Seattle Mariners and UW Husky discounts
King County employees can take advantage of a new discount to three Mariners games in May, August, and September. These discounted tickets are available for the seating options below. Purchase tickets and view more information here. The deadline to purchase all tickets is 5 p.m. the day before.
- Saturday, May 31 vs. Minnesota Twins, $32 Main Level or $19 View Level ticket.
- Saturday, Aug. 23 vs. the A’s, $41 Main Level or $19 View Level ticket.
- Saturday, Sept. 13 vs. Texas Rangers, $32 Main Level or $19 View Level ticket.
Discounted tickets to UW Husky basketball games are also available the dates below. To purchase discounted tickets, click here..
- Saturday, Jan. 24, UW vs UCLA
- Saturday, Feb. 8, UW vs Northwestern
- Wednesday, Feb. 19, UW vs Rutgers
- Saturday, March 1, UW vs Indiana
See all available discounts on the Employee Discount webpage
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Recognizing Metro’s Operators of the Month, November-December 2024
Crossposted from Metro Matters
They produce TV shows for their community and enjoy playing and watching soccer. They love to barbecue and go out to eat. One taught music in Amsterdam, another was inspired by bus rides to school to become a bus driver. Those who ride with them say they “made my afternoon,” are “very inspiring,” and is “the best driver I ever met.”
They are operators with 200 years of professional driving experience! The operators on your bus are as unique as you, and all of them love driving and giving back to their community.
Meet your Operators of the Month for November and December 2024. Read more.
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Local funding working to prevent human trafficking in King County
Crossposted from Cultivating Connections
January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. During the month of January, governments, anti-trafficking organizations, law enforcement, survivor advocates, community leaders, and community members come together to raise awareness about human trafficking, to educate the public on how to identify and prevent human trafficking, and to protect and empower survivors of all forms of human trafficking.
Human trafficking impacts the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities. Around the world, including the United States, it is estimated that 27.6 million people, adults and children, are subjected to human trafficking. Human trafficking involves compelling or coercing a person to provide labor or services, or to engage in commercial sex acts. The coercion can be subtle or overt, physical, or psychological. Individuals facing barriers to stable living, such as securing housing, accessing physical and mental health services, legal representation, building social connections within their community, and finding job training and employment opportunities, are at a higher risk of being trafficked. Read more.
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King County employee discounts for Husky basketball
Husky basketball is excited to offer local Washington government employees discounted tickets to four exciting games this year. This special offer is exclusively available to you as a local Washington government employee. Join us as Coach Sprinkle, Great Osobor and the Dawgs take on Purdue, UCLA, Northwestern, Rutgers and Indiana this season.
For general assistance in purchasing additional seats, season tickets or group outings contact Group Sales Account Executive Andy Reed at (206) 543-7020 or areed4@uw.edu.
To purchase discounted tickets, click here.
Discounted tickets are available for the following games: UW vs UCLA, Jan. 24; UW vs Northwestern, Feb. 8; UW vs Rutgers, Feb. 19; UW vs Indiana, March 1.
See all available employee discounts on the Employee Discount webpage.
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Revive I-5: Find Your Way webinar series
Starting in March, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will begin a three-year project to rehabilitate and preserve I-5 through Seattle. The project will require sections of I-5 to be reduced to two lanes for up to nine months each year, starting with Northbound construction along the aging Ship Canal Bridge. This preservation project is critical for keeping people and goods moving safely for decades to come. Commute Seattle, a transportation news blog, is here to help businesses and destinations find their way through this construction period with the Revive I-5 webinar series.
Tune into this webinar series to hear directly from WSDOT project leads about when and where to expect construction, and learn about existing programs, services, and resources from Commute Seattle and partners. Each webinar will be recorded.
Sign-up for each webinar to view the live webinar and have access to the recording:
- Thursday Jan. 30 at 2 p.m.: Revive I-5 Overview + Vanpool Made Easy
- Thursday, Feb. 13 at 11 a.m.: Revive I-5 Overview + ORCA Benefits
- Wednesday, March 19 at 11 a.m.: Revive I-5 Overview + Tailored Commute Solutions
And remember, the King County Employee Transportation Program is available to support your commute needs and benefits questions. Learn more at kingcounty.gov/ETP.
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Is your office prepared for emergencies?
Crossposted from the DES Express
Did you know that the Department of Executive Services’ (DES) own Fleet Services Parts and Materials (formerly “Stores”) offers individual employee “GO Kits” for emergencies? The red backpacks contain three separate kits for survival, personal hygiene and first aid. The disaster backpacks contain enough supplies to last three days in case of an emergency, such as water and snacks.
The DES Director’s Office recently ordered kits for each employee in the office.
“I was providing emergency preparedness training to the Director’s Office and our staff expressed an interest in emergency preparedness kits,” said Sanjay Varma, Department Continuity of Operations (COOP) Coordinator. Read more.
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Jan. 30 is the third payday of the month
King County employees have a biweekly payroll schedule and get paid every other Thursday. Most months have two paydays, but some months have three and Jan. 30, is the third payday of the month. This year, there are 27 paydays.
If you view your paystub, you may see that the net dollar amount of these “third” paychecks is larger because not all deductions are taken out. For example, Deferred Compensation, supplemental insurance premiums, Benefit Access Fees, and Employee Giving donations are not deducted from these checks.
While you are in in PeopleSoft, it’s a good time to complete the following important tasks:
- View or print your W-2 by choosing the Payroll tile and View W-2/W-2c Forms.
- Review your W-4 and make sure it’s up to date. You can update your W-4 by selecting the Payroll tile, then W-4 Tax Information.
- Check your personal information, and make sure it’s correct. Go to the Personal Details tile, make sure all items are current—especially your mailing address and email—and save any changes.
For more information about your paycheck, go to Payroll or speak with your department Payroll representative or timekeeper.
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First 2025 Professional Development Scholarship launches Jan. 27
The first application period for the 2025 Professional Development Scholarship Program opens Jan. 27 through Feb. 28 for training that begins in 2025. The Scholarship Program is a benefit offered as part of the 2025 Coalition Labor Agreement and is only open to employees represented by one of the unions in the Coalition.
The Scholarship Program is part of the County’s commitment to Investing in YOU and is designed to assist eligible employees with their professional development by providing financial assistance towards obtaining training, certificates, degrees, licenses, and certifications.
To learn more, please visit our website here: Professional Development Scholarships and you can contact us at ScholarshipFund@kingcounty.gov with any questions.
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Submit nominations for the Executive’s 2024 awards
The nomination period for the Executive’s Best-Run Government Awards is Jan. 13 through Feb. 21. The annual awards honor Executive branch employees and teams for their exceptional contributions in leadership, innovation, and performance. Any King County employee can nominate a team or individual for an Innovation or Leadership Excellence Award.
This is an opportunity to recognize outstanding project teams and leaders who:
- Create value for the customer
- Deliver measurable improvement results
- Apply innovative solutions for achieving results
Nominate someone and learn more information here.
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Airport employees prepare for snow
Crossposted from the DES Express
Much like pilots of the Navy’s Blue Angels, operators of King County International Airport’s snow removal equipment assemble regularly for drills. They practice their formations, with snow plow blades tipping like wings, swiveling during turns. Each huge Multi-Tasking Equipment (MTE) lines up behind and to the side of the one in front, plow blades overlapping just a bit, so they can most efficiently remove snow when it arrives for real.
“We’re practicing the route as if there was snow on the ground,” said MTE Operator Kyle Renner. “Once we get on the runway we’re simulating, pushing the snow the direction of the wind.” Read more.
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