Crossposted from Balanced You

Exercising during a pandemic is tough. Our routines are thrown off. Gyms, Activity Centers, and trailheads are closed. Stress levels are high. Due to the coronavirus response, many employees are working from home, while others are pulling long hours in the office or in the field. Because everything is currently so different, it is easier than normal to get wrapped up in a work project, spend an entire day without exercise or stretching, and end the day with an aching body.

Muscles need a break, not only from strenuous work, but also from continuous, low-level activity like sitting, and repetitive motions like driving a bus. Additionally, regular exercise has been shown to improve depression and anxiety symptoms, which is especially helpful during this time of uncertainty.

Read more from Balanced You.

Reporting to your workplace during a pandemic is challenging. The pace can be frantic, and the work can feel relentless. Many people – colleagues and customers – are stressed out, ourselves included. Whether your job is categorized as essential, front line, first responder, or mission-critical, coming into work at this time can cause anxiety, perhaps even fear. Visit the Balanced You blog for advice from EAP on how to cope with areas where you may be struggling. 

If you are a member of a Deferred Compensation Plan through King County, you will receive guidance from T. Rowe Price on coronavirus-related relief which may be permitted under the Coronavirus Response and the Affordable Care Act (CARE Act). For more information, please visit the T. Rowe Price website or call them at 888-457-5770. 

As our community socially distances to stop the spread of COVID-19, law enforcement officials have seen an increase in domestic violence situations. Throughout the month of March, the Seattle Police Department saw a 21% increase in reported domestic violence.    

King County is here to provide support and resources for survivors of domestic violence and their families. To get help, or support someone in need, review this resources webpage. You can to find out about legal rights, get an order of protection, and other community services. Emergency petitions can be now filed for Anti-Harassment or Stalking Orders remotely. To donate to an organization that provides domestic violence assistance, view a list or nonprofits that participate in the Employee Giving Program here.   

King County employees dealing with a domestic violence situation and in need support, can also call the King County Employee Assistance Program Main Line at 206-263-8733 or email HRDEAP@kingcounty.gov. You can find additional employee resources for emergency housing and community safety here. 

Pictured: Safety straps Metro has installed in all vehicles.

Public Health has stated that essential services, including public transit and paratransit, have critically important tasks that at times involve getting closer than six feet to others. For example, the safety of passengers in wheelchairs relies in some cases on drivers helping to secure them. 

Metro has adhered to Public Health’s guidance to minimize driver-to-passenger interaction by directing riders to board at rear doors if they are able, eliminating fares, and installing safety straps; by regularly sanitizing and deep cleaning vehicles and facilities; and by providing hand sanitizer and gloves to drivers.   

Metro has assembled a task force to explore how to further promote safety. This is part of a commitment to continue providing essential transit service to the community during this time—including for first-responders, grocery store workers, and healthcare providers, while keeping drivers, passengers, and community members as safe as possible.  

For more information about what King County Metro is doing to keep operators and passengers safe, visit the Metro Matters blog. 

In partnership with the state’s health care unions, King County Executive Dow Constantine and King County Council Chair Claudia Balducci today announced that the County reserved a block of rooms at Hotel 116 in Bellevue for healthcare workers who need a place to stay if they are concerned about COVID-19 exposure. 

King County is partnering with Washington State Nurses Association, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, and UFCW 21 to inform their members about this resource.  

“Healthcare workers on the front lines of our crisis response shouldn’t have to put their families and loved ones at risk for doing their jobs. I am gratified to have the opportunity to work with healthcare unions to offer housing for caregivers during this public health emergency, so they can remain safe and care for our community,” said Executive Constantine. 

Read more in the official press release. 

King County is working hard to address the challenges that have arisen from the coronavirus, and is providing new ways to support employees. Some employees are impacted more than others, and will exhaust their paid leave while recovering their health or caring for others. With this in mind, the Emergency Leave Donation Program was developed so that employees who have been affected by COVID-19 can request donated leave.

Employees interested in supporting colleagues affected by COVID-19 can donate accrued sick and vacation leave in two different ways:

• Using PeopleSoft to make donations. Learn how by viewing this PeopleSoft Emergency Leave Donation guide (SharePoint), or viewing this short video (also below) from the King County Business Resource Center to help with PeopleSoft entries.
• Completing the Emergency Leave Donation Form, which is a fillable PDF and can be submitted electronically without printing. The completed PDF form can be emailed to EmergencyDonation@kingcounty.gov.

Employees who need leave due to a COVID-19 related absence can request donated leave from the program using the Emergency Leave Request Form. This fillable PDF form can also be completed on a computer and emailed, without needing to be printed. The completed PDF form can be emailed to EmergencyDonation@kingcounty.gov.

For more information about supporting one another through the Emergency Leave Donation Program, visit the webpage here. See the FAQ information on how to mail or interoffice mail any completed forms.

https://vimeo.com/403865931/c43a6136c3

Crossposted from Public Health Insider 

Public Health – Seattle & King County provides tips to minimize risk when travelling to necessary medical appointments – including for people who have symptoms of COVID-19. In addition, Public Health reported 202 new cases of COVID-19 today, bringing the official case count in King County to 3688. Fourteen new deaths were reported, bringing the total of COVID-19 deaths in King County to 244. 

Story: Tips for safer transportation to necessary medical care 

Even with the Governor’s Stay at Home order in place, people may need to travel to a medical provider for important medical appointments or to seek care for COVID-like illness. 

Read more from Public Health Insider

Crossposted from Balanced You 

The coronavirus outbreak has radically changed our sense of security and daily routines. Everyone will experience this situational trauma uniquely based on past experience and current context, but there is a predictable arc in the human response to crisis we can use to afford ourselves grace and build resilience. 

The following information on the emotional phases you may experience during this pandemic is based on research by the NeuroLeadership Institute. Following the review of emotional phases, you will find an overview of additional resources. Remember, what you are feeling right now is normal. Be gentle with yourself and nurture your emotional health as we move through this together. 

Read more from Balanced You