State retirement plan contributions change Sept. 1, 2024
Employer contribution rates for some of the following retirement plans will change on Sept. 1, 2024, as approved by the State Legislature. The state Pension Funding Council adjusts contribution rates, as needed, to fund the retirement benefits earned by members. You will see the new employer contribution amounts under employer-paid benefits on your paystub beginning Sept. 26, 2024. More information is available on the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) website. If you have any questions about the rate change, please contact DRS at 800-547-6657 or recep@drs.wa.gov.
Deadline to complete dependent eligibility verification extended to Aug. 12
To ensure that all employees have the opportunity to complete the dependent eligibility verification process so that their family members can continue their coverage on their King County medical, dental, or vision plan, the deadline has been extended to Aug. 12, 2024. If you haven’t completed the process, please use this two-week grace period to verify the eligibility of each person enrolled to make sure they do not lose coverage on Sept. 30, 2024. If you have coverage questions, please contact King County Benefits. Using the Audit ID sent to you by Mercer,… Read More
New Mindfulness offerings for King County employees
Balanced You is excited to share that we heard employees’ requests for more class variety to accommodate busy schedules. As such, Balanced You worked with CuriosityBased and SolJoy to offer shorter class options at varied times beginning in August. Initially, all classes will be online and there will be in-person classes in the future. A schedule and class registration for summer 2024 can be found here. We look forward to offering new mindfulness programing to all King County employees as we continue our mindfulness journey together. For more information on mindfulness and other… Read More
Complete Dependent Eligibility Verification by July 29
To ensure your family members continue their coverage on your King County medical, dental, or vision plan, please verify their eligibility by submitting documentation to Mercer. This dependent eligibility verification process must be completed by July 29, 2024, for each person enrolled to make sure they do not lose coverage on Sept. 30, 2024. The verification process can take a few days so don’t leave it to the last minute! If you have coverage questions, please contact King County Benefits. Access the Mercer Secure Website to check your verification progress and submit documents. If you… Read More
New mindfulness offerings
Mindfulness is the practice of being present and fully engaged with whatever we’re doing at the moment—free from distraction or judgment. It’s a proven method to reduce stress, improve focus, and enhance overall well-being. Balanced You is thrilled to announce an exciting new partnership with mindfulness providers CuriosityBased and SolJoy. This collaboration highlights Balanced You’s dedication to fostering a supportive and inclusive employee well-being program that is in alignment with King County’s values. Learn more. Supervisors: Here is a printer-friendly PDF with the new Mindfulness Summer 2024 schedule to post at your worksites for employees… Read More
Wellness Hero Velda Alexander
Balanced You Wellness Heroes highlights employees doing things to better their lives, the lives of their colleagues, and our community. Meet Wellness Hero Velda Alexander, King County Metro Transit Operator. In this video she talks about her experience as a Metro bus driver, what keeps her grounded at work, what she does for self-care, and more. Check out the video of Velda below. We want to hear your stories! If you have a wellness story or want to nominate a fellow co-worker you know to be a Wellness Hero, please send us… Read More
Making Life Easier, now powered by CuraLinc
Balanced You is excited to announce that, effective July 1, 2024, Making Life Easier (MLE) is now administered by our new vendor CuraLinc. Through CuraLinc, King County employees and anyone living at the employee’s home address now has access to an expanded library of Making Life Easier resources to support emotional and overall well-being. All Making Life Easier resources are confidential and offered at no-cost to you. Read more.
Sun safety tips
As we all know, our region does not get year-round sun. It seems like every year when summer arrives, we rush outside to get the much-needed sun we’ve been missing. Whether you are enjoying your summer activities or exposed to sun during your workday, don’t forget to follow these sun safety tips to keep you cool and safe: Wear sunscreen: No matter your skin type, sunscreen helps protect you from damage caused by UV rays. Cover all exposed areas of your body with an SPF 30 or higher sunscreen. Wear appropriate clothing: Choose lightweight, light… Read More
Take care working outdoors during heat
Updated Aug. 8, 2024 Hot weather is forecast for the next few days in our region, and a Heat Advisory has been issued for parts of the state. As some of our work needs to be performed outdoors, we want to ensure that employees and supervisors take care of themselves and one another as temperatures rise. In extreme heat, Executive Branch departments should evaluate planned field work to determine if this work can be postponed to when temperatures are cooler, where possible. If work must be performed, departments should attempt to adapt… Read More
State retirement plan contributions change July 1, 2024
Employer contribution rates for some of the following retirement plans will change on July 1, 2024, as approved by the State Legislature. The state Pension Funding Council adjusts contribution rates, as needed, to fund the retirement benefits earned by members. You will see the new employer contribution amounts under employer-paid benefits on your paystub beginning July 17, 2024. More information is available on the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) website. If you have any questions about the rate change, please contact DRS at 800-547-6657 or recep@drs.wa.gov.
Employee News 