Pet of the Week: Rudolph
Hi! My name is Rudolph and I am available for adoption. I was brought in by a good Samaritan on Dec. 2, 2019.
I am a sweet cat who may need extra time and attention to warm up to new situations and new people. When I was a wee little one, I was not taught how nice and friendly people can be, but I am learning quickly! Though I may be timid at first, once you take the time to show me I can trust you I will show you just how wonderful I can be.
Read more and view all available pets at www.kingcounty.gov/adoptapet.
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Celebration follow-up, Jan. 21
As we will spark reflection and ideas at the MLK Celebration, employees are encouraged to continue the dialogue to deepen our equity, inclusion and belonging discussions and actions in work teams, departments, and communities. One opportunity to participate in facilitated follow-up conversations will be held at the King Street Center 8th floor conference center on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.. All King County employees are welcome. For more information, contact KKibet@kingcounty.gov.
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Free Financial Check-Up Webinar for employees
Making Life Easier offers webinars throughout the year, free-of-charge, to King County employees. Topics include mental health, financial savings, healthy communication, and more. Employees interested in developing healthier finances can tune into Making Life Easier’s next webinar, “Your Financial Check-up,” which will be released Jan. 21.
Webinars are available on-demand. Employees can access webinars via the Making Life Easier portal, username: King County. Contact balancedyou@kingcounty.gov for more information.
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KCInform alert system reaches employees in emergencies
This week’s snowy weather is a perfect reminder for employees to sign up for KCInform, the King County employee emergency alert system. KCinform, powered by CodeRED, allows us to reach you by phone, text, and email with timely information in an emergency or natural disaster.
If you have not registered your personal phone, personal email, or work cell information yet, please contact kcinform@kingcounty.gov or 206-296-3830 (between 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday – Friday) to request your unique registration link. Watch this short video to learn more or visit the KCInform website.
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Employees come together to raise Seahawks flag
Several employees joined Councilmember Joe McDermott to show their support for the Seattle Seahawks by coming together to raise the 12th Man Flag at the Administration Building plaza last Thursday, Jan. 9
The wintry weather couldn’t stop King County employees from raising the Seattle Seahawks flag at 12:12 p.m. on a cold, rainy Blue Friday. Unfortunately the Hawks’ Super Bowl run came to an end on Sunday in Green Bay, but like the 12s, they’ll be back next season. Go, Hawks!
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Normal business operations today
King County operations will open as scheduled today, Wednesday, Jan. 15. If you are scheduled to work today, please plan to report to work at your normal start time or discuss any changes beforehand with your supervisor. Please note that some agencies may send additional instructions directly to their staff.
Be prepared for cold weather, high winds, and possible delays on your commute. As always, have a plan for your commute, dress warmly, and let safety be your guide when making travel decisions.
Metro Transit routes: Metro Transit service is operating on normal routes except in areas of north and east King County, where some routes are modified or on snow routes. Learn if your bus route is affected. Sign up for Metro Transit Alerts.
HR Policies: When an agency remains open, but conditions prevent you from reporting to work on time, notify your supervisor as soon as possible. You may request leave, subject to approval by your supervisor. If you have no leave accrued, your supervisor may approve leave without pay to cover absences. Sick leave may not be used. Please refer to HR Bulletin 2011-0009 County Operations During Emergency Situations and Inclement Weather to learn more. (Sheriff’s Office employees refer to KCSO Inclement Weather Policy; Superior Court and District Court employees please check court policies).
Alternative work arrangements: If adjusting a work schedule, working at an alternative location, teleworking, or taking vacation are options for your job, please discuss beforehand with your supervisor. Employees may be able to take a day of accrued vacation or comp time instead of reporting to their normal work location today. Check with your supervisor for more information.
School districts: Seattle Public Schools are closed today, and other school districts are closed or will start late today, so please check with your local school district and have a plan for your kids. When schools are delayed or closed and King County operations remain open, employees are expected to report to work as usual, or follow applicable personnel policies. Check with your supervisor for more information.
Stay informed: Make sure you’re getting the latest King County information at work and at home in the event of inclement weather:
- Call the Employee Hotline—206-205-8600 (save it to your phone now!).
