Using sick leave to volunteer helps employees make a difference in our community
This week, April 19–25, is National Volunteer Week and King County’s Employee Giving Program offers a unique way for employees to convert up to three instances of sick leave each year to volunteer in their community.
The volunteer program allows all employees covered by the Coalition Labor Agreement with the King County Coalition of Unions, other collective bargaining units that have ratified this option, and all non-represented employees to use up to three instances of sick leave per year for volunteer service at a local school or participating Employee Giving Program nonprofit.
“Volunteering is one way we stay connected to the communities we serve,” King County Executive Girmay Zahilay said. “It puts our ‘Be in community’ value into action by showing up for the people who call this region home. As public servants, we care deeply about our neighbors, and this benefit helps us build real relationships and trust beyond the workplace.”
Volunteer service includes a wide range of opportunities including gifts of time, labor, or expertise in support of community initiatives, which directly benefit the community beyond our immediate selves and families, and results in improvements to our local or global community.
Employee Social Impact and Well-being Manager Junelle Kroontje says, “Nonprofits are really excited about this benefit and have some super cool opportunities for our employees to engage in, from long-term board service to helping out at specific events.” Read more.
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Executive celebrates Library Week with visit to Tukwila branch of King County Library System
King County Executive Girmay Zahilay visited a King County library this week to highlight the importance of childhood programs and resources for families delivered in partnership with Best Starts for Kids.
“For Library Week, I visited the King County Library System Tukwila branch to see programs supported in partnership with Best Starts for Kids,” Executive Zahilay said.
“Libraries are places where kids can explore, learn, and build important early skills through play, reading, and connection with others. These programs are designed to support healthy development and help families access resources in their own communities. I had a tough assignment because Jazzy wasn’t ready for playtime to end.”
Check out this short video and learn more about Best Starts for Kids programs here.
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Collaboration improves payroll processes, pays employees faster
Crossposted from the DES Express
When an employee’s timecard isn’t approved during the regular payroll cycle, they’ve traditionally had to wait for a paper check – either mailed through the U.S. Postal Service or picked up in the Chinook Building downtown. To improve this experience, the Department of Human Resources (DHR), Benefits, Payroll, and Retirement Operations team (BPROS) partnered with several agencies, including the Business Resource Center (BRC), Treasury, and Finance, to launch a project to reduce paper checks and enhance customer service for the nearly 18,000 employees that work for King County.
“Now you don’t have to come get a paper check or wait for it to come in the mail,” said Tracey Dang, Strategic Planning Manager in the BRC. Reads more.
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Prescription reminders for employees on Regence medical plans
Please note the following pharmacy updates and reminders for employees and family members enrolled in the KingCare and KingCare Select (Regence) medical plans.
Consent now required for mail-order prescriptions. You can get a 90-day supply of many medications delivered to your home for the price of two monthly copays from Costco Mail Order Pharmacy. Washington state law (RCW 48.200.310), designed to increase transparency and protect consumers, became effective Jan. 1, 2026. In response, Costco now requires active verbal consent from a member before filling a mail-order prescription. You will receive either a text message or a phone call, at the number you provided in your Costco Mail Order Pharmacy account, advising you that consent is needed to fill your order. You must call Costco Mail Order Pharmacy at 800-607-6861 and provide verbal consent for your mail order to proceed.
Pick up a 90-day supply of medication at a local pharmacy. You can pick up a 90-day supply of maintenance medications at many retail pharmacy stores for the cost of two monthly copays. A 90-day supply is offered by most pharmacies except CVS and Walgreens, which limit purchases to 30-day supplies.
Grace period ends April 30, 2026, for non-covered medications and medications requiring preauthorization. A few medications previously covered by the CVS drug formulary are not covered under the Ventegra Premium Formulary or require a new preauthorization. King County approved coverage of these medications during a four-month grace period that ends April 30, 2026.
In late February, Ventegra mailed a letter to impacted employees and family members notifying them to take action before April 30 to ensure coverage of medications that meet their needs. If you have questions about your prescription coverage, alternative drugs, or the prior authorization process, call Ventegra Customer Care at 844-571-2982.
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Facilities Management recognizes Women’s History Month
Crossposted from the DES Express
FMD would like to recognize and sincerely thank all women in FMD.
Your collective efforts keep King County’s buildings safe and clean, ensure bills are paid, and continuous improvements are made as well as many more impactful contributions you all make across the division.
