hi! My name is June and I am available for adoption. I am an affectionate lovebug who would be thrilled to cuddle up with you at home! I am a very smart dog! At the shelter I am practicing how to “sit”, “stay”, “come”, and “stop.” Because of my shy nature, I would do best in a calm, quiet home. My personality color is BLUE. I am a gentle and loving dog who likes to take things slow. I may get nervous in new situations, so I am looking for a family who understands that I might take some time to warm up. Once I get to know you, I will be a very devoted friend.
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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Taking a stand to end violence, racism, and death
Dear fellow King County employees,
This week, our nation is once again convulsed by the police shooting of a Black man – this time Jacob Blake in Wisconsin.
With the worldwide outrage and protests in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis earlier this year, people from all walks of life are demanding immediate, and meaningful change. The shooting of Jacob Blake again shows how far we still have to go, and the struggles that we must overcome, to make a fair, equitable and racially just society a reality.
I know many are hurting right now. Just as the killing of George Floyd did, this latest shooting highlights the painful reality not just of our past, but our present. I recognize that our Black neighbors, friends, loved ones and colleagues, experience this pain most acutely.
It is directly to you that I now speak – our Black/African American colleagues and co-workers. As a white man, I recognize that I cannot begin to understand your experience in the same way you do, in the way Black and indigenous Americans in particular, including perhaps your own ancestors, have for generations.
What I and each of us must do is to stand strong and move in solidarity and unity to dismantle and replace the institutional and structural racism which impact all communities, but especially and uniquely black, indigenous and communities of color.
Finally, I recognize the importance of today as the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial 57 years ago. There he challenged America to grow up, grow out of its stunted adolescence, and live up to its promise – challenged all Americans to work toward a better, more just future. It also does not escape me that this is also the 65th anniversary of the death of Emmett Till, the Black 14-year-old who was lynched in Mississippi and whose death continues to serve as a clarion call against racist hate and violence.
To you and to all County employees I say that to give in to hopelessness and despair is to fail to rise to Dr. King’s challenge, and to give up on America. Individually and collectively, we must take a stand and work for racial justice, to build a nation that fulfills its potential and its noblest founding ideals.
As the King County Executive and as your colleague, I am committed to using my position to do this, starting here in Martin Luther King Jr. County.
Please stay strong and stay safe. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Dow Constantine
King County Executive
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BRC gets national attention for credit card solution
King County continues to make waves nationally, in so many positive ways. Julia Cordero’s article about the county’s implementation of virtual credit cards as a new payment method in 2019 was recently published in Insight magazine, a national industry magazine that highlights best practices and innovative solutions. Cordero initially presented at Oracle Applications and Technology Users Group’s national conference last year. She was asked to write an article for Insight.
By Julia Cordero, ERP Project/Program Manager, Business Resource Center
What are Virtual Credit Cards?
With procurement card fraud on the rise, organizations are looking for ways to minimize unauthorized transactions. The now ubiquitous EMV chip cards have emerged as a way to increase security for card-present (CP) transactions, which are those in which the customer physically uses the card at the point of sale. In contrast, card-not-present (CNP) transactions, such as those involving online purchases, continue to be vulnerable to fraud.
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Strategic Interviewing Tips and Techniques – online, Sept. 16
King County Career Support Services staff will provide you with strategies and tips to help you to do your best during the interview. This training will include:
- How to prepare for a virtual job interview
- The interview structure and types of questions you will be asked
- The STAR-LA method and how to use it to provide organized and complete responses
- General tips and strategies
The workshop will be held via Zoom Wednesday, Sept. 16, from 10 a.m. to noon. Register here.
Additional courses are available on the Career Support Services training page. For questions or more information visit www.kingcounty.gov/CSS or contact Career Support Services at CareerSupportServices@kingcounty.gov.
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Options for flexible work schedules during COVID-19
King County now offers employees the option to flex their work hours where business needs allow for it.
Where permitted, an employee may adjust the time period in which they complete each day’s required work hours to help them better manage the competing demands on their time. For example, instead of a standard 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. work schedule, an employee may be permitted to adjust their schedule to 6 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. five days a week. Employees may also be permitted to adjust their schedule to work a different number of hours on each day of the week as long as they complete their regular 35- or 40- hour work week.
This option will not be appropriate for every employee or every function and will require the approval of an employee’s supervisor. Any change to the schedule of an employee represented by a labor organization must be consistent with the relevant collective bargaining agreement. If an employee would like to adjust their hours, they are encouraged to have this discussion with their supervisor. A Pandemic Alternative Work Arrangements form must be completed and approved by the employee’s supervisor prior to beginning an adjusted schedule. After an employee begins an adjusted schedule, supervisors should conduct periodic reviews with the employee to evaluate the success of the arrangement.