- Check your King County email for information on business operations, delays, and closures. Log on at https://outlook.kingcounty.gov (you made need to click “Advanced” and then “Proceed to outlook.kingcounty.gov”). Some agencies may send additional instructions directly to their staff.
- Contact your supervisor for instructions.
- Follow King County on Twitter—@KingCountyWA, @kcmetrobus, @kcroads, and @kcemployees—and LinkedIn.
- Check your agency website or intranet (if applicable), and monitor local media channels.
- Visit the Emergency News page at kcemergency.com for regional impacts.
KCInform: Make sure you can be reached in a major emergency. If you haven’t yet registered your personal contact or work cell information in KCInform, please contact kcinform@kingcounty.gov anytime or 206-296-3830 between 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday to request your unique registration link. Watch this short video to learn more or visit our website.
Superior Court employees: Information will be provided on the Superior Court website, or by calling the following hotlines for recorded updates on the status of work locations:
- Seattle courthouse/NJB employees: 206-205-6767
- MRJC courthouse employees: 206-205-6746.
- Youth Services Center employees: 206-205-6747.
District Court employees: Call the employee information emergency telephone line at 206-296-6820 for recorded information, or check the District Court website for updates on operational status.
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See something, say something
Our first priority is your safety and security at work. You can take an active role in your safety. The county has produced a variety of communications to help inform employees about safety tips and related updates:
- Check out a new short video, below, on how to report emergencies and non-urgent security concerns. Watch for additional videos with safety tips throughout the year.
- Look for posters in English and Spanish at major worksites, especially those downtown, with information about how to report emergencies and security concerns.
- New employees will receive a wallet card with phone numbers to report emergencies. Human Resources staff will be receiving cards for distribution to other employees.
How to get help
- 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
- Use the online form www.kingcounty.gov/IncidentReport
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Washington’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Program now providing benefits
On Jan. 1, 2020, Washington’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program began providing workers with paid time off to welcome a new child to their family, care for a sick loved one, or recover from their own serious medical condition.
Who qualifies?
To be eligible, you must have worked at least 820 hours for a Washington employer during the qualifying period, which generally speaking is the last year. Most King County bargaining units and all non-represented employees are eligible (list of participating unions) if they meet the qualifying conditions.
What can PFML be used for and how long does it last?
This program allows eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of leave to:
- Welcome a child into your family (through birth, adoption, or foster placement)
- Recover from a serious illness or injury
- Care for a seriously ill or injured family member
- Prepare for a family member’s pre- and post- military deployment, or time for childcare issues related to a family member’s military deployment
If you face multiple events in a year, you may be eligible to receive up to 16 weeks, and up to 18 weeks if you experience a serious health condition during pregnancy that results in incapacity.
How much is the benefit?
While on leave, eligible employees are entitled to partial wage replacement. The weekly PFML amount is calculated and paid by the Employment Security Department. The weekly amount is a percentage of your average weekly wage with a minimum benefit of $100 and a maximum of $1,000 per week.
How does the program work?
This new PFML benefit is administered and paid by the Employment Security Department (State of Washington). PFML is paid for by a statewide insurance pool that is funded by mandatory employer contributions and employee payroll deductions that began Jan. 1, 2019, for most employees.
Where can I get more information or apply?
For more information about PFML and to apply, go to the Employment Security Department’s Paid Family and Medical Leave website or contact them by email or by phone at 833-717-2273. Questions about how PFML interacts with other protected leave can be directed to your agency Human Resources leave administrator.
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Be prepared for snow and ice tonight and tomorrow
More snow is forecast for tonight and tomorrow morning with continued icy road conditions, so please be prepared for possible commute delays and impacts to business operations.
A heavy band of snow is expected to begin this evening in the northern half of the City of Seattle northward, and other areas could see accumulations. As always, have a plan for your commute, dress warmly, and let safety be your guide when making travel decisions.
Metro Transit routes: Metro Transit service is operating on snow routes for areas of NE King County. Additional routes may switch to snow routes as conditions change. Learn if your bus route is affected. Sign up for Metro Transit Alerts.
Stay informed: Make sure you’re getting the latest King County information at work and at home in the event of inclement weather:
- Call the Employee Hotline—206-205-8600 (save it to your phone now!).
