Toastmasters Open House, May 16
Join Toastmasters for an open house to gain confidence and find your voice. Toastmasters is an international organization that provides both communication and leadership development opportunities for County employees. This event is free and open to the public. Visitors should check-in at the 7th floor reception area and follow signs to the Tipping Floor conference room. There will be an overview of the club and the new Pathways program, an online learning tool tailored to individual goals. Raffle prizes and light snacks provided. No RSVP required. For questions, email swdtt.clubcontact@gmail.com.
- Thursday, May 16, from 12:10 – 1 p.m., King Street Center, 201 South Jackson Street, Seventh Floor, Tipping Floor conference room
Share this:
King County is the nation’s first local government to offer a certified carbon credit program that protects local forests
King County is the nation’s first local government to offer a certified carbon credit program that protects local forests.
The county’s new Forest Carbon Program offers local companies the opportunity to offset a portion of their carbon emissions within King County where their employees and their families can explore and enjoy the protected forests in both urban and rural communities.
“We are making it possible for local companies to help us protect forests, confront climate change, and promote healthy habitat right here where their employees live, work, and play,” said Executive Constantine. “Our first-of-its-kind carbon credit program has the potential to be a national model for public-private partnerships that improve the quality of life for people and wildlife in their own backyards.”
Read more in the official press release.
Share this:
Speak Up! Employee Survey contest winners
Dear employee,
Thank you so much for participating in the 2019 Employee Engagement Survey. We hit our goal of a 70 percent response rate this year, our highest ever response rate. It’s also a 3 percent increase over our last survey, and an 11 percent increase since 2015 when we started conducting the survey annually.
I want to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to respond. Your feedback is valuable as we continue to build a supportive and respectful workplace culture through our Investing in YOU strategy, and measure how well we are doing in delivering on it.
This year we held our inaugural “Speak Up!” participation contest as part of the survey, and I am excited to announce the winners:
Congratulations to the winner of each class, and to our Honorable Mentions, who also reached 100% participation in their categories!
I will award each of the winners a trophy at a May 21 event to review the survey results, the same day that Executive Constantine will share the results with you. We will then start action planning to make sure we are acting on what you tell us in the survey.
Thanks again for having your say. I look forward to seeing the results and working together to act on what we learn.
Sincerely,
Whitney Abrams,
Chief People Officer
Share this:
Tech Tip: Securing your data
How to access the training:
To start your Cyber Security Awareness Training please login at:
https://sso.securingthehuman.org/kingcounty/
Your account for Securing the Human:
- Username: King County email address
- Password: King County email password
For more information about Cyber Security please visit our Sharepoint site:
https://kc1.sharepoint.com/teams/ITISRC/ISRCPUB
Share this:
Say hello to a whole new way to get healthy
King County is now offering Omada®, a digital lifestyle change program that inspires healthy habits that last—to all employees on a King County medical plan. Omada can help you lose weight, feel fantastic, and reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes.
Learn more and see if you’re eligible at Omada Health.
Omada includes:
- An interactive program to guide your journey
- A wireless smart scale to monitor your progress
- Weekly online lessons to empower you
- A professional Omada health coach to keep you on track
- Small online groups of participants to keep you engaged
You and your adult family members who are enrolled in a King County medical plan can receive the program at no cost if at risk for type 2 diabetes and/or heart disease. Take Omada’s quick health screener to see if you’re eligible.
Share this:
Don’t be a victim of laptop theft
There’s been an increase in the number of King County laptops stolen from employee vehicles in the past few months. When valuable items, such as laptops, are left unattended in vehicles, employees risk damage to their personal vehicles and loss of personal items in addition to the loss of King County laptops and mobile devices.
Things you can do to avoid becoming a victim:
- Plan to carry your laptop with you every time you leave your car unattended, even if you will only be gone a few minutes.
- Do not leave laptops, mobile devices and other valuables unattended in your car, ever.
- Do not leave valuables in the trunk, or attempt to hide them within the car.
Comments from recent victims of King County laptop theft:
“I was away from my car for less than 5 minutes.” “It was broad day light.” “I was only gone for a few minutes, I parked in a parking ramp at the store.” “I thought it would be safe in the trunk.” “My car window was smashed. Not only do I have to deal with the repair, but it is impossible to clean up all of the glass.”
Share this:
Did you know you had this benefit? Home Free Guarantee
All King County employees who commute to work via bus, rail, streetcar, carpool, vanpool, biking, or walking are eligible for eight free taxi rides home each year in cases of personal emergency or unexpected requests to work overtime. Learn more here.
Share this:
50 Years of Home Rule Governance: The Archives Celebrates the King County Charter and the First Council
Crossposted from Bytes and Boxes
Fifty years ago on May 1, the first King County Council and County Executive were sworn in under the Home Rule Charter. The current Council recently celebrated the golden anniversary with historic images from the Archives collection. Below: read the Charter and follow along with the first swearing-in ceremony on May 1, 1969, through the transcript and photographs taken on that day. Read more.
You can also watch this video below, by King County TV, to learn about the golden anniversary of Home Rule Governance and to see how things have changed.
Share this:
Training Spotlight: King County Mentoring Program (Lunch & Learn)
King County Mentoring Program (Lunch & Learn), June 6 and multiple dates: Would you like to have a mentor, someone who can help you grow professionally? Do you want to strengthen your coaching skills? As a Mentee, you will have a trusted advisor who can help you navigate complex situations, and as a Mentor, you can uncover new or forgotten skills and build influence. If the thought excites you, join King County’s mentoring program by signing up for one of our monthly Lunch-n-Learns to uncover more about mentoring and search for a Mentor! Register and learn more.
View more training and development opportunities at www.kingcounty.gov/learning.
Pet of the Week: Lorna
Crossposted from Tails from RASKC
Can you find room in your home and your heart for Lorna, our Pet of the Week?
This young orange tabby is a very sweet girl. However, she is a bit under-socialized and needs some patience and love. So, we’re calling her one of our “Bashful Blue” personality pets.
Read more from Tails from RASKC
Employee News 