Black History Month 2024 Proclamation
Black History Month, established in 1926, is celebrated every February in recognition of achievements by Black Americans and all people of African descent in the United States.
The 2024 Black History Month theme is “African Americans and the Arts” and King County Executive Dow Constantine’s proclamation calls on all residents to actively engage in events, discussions, and reflections that honor the immense contributions of African Americans to our community and our nation.
Read the full proclamation below.
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Learning & Development: 2023 accomplishments and what’s new for 2024
This past year the Learning & Development (L&D) team in the Department of Human Resources worked hard to continue building out the portfolio of educational opportunities to serve the different needs, interests, and goals of the King County workforce. Over the course of 2023 the L&D team hosted 53 workshops with a total of 1,864 attendees.
In addition to spending a large portion of the year facilitating workshops, two new workshops were launched (Leading for Well-being, Building High Trust Cultures), as well as a beta of the new Leader Learning Labs, and a pilot of the first workshop of the new Cultivating Equity series, ERSJ Fundamentals: A Journey Through Socialization (which replaces the former ERSJ Fundamentals course). L&D expresses their thanks to all who helped pilot and beta test the curriculum.
We are Racially Just
Another huge highlight from 2023 was the development and launch of the We Are Racially Just: Our King County Values at Work eLearning course, which made a resounding statement about King County’s collective commitment to fostering a racially just workplace. Each department has taken the call seriously, with the majority achieving over a 90% compliance by the end of 2023. Some departments have far more non-computer users, who have been provided an extended deadline until September 30, 2024, to complete the course. This inclusive approach ensures that every King County employee has the opportunity to engage with the valuable content.
The success of this eLearning course goes beyond mere compliance; it has sparked engaging conversations throughout our organization. The genuine interest and positive feedback from those who have taken this eLearning course underscores the importance of the We are Racially Just value in King County’s True North and Values.
Credits for certifications
For HR professionals, all of the L&D workshops are now eligible for SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) Professional Development Credits (PDC).
If you’re an employee who needs continuing education credits for a certification, please reach out to L&D to see about getting workshops certified for your program.
Executive’s Best-Run Government nominations
You may have noticed how participating in one of our leadership or equity, racial, and social justice trainings has played a role in an individual’s or team’s exceptional contributions to King County in 2023. If so, you can recognize them by submitting a nomination for the Executive’s Best-Run Government Innovation or Leadership Excellence Award. Click here for more information.
Looking to 2024
The L&D team will be working on launching several new workshops and learning opportunities throughout 2024, including the chance for smaller, more in-depth conversations on leadership and ERSJ topics. Employees are invited to check out the current list of offerings in the Course Catalog through the NEOGOV dashboard and sign up for a workshop.
You can contact the L&D team with questions, feedback, or any suggestions at kctraining@kingcounty.gov.
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Shared learning towards a racially just King County
In 2023, more than 70% of King County employees took the We Are Racially Just training, a wonderful achievement for a course that was only launched in August. At King County, we aim to reach our True North – to create a welcoming community where every person can thrive. To achieve this, we must be racially just and actively work toward dismantling racist systems, practices, and approaches. The training is one of the ways King County has worked toward this goal.
We are racially just is a core value of King County where we center anti-racism and pro-equity. This training helps to ensure each of us understands what it means to be racially just and what we can do in our own work to advance racial justice at King County.
“Anti-racism work is ongoing, and ensuring we all have a foundational understanding of what it means to be racially-just is crucial in advancing this work and our culture here at King County.” Whitney Abrams, Chief People Officer said. “The training is an important step in creating a work environment that is welcoming, inclusive, and racially-just where everyone can thrive. I am thankful that so many employees have already taken the training, and more are taking it every day. I am excited to see how we incorporate this training into our everyday work and delivery of service to King County residents.”
The goal is to have all King County employees complete the training. Employees without regular computer access have until September 2024 to complete the training, and new employees must take the training within 90 days of their date of hire.
The training incorporates five racially just behaviors:
Five behaviors:
- We exercise deep listening and empathy when engaging in discussions about racial justice.
- We describe how race, ethnicity, and/or tribal identity connects with other forms of identities.
- We explain how structural racism contributes to where we are now in life based on each of our own racial, ethnic, and/or tribal identities.
