Pet of the Week: Gerti 

Crossposted from Tails from RASKC 

We’d like to introduce you to Gerti, our Pet of the Week! 

This eight-year-old tortie is extremely affectionate and would love to curl right up in your lap. Her personality color is “Easy Going Green,” meaning she is a fun little lady who loves to go with the flow. 

Read more Tails from RASKC

Featured Job: Special Duty Equipment Operator 

Salary: $29.60 – $35.99 Hourly 

Location: Renton, WA 

Job Type: Special Duty Assignment 

Department” Department of Transportation – Road Services Division 

Job Number: 2018MD08844 

Closing: 11/12/2018 11:59 PM Pacific 

The Road Maintenance Section is responsible for providing road maintenance services to associated infrastructure within the unincorporated areas of King County and contract cities, in order to maintain and enhance the current condition of roadways and facilities in an efficient and environmentally responsible manner to protect the public’s investment and facilitate safe travel. The Equipment Operator position is skilled work, requiring the operation of heavy road maintenance equipment with complex controls, in a safe and efficient manner.

This position is open to all qualified King County career service employees interested in a special duty opportunity on an intermittent or full time basis.   

Learn more about this position or all available positions.

Meet our Elections translators: KC Jung, Korean 

Crossposted from Election Connection 

We’re highlighting the great work our translators do helping to make our elections and services accessible to every member of the community. Here we sit down for a brief Q&A with KC Jung, our Korean language translator. 

What is your background and what brought you to working in local government at King County? 

I am originally from Seoul, South Korea. I first came to the U.S. to study English and decided to adopt this country as my new homeland because of the diverse background of people and places.

Read more at Election Connection

Employee discount: Pacific Northwest Ballet “The Nutcracker,”  WildLights at the Zoo and Snoqualmie Summit   

Employees can receive a 10% discount to the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s performances of George Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker,” and discounted tickets to Woodland Park Zoo WildLights and the Summit at Snoqualmie.

See all available discounts on the Employee Discount webpage.

Chief Technology Officer provides insight on cloud technologies 

Recently, Aaron Barak, Chief Technology Officer for King County Information Technology shared his experience with cloud technologies through an editorial piece for CIO Review. The article mentioned how cloud technology can help employees shift from operations and maintenance tasks to more innovative activities that allow for increased value to line of business services. 

“Staff, previously anchored to legacy bespoke, on-premise solutions, can now, thanks to the ease and efficiency of cloud computing, spend their time developing emerging skill sets and innovative projects that benefit local government and residents,” he said. Read the full article here at CIO Review.

Employee discount to UW Local Government Appreciation basketball games, Jan. 5 and Feb. 2   

King County employees are welcome to take advantage of discounted tickets to two UW Husky basketball games. These games are part of the UW Local Government Appreciation discount.

  • Saturday, January 5 against Washington State University
  • Saturday, February 2 against University of California Los Angeles

To access the discount visit this link here. For more information contact JRothbaum@pac-12sales.com.

See all available discounts on the Employee Discount webpage.

Join us Nov. 8 to honor employees who serve in Guard and Reserve  

King County has approximately 90 employees who currently serve in the National Guard or Reserve. This event will recognize them for their service to our country and present them with a “challenge coin” in appreciation. Register and read more here.  

Thursday, November 8, from noon to 1 p.m., Chinook Building, 401 Fifth Ave., Room 121/123

Pet of the Week: Keyla 

Crossposted from Tails from RASKC 

This happy girl is Keyla, our Pet of the Week! 

She’s an eight-year-old pittie who is very affectionate and would love to spend time cuddling with you! Despite her size, Keyla thinks of herself as a lapdog, and will gladly curl up in your lap for a nap. She’s an expert snuggler! 

Read more

Exec visits Elections employees on Election Day 

King County Executive Dow Constantine visited King County Elections headquarters in Renton on Election Day as the staff counted ballots. This is the first General Election since he and Director Julie Wise made it possible for King County voters to return ballots without having to pay for postage.

King County Whistleblower Protection Code 

King County encourages employees to report significant wrongdoing, called “improper governmental action,” so that problems can be identified and corrected. The Whistleblower Protection Code creates a reporting process for such improper governmental action (IGA), and aims to protect employees from retaliation for reporting or cooperating in an investigation of improper governmental action.

  • Employees with concerns about improper governmental action, including violations of laws, dangers to the public health or safety, or gross mismanagement or waste, are encouraged to report these concerns to their department head or the King County Office of the Ombuds. Reports to the Office of the Ombuds may be made anonymously or confidentially.
  • Employees who believe they have experienced retaliation for reporting IGA or cooperating in such an investigation should contact the Ombuds. Retaliation is defined as an unwarranted and adverse change in the employee’s employment status or terms and conditions of employment, and is prohibited if it is due to the employee’s IGA reporting. Employees who believe they might have experienced retaliation are encouraged to consult with the Ombuds Office before filing a complaint so that they may receive information and guidance about the complaint process. Employees have six months to report instances of retaliation.

For more information on the county’s Whistleblower Protection Code view the Whistleblower Protection Code Summary and the Whistleblower Protection Code, or contact the King County Office of the Ombuds at Dexter Horton Building, 710 Second Avenue, Suite 790, Seattle WA 98104, 206-477-1050 (voice | TTY) and ombuds@kingcounty.gov.