Please take a moment to watch this video, which highlights the experiences of four FMD women leaders and shares what Women’s History Month means to them.
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Work moving forward at new RASKC facility
Renovations to the new Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC) shelter location in Kent continue to move ahead on schedule.
On April 2, members of the RASKC team met on-site with the county’s Facilities Management Division (FMD) and the design team to look at draft floorplans and get an idea of what the flow through the building will look like. They were joined by Winnie, a RASKC alumnus dog, who has become the project’s unofficial mascot. Read more.
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Sea26: Information at your fingertips as Metro launches ‘SEA26 Soccer’ page
Crossposted from Metro Matters
Once upon a time, you could tell a tourist by the number of brochures they were juggling in their hands. The brochures are still there, giving you information on what you want to see and how you can get there, but instead of juggling sheets of paper, all you need is your smartphone!
As Seattle gets ready to host soccer matches this summer, Metro has just introduced an easy and convenient way to get the information you need to use transit to get around the region.
Introducing Metro’s SEA26 Soccer page! Read more.
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Discounts available for Seattle Children’s Theatre
King County employees can now take advantage of discounted opportunities at the Seattle Children’s Theatre.
Receive 20% off each ticket for performances this season. Performances include Robin Hood and Billy Goats Gruff and Other Tales. Use discount code KING20. Purchase tickets here.
Receive 15% off for upcoming summer camps held at Seattle Children’s Theatre offering engaging, hands-on experiences for young people to build confidence, creativity, and storytelling skills in a fun and supportive environment. Excludes partnership camps held offsite. Use discount code KING15. View available summer camps here.
See all available discounts on the Employee Discount intranet page.
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DCHS crisis services are available 24/7
King County voters approved the Crisis Care Centers Levy in 2023. The Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) initiative is making it easier for everyone in King County to get the specialized care they need in a moment of crisis, which includes having the 988 crisis line to call or text, trained crisis teams to respond in-person, a network of five Crisis Care Centers to go, and post-crisis teams to follow up.
The first Crisis Care Center, Connections Kirkland, is now open. The next Crisis Care Center will open in Seattle, and future centers in the South and East King County, as well as a dedicated center for youth will open in the coming years.
This Mental Health Awareness Month, we want everyone in King County to know that we have more places open for people to get mental health care, more teams ready to respond in-person, and more capacity for routine appointments and support,” said Dr. Susan McLaughlin, Director, DCHS. “This recent progress transforming our behavioral health care system wouldn’t be possible without the steadfast work and dedication of our Behavioral Health and Recovery Division, the Crisis Care Centers Levy team, and all our community partners.”
Anyone in King County, including youth, can walk into any Crisis Care Center for urgent mental health and substance use care. Young people who need a higher level of care will be transferred to the youth Crisis Care Center for treatment once it opens.
The Crisis Care Centers initiative is also investing to expand existing crisis services, including 988 and crisis response teams, create more longer-term residential treatment capacity and strengthen the community behavioral health workforce.
Click below to meet the providers and teams who are available 24/7 and learn about the early progress King County has made expanding local crisis services.
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April is Records and Information Management Month
King County Executive Girmay Zahilay has proclaimed April as Records and Information Management Month. This month-long observance promotes record keeping best practices, provides awareness of the records management profession, and highlights the benefits of proper records and information management on our daily operations.
Rapid technological changes have transformed how King County conducts business, creating both challenges and opportunities for managing records and ensuring records remain accessible for as long as needed to support county business and comply with the law. King County employees create and receive thousands of records every day that are necessary for the delivery of essential county services and programs. As public servants, each of us has a duty to properly manage these records.
The proper management of records and information lowers risks for King County and helps each of us find the information needed to do our jobs. It directly aligns with the “Better Government” pillar of Executive Zahilay’s 4Bs framework. It also supports various other countywide initiatives and values such as Lean/Continuous Improvement, Equity and Racial and Social Justice, and a commitment to transparency.
What you can do
There are many ways that all employees can contribute to good records management:
- Take online Basic Records Management training (15 minutes)
- File inactive electronic records to Content Manager
- Delete transitory records
- Organize/sort records in Outlook or OneDrive
- Review your agency’s records retention schedule
- Review your agency’s standard work documentation (Standard Operating Procedures / SOPs) to ensure that records management steps are captured.
For more information, reach out to the County Records and Information Management Program (CRIMP) for more information on how to manage county records and information.
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