- We center Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color’s (BIPOC) experiences and voices in our work in King County.
- We advance racial justice by continually educating ourselves and others on King County’s Pro-Equity and Anti-Racist Actions.
The we are racially just discussion guide is a helpful resource when centering the behaviors.
We look forward to continuing this journey with all of you and have listed additional King County resources below to continue your anti-racism journey.
King County trainings:
- ERSJ Fundamentals
- Building Gender Inclusive Spaces
- Equity and Leadership
- Antiracism: Challenging Inequity
- Building High Trust Cultures
Other King County resources:
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Make your nominations for Executive’s Best-Run Government Awards
The nomination period for the Executive’s Best-Run Government Awards is now open through Feb. 16.
The annual awards, formerly known as the Performance Excellence Awards, honor Executive Branch employees and teams for their exceptional contributions in leadership, innovation, and Lean maturity.
There are three award categories:
- Innovation Awards: People, Cost, Service, Equity, Racial & Social Justice, Climate & Environmental Stewardship
- Leadership Excellence Awards: People Leader, Individual Contributor, Fred Jarrett Award
- Road to Excellence Awards: Divisions that achieve Stabilization Level or higher on all categories of the Lean Maturity Model.
Any King County employee can nominate a team or individual for an Innovation or Leadership Excellence Award. You may review the nomination criteria here.
We look forward to seeing your nominations and celebrating the many great achievements from 2023.
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Stay informed in inclement weather
Getting timely, accurate information in an emergency or inclement weather event is critical. Make sure you’re getting the latest King County information on how you are affected, at work and at home:
- Sign up for KCInform, King County’s employee alert and warning system. KCInform is used to reach County employees during an emergency with timely information about infrastructure disruptions, facility impacts, changes in your department’s business operations, and other critical impacts. Your King County desk phone and @kingcounty.gov email are already in the system. It is important to register your County-issued cell phone (if applicable) and personal cell phone and email address to ensure you receive time-sensitive messages. This service is free, and your personal contact information is secure and protected. To sign up, 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. Visit the KCInform website to learn more or watch our short video.
- 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 http://outlook.kingcounty.gov. Some agencies may send additional instructions directly to their staff.
- Contact your supervisor for specific instructions.
- Visit the Emergency News page at kcemergency.com for regional impacts.
Power outages: If you are teleworking and experience a power outage that affects your ability to effectively work remotely, please contact your supervisor to discuss other options for completing work tasks. These may include taking leave or working from your regular King County worksite.
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).
Resources for travelers
- Metro: Visit MetroWinter.com and Eye on Your Metro Commute, and sign up for Metro Transit Alerts (text, email, tweets via @kingcountymetro and @kcmetroalerts, see RSS feed via desktop or mobile RSS reader)
- Roads: Visit Roads’ Snow and Ice resources and sign up for King County Road Alerts (text, email, tweets via @kcroads)
- Water Taxi: Sign up for King County Water Taxi Alerts (text, email).
Prepare at home: Taking a few steps now to plan ahead will give you peace of mind and help you make good decisions in an emergency.
- There are many online resources that you can use to make sure you and your family have what you need to Make it Through an emergency – from an extended power outage to a more severe event. Please take personal preparedness seriously.
- If your child is attending school or daycare in-person, learn about their school or daycare policies and procedures for possible early release and facility closures.
- Locate flashlights, radio, and extra batteries should you experience a power outage at home.
- Store non-perishable meals for your family that don’t require a stove-top, microwave, or oven to prepare, and keep plenty of bottled water on hand.
- Make sure pets have appropriate shelter to stay warm and safe.
- Get more tips, utility contacts, and weather preparedness checklists at www.takewinterbystorm.org.
- Always have a plan if you need to commute in inclement weather, dress warmly, and let safety be your guide when making travel decisions.
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Get to know the Walking Bus program
King County’s employee “Walking Bus” pilot program now offers five afternoon departures times. In this pilot phase, employees can join their colleagues and a Facilities Management Division (FMD) Security Escort each weekday evening walking from the Third Avenue entrance of the King County Courthouse to the King Street Station and Colman Dock via a stop at the Pioneer Square light rail station entrance at Jefferson Street and Yesler Way. The meeting location for both routes is the Information Desk in the First Floor lobby of the courthouse. Get more information on routes and departure times. View this video for more details.
