Humans of Road Services: David Garcia
Crossposted from King County Local
David Garcia has found a rare and fulfilling balance between his career and his personal passions.
He is a transportation planner by day but spends most of his free time outdoors, exploring mountains, lakes, and forests with four-legged pal Winston close in step.
David is drawn toward adventure, culture, and new experiences. Understandably, he has moved around quite a bit. After growing up in the bustling, diverse Bay Area, he moved to Guatemala to gain a closer connection to his family’s culture, language and land. Read more.
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Daylight Saving reminder: “Fall back” one hour on Nov. 3
Remember to move your clock back one hour this weekend. Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3.
Daylight Saving Time in Washington will next be in effect from 2 a.m. Sunday, March, 9 to 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025.
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Seattle Thunderbirds King County Employee Nights, Nov. 16 and Jan. 11
King County employees can receive discounted tickets to two upcoming Seattle Thunderbirds vs Everett Silvertips men’s junior hockey league games. Both games are at 6 p.m., doors open at 4:30 p.m., and are at the accesso ShoWare Center, located at 625 W James St, Kent, WA 98032.
Both links provided below require you to input coupon code “County” to purchase tickets for $24 plus fees, a discount of $10 off a regular priced $34 ticket. This discount only applies to blue seats on the seating chart.
- Saturday, Nov. 16 – To purchase tickets, visit this link.
- Saturday, Jan. 11 – To purchase tickets, visit this link.
See all available employee discounts on the Employee Discount webpage.
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Regional Veterans Court recognizes hard work of its participants, Nov. 14
The same week the United States honors veterans on Veterans Day, King County Regional Veterans Court (RVC) will recognize the successes and hard work of RVC program participants.
The annual celebration of RVC program participants, including participants who have successfully completed the program and will graduate from it, will be held Thursday, Nov. 14, at 1:30 p.m. King County employees are invited to attend either in person or via Zoom:
- In-person: King County Courthouse, Courtroom E326
- Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/7597251370 (meeting ID: 759 725 1370)
Operated by King County District Court since 2012, RVC understands that veterans in the justice system may be suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other service-related disabilities. The Court strives to hold people accountable, while rehabilitating them.
“The goal is to identify what the veteran’s needs are, how to best support them, how to guide them – how to walk with them through this system,” says King County District Court Judge Lisa Paglisotti, RVC Presiding Judge.
“We have veterans justice outreach coordinators, who are liaisons making sure our participants are connected to the VA, including if they need any medications prescribed, treatment for mental health or substance use disorders, and to connect them with housing,” adds Kate Tramontana, King County District Court Therapeutic Courts Manager.
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Kaiser to close three Puget Sound-area medical facilities
Kaiser Permanente Washington recently announced that they will be closing their medical facilities in Ballard, Gig Harbor, and Poulsbo on Dec. 13, 2024.
The Kaiser announcement stated “As the health care market changes rapidly, with increased competition, new technologies, and high consumer expectations, it is critical that we continue to adapt by allocating our people and resources where they provide the greatest value to our patients, members, and customers.”
Members who seek care at the Kaiser medical facilities in Ballard, Gig Harbor, and Poulsbo can follow their clinician to a new location or change clinicians or care locations. In mid-November, Kaiser will notify members about the closures and members will receive information about where their doctors are moving to and a list of clinics nearest them.
- Other Seattle-area locations include Capitol Hill, Northgate, and Rainier medical centers.
- On the Kitsap Peninsula, members can go to the Silverdale or Port Orchard medical centers.
- The Tacoma medical center is also an option for Gig Harbor residents.
There are 22 other Kaiser locations in Western Washington. Go to the Kaiser Permanente SmartCare Connect medical plan page for more information and go to kp.org/wa/find-a-doctor to search for doctors, medical facilities, pharmacies, and hospitals.
For questions about the closures, please contact Kaiser at 888-901-4636 or Kaiser Permanente. You can also contact the Benefits team at 206-684-1556 or KC Benefits if you have questions or need language assistance or disability support services.
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Coming soon: Add pronouns and preferred first name/nickname to PeopleSoft and Microsoft
Starting Nov. 1, employees will be able to add pronouns and preferred first name/nickname in PeopleSoft and Microsoft 365 (including Teams and Outlook), making them visible to other King County employees.
This option advances our We respect all people value and helps us create a more inclusive and affirming workplace for everyone. It also aligns with the County’s Gender Identity in the Workplace policy.
These options will be available for both PeopleSoft and Microsoft 365. Sharing this information with other King County employees is a personal choice and completely optional. Once entered, this information may be subject to public disclosure requests. Look for step-by-step information coming Nov. 1!