For more information and the form, visit the Human Resources webpage on accessing leave during COVID-19.
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Updated mask guidance for employees
King County has released updates to its Guidance for Workforce, Operations, and Customer Service Recovery and Temporary COVID-19 Personnel Policy, and has provided new guidance on face masks.
Under the updated policy, “individuals should use county provided masks or substantially similar masks in the workplace. Bandanas, gaiters, buffs, vented masks and face shields are not permitted substitutes for masks” (Temporary COVID-19 Personnel Policy, page 9).
Face masks must be worn properly in order to avoid contaminating the hands or face of the user. The County has cloth masks available for all employees to use in the workplace. Employees’ supervisors will tell them if a specific type of mask is required for their job.
In this unprecedented time, when individuals can be infected and contagious before or without symptoms and evidence suggests a significant number of infections may be transmitted this way, face coverings must be worn to prevent inadvertently spreading COVID-19 while interacting with others.
If an employee has COVID-19 symptoms, the employee should not report to a King County worksite. The employee should stay home, contact their medical provider and their supervisor or human resources manager. Refer to the Temporary COVID-19 Personnel Policy for more details on scenarios regarding COVID-19 testing and required protocols.
Read the policy for more information, and talk to your supervisor or your department’s Human Resources Manager (SharePoint: employee access only) if you have additional questions.
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New support and resources to help employees during COVID-19
King County has announced some new financial resources, tools, and policy decisions to help employees manage during this pandemic and make our work sites safer for everyone.
The new resources include support setting up remote workspaces, more options for flexible work schedules, support resources and leave options for parents with school-aged children at home, and updated guidance on wearing face masks at work. The Guidance for Workforce, Operations, and Customer Service Recovery has also been updated and divided into two separate guides with specific information for employees in one guide, and managers and supervisors in the other.
“Many King County employees are teleworking through Jan. 8, 2021, as we try to limit the transmission of the novel coronavirus and slow the spread of COVID-19,” Chief People Officer Whitney Abrams said. “Many employees are also showing up every day, onsite, while navigating the personal impacts of this pandemic. The announcement that most schools will start remotely in fall of 2020 creates additional challenges for working parents, as does caring for elderly or sick family members. This stuff is not easy, and it takes a toll!”
To support employees and keep our workspaces safer, King County has announced:
- Support setting up a remote workspace: Necessary furniture and equipment can be purchased prior to the end of 2020, and the County will provide computers and technology to support teleworking. Reimbursement may not be available after Dec. 30, 2020. See page 6 of the guide.
- More flexible work schedules: New options to flex work hours and adjust the time period in which work hours can be completed. See page 8 of the guide.
- Leave options for parents with children at home: King County offers a variety of leaves to help employees support our community and take care of themselves and their families during the COVID-19 outbreak. See our new Guidance for Parents with Children at Home for details.
- Childcare, self-care, and parenting resources: King County’s Making Life Easier program has produced a Parenting Toolkit called You’re Still Parenting Through a Pandemic: A Guide for Sustaining Yourself and Your Family in a Changing Landscape (when prompted, enter password “king county”).
- Face masks: Employees should use only County-provided masks, or masks that are very similar. Bandanas, gaiters, buffs, vented masks, and face shields should not be substituted for face masks. The County has cloth masks available for all employees to use in the workplace. See page 9 of the Temporary COVID-19 Personnel Policy. Certain higher-risk situations (like work in medical clinics) require specific masks, and if you or your employees have questions, please check with your department’s Human Resources Manager (SharePoint: employee access only) for more information about specific mask requirements.
For additional information, please consult your department’s Human Resources Manager or your supervisor.
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Creating Effective Application Materials – online, Sept. 1
King County Career Support Services staff will provide you with strategies and tips on making your application materials stand out. This training will include:
- Understanding the purpose of the job application, resume, cover letter and supplemental questions and how to make each of them more effective
- Deciding what to include in your resume and the best format to showcase your qualifications
- How to write a cover letter tailored to the specific position
- Identifying and showcasing your accomplishments
This workshop will be held via Zoom Tuesday, Sept. 1 from 1-3 p.m. Register here.
Additional courses are available on the Career Support Services training page. For questions or more information visit www.kingcounty.gov/CSS or contact Career Support Services at CareerSupportServices@kingcounty.gov.
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