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Stories and information for King County employees: DHR’s top stories and videos of 2023
Storytelling is a powerful way to share knowledge, transcend differences, and connect people. The Department of Human Resources (DHR) county-wide Employee Newsletter is bursting with content about employee benefits and accomplishments, learning and advancement opportunities, public health and community services, and other important news that helps employees stay informed.
In 2023, in addition to sharing important internal announcements and news, we also told stories about what makes up King County – you. These stories included how the Employee Giving Program allows us to support multiple causes and be better together, how County supported small businesses are still thriving after the pandemic, a special moment where members of the King County Sheriff’s Office went above and beyond the call of duty, and so much more.
We realize there is a lot of content coming your way in a variety of platforms, so we want to thank you, King County employees, for taking the time to read, watch, and share this information. We look forward to sharing information and telling more stories about King County employees for King County employees in 2024.
To share any story ideas, suggestions, or recommendations, please email us at: KCEmployees@kingcounty.gov
The 10 most viewed stories in 2023
- Meaningful ways to “Thank a veteran for their service”
- State retirement plan contributions change July 1, 2023
- WA Cares Fund program update: Mandatory payroll deductions begin July 1, 2023
- Onsite King County flu clinics for 2023
- State retirement plan contributions change Sept. 1, 2023
- Be prepared for cold temperatures, snow, and possible freezing rain
- Budget cuts are unavoidable after state’s failure to fix broken county tax system
- Free rapid COVID-19 self-tests are still available
- Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave rates to increase Jan. 1
- Focus on values: We are one team
The five most watched videos in 2023
- King County Values – We Are Racially Just
- King County Values – We Respect All People
- King County Values – We Solve Problems
- King County Safety Tips – Responding to a Theft or Attempted Theft
- King County Safety Tips – Latest Security Updates
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Preparing for extreme weather with the Roads Maintenance crew
Snow and ice are common in Western Washington during the winter months and the King County Roads Maintenance Section of Local Services has been busily getting ready and preparing for the extreme winter weather season. This fall, the Roads Maintenance Section conducted its annual Snow and Ice Day. Maintenance employees in work units located across the county gathered for a day of training, equipment testing, and team building. The day consisted of training sessions on the proper techniques for attaching and operating plows, guidance on selecting chains and effective installation, proper anti-icer application and the recipe behind it (spoiler: the recipe includes egg whites and beet juice), and touring the various snow routes on unincorporated roads in King County. You can learn more about the day long training on this blog from Local Services.
The Roads Maintenance team are all dedicated and committed to ensuring that our roads remain open and safe, and care deeply about making sure they are keeping people safe in the process. They have been actively working to prepare for the winter season and you can be prepared too. During an extreme weather event, the Roads Maintenance team also counts on community members to be prepared and stay safe.
It is critical for you to be prepared for extreme weather conditions, whether for short trips like running errands in your neighborhood or for longer trips like going skiing or snowboarding at your favorite mountain. You may encounter many different conditions like localized flooding, downed trees/power lines, slides, and snow and ice. We have included some preparation and driving tips below.
Snow and ice driving tips:
- Always keep an emergency kit in your vehicle. Get tips to make an emergency kit here.
- If snow is in the forecast, be sure to connect with your neighbors to coordinate parking on one side of the road or street if possible. This is very helpful to snowplows.
- If you are driving behind a snowplow, always give them ample space. Do not crowd behind them.
- Always use chains when advised.
- Slow down.
- Leave extra room behind vehicles.
- Avoid using cruise control.
- Allow extra time to reach destinations.
- If you see a stop sign down, traffic signal out, a pothole, or any other problem, please contact the Roads Services at the 24/7 Road Helpline at 206-477-8100.
Rain and flooding are another extreme weather event common in Western Washington during the winter months, otherwise known as the rainy season. The atmospheric river event during the first week of December dumped an impressive amount of rain over King County, with some areas measuring record-breaking daily rain totals. The system left behind flooding in many local area rivers with some cresting to dangerous levels. The Snoqualmie and Tolt Rivers both reached a phase 3 flood alert and were closely monitored during the atmospheric river event.
