Employee discount for Hausera
King County employees will receive a 5% discount on kitchen faucets, bar faucets, and bathroom sink faucets from Hausera. Enter coupon code HAUS2020P at checkout. Not valid on shipping and handling charges. Not valid on prior purchases. Offer may not be combined on any other purchases, offers, discounts, or coupons. Single use only.
See all available discounts on the Employee Discount page.
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Join us at the King County School-to-Work Transition Fair 2020
Crossposted from Cultivating Connections
These two great events are coming up soon and we need your help to promote them. Our goal is to reach more parents, students and teachers to join us at the fair. Even if you are not involved in this community per se, check out the fair–it truly is special! The first fair will be held at the Microsoft Commons on Thursday, February 27, and the second at Highline College on Saturday, March 14.
- Help us by sharing this blog post
- Share our YouTube video–it’s less than a minute long! Watch it below.
- Share our cool and colorful social media pictures–we’ve even put together some sample posts to make it easy. Download our social media kit here.
We’re also happy to feature this super write-up on the transition fairs which was originally posted for King County staff to learn more about this great opportunity for families in our county. Enjoy! Read more.
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Census awareness campaign underway
Every ten years, the federal government counts every person living in the U.S. through a national census.
The results help determine how funding is distributed for the next decade — for things like our schools, affordable housing, hospitals, and public transportation. The count also determines how many representatives our state will have in Congress, and how district lines are drawn for legislative bodies like the King County Council.
Read more from DES Express
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Preparing now to reduce impact of novel coronavirus
Dear employee,
As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak continues to spread to more countries, the likelihood that eventually there will be more cases in the United States increases. King County is getting prepared now in order to reduce the number of illnesses and negative effects that could occur in our community.
Department leaders are working with the Executive’s Senior Leadership Team and the Office of Emergency Management now on response planning – short term and long term – in line with our Continuity of Operations Plans (COOP).
Every one of us have an important role to play in helping to prevent colds, flu, and other infections from spreading. Good health manners include:
- Stay home when you are sick. Staying home when ill prevents the spread of infections to others.
- Use good respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene in all community settings, including homes, childcare facilities, schools, workplaces, and other places where people gather. Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue and put the used tissue in a waste basket. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands.
- Wash your hands often and thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer (with at least 60-95% alcohol).
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth: Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
- Practice other good health habits: Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work, or school, especially when someone is ill. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.
If you or your household members have a chronic condition and regularly take prescription drugs, talk to your health care provider, pharmacist, and insurance provider about keeping an emergency supply of medications at home. If you have young children or other dependents, think about who can care for them if you become ill.
Public Health is working to provide accurate information to the community to keep rumors and misinformation from spreading, and has launched resources to help address possible stigmatization or discrimination based on ethnicity, nationality, or immigration status. You can find the latest information on the Public Health website and Public Health Insider blog, as well as at the CDC and the Washington state Department of Health, and learn more about pandemic preparedness here.
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Pet of the Week: Hemlock
Crossposted from Tails from RASKC
A hale and hearty hello to Hemlock, our Pet of the Week! This handsome boy was brought in by a good Samaritan in mid-December. Hemi, as he’s also known, is the sweetest old man you’ll ever meet. He is a huge cuddle bug who drools when he’s happy. Hemlock purrs almost on contact and will rub his face all over you. At 12 years young, Hemlock still loves to play, especially with teasers and chase toys! He is sweet and gentle, and non-reactive to other cats, but he does get a bit confused when you pick him up though.
Read more from Tails from RASKC
View all available pets at www.kingcounty.gov/adoptapet.
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Featured Job: Climate and Energy Project Manager
Salary: $77,840.67 – $98,667.50 Annually
Location: Seattle, WA
Job Type: Special Duty Assignment
Department: DNRP
Job Number: 2020-11392
Division: Director’s Office
Closing: 3/9/2020 11:59 PM Pacific
Learn more about this position or view all available positions.
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Security update: Downtown area around the King County Courthouse
Seattle Police Department is investigating a shooting that occurred around 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25 on Third Avenue near the King County Courthouse in which two people suffered non-life threatening injuries. The incident, which occurred after regular working hours, did not involve any King County employees.
Our first priority is your safety and security at work. King County continues to work closely with other local jurisdictions, including the Seattle Police Department, to improve security in the downtown area around the King County Courthouse. Some recent steps:
- King County Security, King County Sheriff’s Office and Seattle Police Department have increased their presence in the courthouse vicinity.
- Metro Transit moved the southbound bus stop in front of The Morrison, across from the courthouse, one block north.
- The City of Seattle added festival lighting in the trees in Jefferson Alley, south of the courthouse and in City Hall Park.
- The City’s Navigation Team continues to focus on removing encampments obstructing right of ways.