- Check your King County email for information on business operations, delays, and closures. Log on at https://outlook.kingcounty.gov. Some agencies may send additional instructions directly to their staff.
- Contact your supervisor for instructions.
- Follow King County on Twitter—@KingCountyWA, @kcmetrobus, @kcroads, and @kcemployees—and LinkedIn.
- Check your agency website or Intranet (if applicable), and monitor local media channels.
- Visit the Emergency News page at kcemergency.com for regional impacts.
KCInform: Make sure you can be reached in a major emergency. If you haven’t yet registered your personal contact or work cell information in KCInform, please contact kcinform@kingcounty.gov anytime or 206-296-3830 between 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday to request your unique registration link. Watch this short video to learn more or visit our website.
HR Policies: When an agency remains open, but conditions prevent you from reporting to work or from reporting on time, notify your supervisor as soon as possible. You may request leave, subject to approval by your supervisor. If you have no leave accrued, your supervisor may approve leave without pay to cover absences. Sick leave may not be used. Refer to HR Bulletin 2011-0009 County Operations During Emergency Situations and Inclement Weather (Sheriff’s Office employees refer to KCSO Inclement Weather Policy; Superior Court and District Court employees please see check court policies).
Alternative work arrangements: If telecommuting is an option for your job, make sure you submit a Telecommuting Agreement in advance for approval. KCIT has created a telework resources site that answers many questions.
Resources for travelers
- Sign up for Metro Transit Alerts (text, email, tweets via @kcmetrobus, see RSS feed via desktop or mobile RSS reader)
- Sign up for King County Road Alerts (text, email, tweets via @kcroads)
- Sign up for King County Water Taxi Alerts (text, email)
- Visit the King County My Commute page
Visit the Eye on Your Metro Commute (blog during peak weekday commutes).
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Normal business operations today, Jan. 13
King County operations will open as scheduled today, Monday, Jan. 13. If you are scheduled to work today, please plan to report to work at your normal start time or discuss any changes beforehand with your supervisor. Some agencies may send additional instructions directly to their staff.
Be prepared for cold weather on your commute. As always, have a plan for your commute, dress warmly, and let safety be your guide when making commute decisions.
HR Policies: When an agency remains open, but conditions prevent you from reporting to work on time, notify your supervisor as soon as possible. You may request leave, subject to approval by your supervisor. If you have no leave accrued, your supervisor may approve leave without pay to cover absences. Sick leave may not be used. Please refer to HR Bulletin 2011-0009 County Operations During Emergency Situations and Inclement Weather to learn more. (Sheriff’s Office employees refer to KCSO Inclement Weather Policy; Superior Court and District Court employees please see check court policies).
Alternative work arrangements: If adjusting a work schedule, working at an alternative location, teleworking, or taking vacation are options for your job, please discuss beforehand with your supervisor. Employees may be able to take a day of accrued vacation or comp time instead of reporting to their normal work location today. Check with your supervisor for more information.
Metro buses: Some routes are on snow routes or may be impacted by the weather, so expect delays, check for travel updates, and use extra caution. For information on impacts to your Metro Transit commute, check Metro’s adverse weather page or sign up for Metro Transit Alerts (text, email, tweets via @kcmetrobus, see RSS feed via desktop or mobile RSS reader
School districts: Some school districts may have delayed start times, so please check with your local school district and have a plan for your kids. When schools are delayed or closed and King County operations remain open, employees are expected to report to work as usual, or follow applicable personnel policies.
Stay informed: Make sure you’re getting the latest King County information at work and at home in the event of inclement weather:
- Call the Employee Hotline—206-205-8600 (save it to your phone now!).
- Check your King County email for specific directives and updates. Log on at https://outlook.kingcounty.gov
- Contact your supervisor for instructions.
- Follow King County on Twitter—@KingCountyWA, @kcmetrobus, @kcroads, and @kcemployees
- Check your agency website or Intranet (if applicable), and monitor local media channels.
- Visit the Emergency News page at kcemergency.com for regional impacts.
KCInform: Make sure you can be reached in a major emergency. If you haven’t yet registered your personal contact or work cell information in KCInform, please contact kcinform@kingcounty.gov anytime or 206-296-3830 between 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday to request your unique registration link. Watch this short video to learn more or visit our website.
Employee News 