Just like preparing for snow and ice, it is equally important to prepare for wet driving conditions. During winter it may seem like the rain will never stop so it is essential to know what to do when roads are wet. We have listed some wet weather driving tips below.
Wet weather driving tips:
- Slow down.
- Allow extra time to reach your destination.
- Turn on headlights.
- Turn off cruise control.
- Watch for water pooling on the roadway.
- Don’t drive or walk through standing water if you can’t tell how deep it is. Follow this rule, “Turn Around, Don’t Drown.”
- Don’t ignore or driver around “Road Closed” barricades.
You can see additional wet weather driving tips from the Washington State Department of Transportation.
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Save 100% on specialty medications with PrudentRx
As announced during Open Enrollment, beginning Jan. 1, 2024, CVS Caremark will offer the PrudentRx specialty drug copay program to employees and their covered family members enrolled in a Regence BlueShield medical plan (King Care PPO or KingCare Select). PrudentRx participants pay nothing out-of-pocket for their eligible specialty drugs.
Employees and covered family members who use a specialty medication that’s covered under the program should have received a letter through the U.S. mail from PrudentRx in early December. The letter contains information about the program and provides instructions to help you enroll. Please be aware of the following PrudentRx logo:
If you or a covered family member received a letter, you should call PrudentRx at 800-578-4403 to sign up for the program. PrudentRx will also attempt to reach you by phone.
PrudentRx program participants have a $0 copay for specialty drug prescriptions. Important: Beginning in 2024, individuals who do not enroll in PrudentRx will pay 30% coinsurance for specialty medications covered under the program.
There is no cost to join the program. The PrudentRx program does not apply to all specialty drugs, and most drugs are not classified as specialty. If you did not receive a letter or phone call from PrudentRx, no action is required by you.
For more information about the program, please contact PrudentRx at 800-578-4403. For general prescription drug coverage questions contact CVS Caremark at 844-380-8838.
If you have questions, please contact the Benefits team at kc.benefits@kingcounty.gov or 206-684-1556.
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Facility tour looks at ways to enhance safety and security
Chief People Officer Whitney Abrams joined a group of employees and labor representatives on a tour of the King County Courthouse and its surroundings to review ideas for improving access to the courthouse while maintaining security at the building.
The tour, led by Facilities Management Division Deputy Director of Operations Drew Zimmerman, was part of efforts to create safe, more welcoming environments around King County facilities in downtown Seattle and across the county.
The group discussed options for improving access to the Courthouse after hours, especially in the darker, winter months, improving overall safety, and reestablishing onsite amenities. They also toured the Facilities Management Division (FMD) Emergency Dispatch Center on the building’s first floor.
“Our goal is that no matter where our workplaces are located, every employee and visitor should feel safe and welcome,” Abrams said. “It is also crucial that we maintain security of the Courthouse for staff, jurors, and other users of the building. We are continuing to look at a number of options to achieve both these outcomes.”
Suzette Dickerson, Senior Staff Representative with The Washington State Council of County and City Employees/American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees, Council 2, was one of the labor representatives attending the tour.
“It’s really important to be able to see first-hand the concerns that our members are raising and their ideas for addressing them,” she said. “We know that this is a complicated issue but by working collaboratively with County leadership, I am confident that we can find solutions that benefit our members and all courthouse users.”
Expanded security and custodial services that have already been made include:
- Sheriff’s Deputies are posted at the Third Avenue entrance to the Courthouse between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. – and sometimes later – Monday to Friday.
- Facilities Management Division (FMD) Security Officers conduct exterior perimeter patrols of the downtown campus.
- Trash and general clean-up occur each morning, with pressure washing three times per week. Custodial staff are also be on-call during normal hours to respond to cleaning incidents as needed.
- King County’s employee Walking Bus pilot program now offers five departures each weekday evening walking with a FMD Security Escort from the Third Avenue entrance of the King County Courthouse – meeting at the Information Desk in the First Floor lobby – to the King Street Station and Colman Dock via the Pioneer Square light rail station entrance.
- Employee card reader locks have been installed in Courthouse bathrooms.
“I am grateful for the ideas that our employees and labor partners have shared with us and look forward to continuing to work with them to provide a safe, welcoming, and secure work environment,” Abrams said.
Employee News 