Making Life Easier (MLE) provides resources to support the mental and emotional health of you and your household members, including during and after natural disasters, such as the flooding King County is currently experiencing. Employees and anyone residing in the employee’s home can call MLE at 888-874-7290 24/7 and reach a licensed counselor who can provide in-the-moment support over the phone and can connect you to work-life specialists who can help identify community resources for needs like housing, food, and personal care items. Read more.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, your King County Employees Deferred Compensation Plan deduction frequency will change from 24 pay periods per year to 26 pay periods per year. This means your annual Deferred Compensation contribution will be spread over more paychecks, as follows: If you contribute a flat dollar amount from each paycheck Your total annual contribution to your Deferred Compensation Plan will increase as your deduction schedule increases from 24 to 26 pay periods. Be sure to review your contribution amount to ensure it aligns with your retirement savings goals. Example: Your annual… Read More

Each January, certain members of Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) Plan 2 have the opportunity to make a permanent transfer to PERS Plan 3. If you are an active PERS Plan 2 member who began service before Sept. 1, 2002, and you will earn service credit in January, you are eligible to transfer to Plan 3. Use the resources on the Department of Retirement Systems website to help you decide if transferring to Plan 3 is right for you. To transfer from Plan 2 to Plan 3, complete a Member Transfer form and return it by… Read More

The Employment Security Department recently announced that premium rates for the Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave program will be changing next year. Beginning Jan. 1, 2026: The premium rate will increase from 0.92% to 1.13% of your gross wages. Employers will pay 28.57% of the total premium and employees will pay 71.43%. This is a slight change from 2025 when the ratio was employer 28.48% and employee 71.52%. The Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave program is funded by mandatory premiums collected from employees and employers in Washington state. By law,… Read More

Trying to balance everyday expenses while saving for retirement or big life purchases can feel overwhelming—especially if you’re living paycheck to paycheck without a clear plan. Financial stress doesn’t just impact your wallet; it can affect your health, relationships, and overall well‑being. That’s why taking steps toward financial wellness is so important. King County employees have a financial well‑being benefit through My Secure Advantage® (MSA). With MSA, you have access to tools and resources designed to help you better manage your money. From personalized coaching to budgeting support and planning strategies, MSA… Read More

My Secure Advantage (MSA) is a financial wellness program that provides King County employees with tools and coaching to help you reach your financial goals. The holiday season can bring extra expenses and maintaining financial wellness during this time is important. Balancing everyday costs with holiday spending helps reduce stress, protect long‑term goals, and keep the focus on enjoying time with family and friends. In this video, Balanced You’s Employee Health and Wellness Project/Program Manager III, Karla Clark interviews MSA Financial Advisor, Tiffany Willis about financial planning for the holidays and how to… Read More

Do you have money left in your Flexible Spending Account (FSA)? To check the balance of your Health Care or Day Care FSA, go to Navia Benefits and sign in to your account. Expenses must be incurred by Dec. 31, 2025, and submitted for reimbursement by March 31, 2026. Please see details below. Health Care FSAs The Health Care FSA allows you to carry over up to $660 of unused funds from your 2025 Health Care FSA for use in 2026. Any other remaining funds are forfeited. You can use your Health Care FSA funds to… Read More

King County employees can now note that their ORCA pass will automatically renew at the start of the new year and disregard the expiration alert when tapping for use on transit. For questions or concerns, please reach out to the Employee Transportation Program coordinator at ETP@kingcounty.gov. For more information, visit the Employee Transportation Program SharePoint employee website.

Regence BlueShield and EvergreenHealth reached a contract agreement on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. Services provided by EvergreenHealth providers, clinics, and facilities will continue to be considered in-network by Regence. If you are enrolled in a Regence medical plan and you see an EvergreenHealth provider, there will be no disruption to your coverage or benefits. For more information, see the Regence News post. If you have questions, please call Regence BlueShield at 800-376-7926 or contact the King County Benefits team at 206-684-1556 or email KC Benefits.

Open Enrollment is underway. Ensure you have the right benefits in place for you and your family for next year by completing Open Enrollment by Nov. 15. Check out the following resources to learn more about your benefit choices: Go to the Open Enrollment web page to see the 2026 Key Benefit Changes. Stop by a Benefit Fair 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Here is the schedule for this week: Tuesday, Nov. 4, King County Equipment Maintenance, 155 Monroe Ave NE, Renton, J Bldg. Wednesday, Nov. 5, Atlantic/Central Transit Base, 1500 6th Ave S,… Read More