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Celebrating creativity and fun on Halloween with the Annual Giving Drive
It’s finally here—Halloween—the day of fun and imagination that brings people together in celebration. The Annual Giving Drive loves this day because it is a time when creativity takes center stage and everyone—kids and adults alike— can embrace their playful side with costumes, decorations, and more! Halloween offers so many ways to showcase imagination and artistry. We hope everyone has a happy, safe, and creative Halloween!
Here are some fun Halloween themed EGP nonprofits that specialize in the arts and creative spaces. Read more. Pledge or renew here by Nov. 22.
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Healthcare organizations continue commitment to protect patients and healthcare workers with an update to masking guidelines
Crossposted from Public Health Insider
Healthcare systems in the Puget Sound region have updated their joint guidelines for masking in hospitals and outpatient clinics during respiratory illness season. This means local healthcare facilities may require patients, visitors and employees to wear masks when respiratory illnesses such as flu and COVID-19 are circulating widely in the community.
Masking is an effective way to reduce the spread of respiratory illnesses in healthcare settings. These latest guidelines re-affirm the importance of the health and safety of patients and employees, particularly for those who are at high risk of becoming severely ill from COVID-19, influenza (flu) and other respiratory illnesses. Read more.
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Tips and resources for coping with election stress
By Whitney Abrams, Chief People Officer
This article is written for employees of King County. The resources listed are only available to employees of King County.
Tuesday, Nov. 5, is Election Day and many Americans are waiting anxiously for the results. According to a recent survey by the American Psychological Association (APA), more than two-thirds of U.S. adults say the 2024 U.S. presidential election is a significant source of stress in their life.
This can be a time with a lot of uncertainty, stress, and anxiety and it is important that we take care of our emotional and mental well-being.
King County offers a range of benefits and services that are there for King County employees and their families. Employees have access to many services through our comprehensive benefits package, including Making Life Easier (username: King County) and the Employee Assistance Program. Both resources are free and confidential. Our Employee Resource/Affinity Groups are a safe place you can go to talk to people with shared interests, issues, and backgrounds.
We encourage employees to support one another and give each other grace, and please feel free to speak with your supervisor or manager about any concerns. Personal networks are an important source of support, so consider reaching out to family members, friends, colleagues, or faith–based organizations for connection and emotional support.
We are also committed to providing a safe, welcoming, respectful, and inclusive workplace culture. As an organization we value the wide range of perspectives and beliefs that our employees bring to King County. We also value and respect the peaceful expression of political views and people exercising their First Amendment rights, and employees are encouraged to participate in the political process on their own time and outside of the workplace.
With different perspectives and beliefs come different opinions and points of view, and it is important that comments made during workplace discussions are always civil and respectful. There is no room for any type of harassment or discrimination at King County and our Nondiscrimination, Anti-Harassment and Inappropriate Conduct Policy and Political Campaign Related Activity and Use of County Resources Policy make this clear.
In times of uncertainty, the work we do remains guided by our values and True North – Making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. Take comfort in the value and impact of your work. People rely on us for a range of vital services and this work will continue, regardless of the election result.
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Open Enrollment begins tomorrow
Open Enrollment starts tomorrow, Nov. 1 and ends Nov. 15. Most employees have significant changes to the benefits offered in 2025. Use the following resources to learn about the changes and all of your benefit choices, so you can make the best decisions for you and your family during Open Enrollment.
- Go to the Open Enrollment website and see the 2025 Key Benefit Changes.
- Attend a Benefit Fair. The first one is tomorrow, Nov. 1, from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. in the Chinook Building, Room 121/123.
- Register for an Open Enrollment information session.
- Read the Open Enrollment mailer sent to your home address: Regular Employee Mailer, Transit ATU 587 Employee Mailer, Deputy Sheriff Employee Mailer.
- Watch the Open Enrollment Overview
When you’re ready, use your work computer or personal device to Log in to PeopleSoft Nov. 1 – 15 and select the Open Enrollment tile. Make your changes, review your Preview Statement, then use the Submit Enrollment button. For help with PeopleSoft, call the IT Service Center at 206-263-4357.
If you don’t participate in Open Enrollment…
- A Spouse Benefit Access Fee will automatically apply if you cover your spouse or state-registered domestic partner on your medical plan. If you qualify for an exemption, you must confirm this each year during Open Enrollment.
- You will not be enrolled in a Flexible Spending Account. Health Care and Dependent Day Care FSAs save you money by reducing your taxable income. You must re-enroll every year during Open Enrollment.
- Your current benefit plan elections will remain the same for next year.
Need assistance?
If you have questions or need language assistance or disability support services, contact the Benefits team:
- Benefits, Payroll and Retirement Operations
- Chinook Building, 2nd Floor
- 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104
- 206-684-1556 or KC Benefits
- 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday – Friday
- Closed on Veterans Day: Nov. 11
Employee News 