You can take an active role in your safety:
- Watch this video for tips to keep you safe.
- If you work after regular business hours and feel unsafe about walking to your vehicle or to other transportation, you may call the 24-hour Facilities Management Division Security Emergency Dispatch Center at 206-296-5000 and ask that a security guard accompany you.
- To report an emergency, or if in doubt, call 911.
- To report a non-emergency incident, call 206-296-5000, email FMD.Security@kingcounty.gov, or use the online form www.kingcounty.gov/IncidentReport.
For more information, visit the Safety at Work webpage.
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Keeping our workspaces safe
We are all responsible for the security of our workspaces, so please be aware of others when you are using your King County ID card to access County buildings or closed office spaces.
Key card access is designed to allow access only to individuals who have been assigned to a designated space. A recent theft of a bicycle from a secured area in the Chinook building highlights this issue.
Do not prop open secure doors, or allow unknown persons to “tailgate” behind you through a secure door. Tailgating is when an individual attempts to enter a space by following someone into a space who has access. If this happens, please take a customer service focus and politely engage the individual by asking, “Can I help you find anything?” Chances are they are one of your 15,000 County colleagues, or a member of the public looking for assistance. Either way, a friendly greeting can assist in ensuring safe spaces for all. Be extra diligent when entering or exiting an exterior access controlled door.
Here are some other tips to secure our workspaces:
- Keep personal items like purses, bags, wallets, and electronic devices with you, or store them in a desk drawer or other location out of general view, even on secure floors and areas.
- Be aware of your surroundings, and make note of anyone or anything that seems out of place. Immediately report all cases of suspected theft to the appropriate authorities. Do not allow unknown persons into private work areas without an escort.
If you notice something unusual, call Facilities Management Division (FMD) Security. In an emergency, call 9-1-1 first, then call FMD Security when you are able to at 206-296-5000.
Thank you for doing your part to help keep us all safe and secure.
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Coronavirus response update, February 26
As we continue to respond to novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Public Health is committed to providing up-to-date information to King County employees. Below you’ll find links to our most recent blog post, an update on the current risk in King County, travel recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and an anti-stigma social media tool kit recently developed by Public Health.
What happens if coronavirus spreads here?
With continuing spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak to more countries, it is increasingly likely that we will see a worldwide spread (or pandemic) that will reach the U.S. at some point. Read the latest post on the Public Health Insider for more information on how a coronavirus pandemic would potentially play out and what can we do to protect ourselves and get through it.
Travel recommendations from the CDC
In response to the growing global coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the CDC is frequently updating Travel Alerts for countries with community transmission. CDC Travel Alerts have recently been added for Japan, South Korea, Italy, Hong Kong and Iran. We anticipate additional countries will be added.
It’s always a good idea for anyone planning travel to check the CDC’s travel notices on their website, regardless of the destination.
Anti-stigma social media toolkit now available
Public Health has developed a social media tool kit, including high resolution images, to help interrupt stigma and reduce bias as it relates to coronavirus. Please help spread the word.
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Five questions with Judge Jim Rogers, Superior Court
Why did you start in your role with King County?
I was elected as a Judge in 2004. I ran because I was interested in the job through my prior work as a law clerk. I had tried many cases in civil and criminal arenas and I wanted to stay in the courtroom.
What do you do in your role?
My current role is as Presiding Judge, which means I work on the case flow (distribution) of the work of the Court, setting policies and overseeing the budget process. As a trial Judge (yes, I still hear cases and trials), I decide disputes. The criminal bar probably thinks of me as a criminal judge, since I was Chief Criminal Judge, but most of my work in the last five years has been in civil disputes (money, property) and family law cases.
Why did you choose this field as your career?
As a kid, I was interested in crime, watched too much Perry Mason and read too much Sherlock Holmes. After I graduated with a History degree from the UW and joined the Peace Corps, my father became mildly terrified that I would never get a job and so he persuaded me to go to law school. I became interested in becoming a judge after working for a great one, Fed. District Ct. Judge Robert Bryan, in Tacoma.
What is the biggest challenge of your job?
Easily the biggest challenge of the job right now is getting all of our cases to trial-remember, my main responsibility as Presiding Judge is making sure cases and matters get heard. We are simply not able to have all of our civil cases out to trial and in my view, that is unconscionable. We simply don’t always have the capacity and some are being denied their day in court.
Probably the second biggest challenge in the education of our new judges, but frankly, I give all credit for that to Judge Dean Lum and Beth Taylor, and our education committee.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I love the trial process. I never get tired of it, even if it takes 2-4 cups of coffee to remain alert in the afternoon.
I also really enjoy the people with whom I work. We have excellent judicial officials and employees. I am very fortunate in where I work and what I do.
Employee News 