The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions recently issued notice of a possible strike from Oct. 4––6. This does not include Kaiser employees in the Pacific Northwest region.   At this time, the negotiations involve only a fraction of Kaiser Permanente workers and facilities in Washington—primarily in the southwest edge of the state. Other areas impacted are Colorado, Mid-Atlantic States, Northern California, Oregon, Southwest Washington, and Southern California.  Kaiser Permanente and Coalition leaders will continue negotiating with hopes to reach an agreement before any work stoppage occurs. Kaiser has plans in place to ensure continued access to needed health care… Read More

King County offers multiple programs and resources to support the health and well-being of employees. Whether it’s tools to help your physical, mental, emotional, or financial health, there’s a program or benefit that’s right for you. Watch this video to learn more and visit the Balanced You blog and website and the Benefits, Payroll and Retirement Operations (BPROS) website for more informational.

Getting a flu shot will help to protect you, your loved ones, and your work colleagues from getting sick with the flu this season. King County is hosting onsite flu clinics where employees can get vaccinated.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone six months and older get a flu shot every year, ideally by the end of October.   Onsite flu clinics start Sept. 18. Learn more about onsite flu clinics and how to register here. In addition to onsite flu clinics at county worksites, employees can also get vaccinated at… Read More

It’s important to review and update your personal information in PeopleSoft to ensure: You will receive important Open Enrollment and other employee benefits information mailed to you at the address you provide. Your emergency contact can be notified if something happens to you at work. You can be notified of safety directives, building closures, etc. You can receive information at the email address you prefer. Watch the Updating Personal Details in PeopleSoft video or follow these steps: Sign in to PeopleSoft from any device at https://ess.kingcounty.gov. Go to the Personal Details Make sure all items are… Read More

Crossposted from KC Balanced You King County is committed to supporting employees with mental health conditions in the workplace. For many people, employment is an essential part of our identity, well-being and mental and physical health. Employment provides a sense of purpose and allows us to build connections with others. Fostering a culture that promotes self-care and focuses on mental health as an important part of overall health and well-being is critical to building inclusion and providing support to employees in the workforce. A key part of this focus is to provide… Read More

Regence BlueShield and EvergreenHealth reached a contract agreement on Aug. 31, 2023. Services provided by Evergreen Health Providers and facilities will continue to be considered in-network by Regence. The provider network contract was immediately effective. If you are enrolled in the Regence KingCare Select Eastside Health Network or the Regence KingCare PPO medical plan and you see an Evergreen Health provider, there will be no disruption to your coverage or benefits.  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… Read More

King County Executive Dow Constantine is recognizing the dedication and expertise of King County’s payroll professionals by proclaiming Sept. 4 through Sept. 8, 2023 as National Payroll Week. “King County payroll professionals play a key role in maintaining the economic health of the County, in ensuring the economic security of families by carrying out diverse tasks such as processing paychecks, payments to child support, and tax withholding, reporting, and depositing,” Executive Constantine said in the Proclamation. Read the full Proclamation below.

Employer contribution rates for some of the following retirement plans will change on Sept. 1, 2023, as approved by the State Legislature. The state Pension Funding Council adjusts contribution rates, as needed, to fund the retirement benefits earned by members. The PERS employer rate will change to 9.53% for all PERS plans. You will see the new employer contribution amounts under employer-paid benefits on your paystub beginning Sept. 14, 2023. More information is available on the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) website. If you have any questions about the rate… Read More

Recently, several employees have reported being contacted by a representative of Equitable financial services, stating that they represent King County employee retirement plans and attempting to get the employees to provide their personal financial information. Equitable does not represent any King County retirement or financial programs and is not a provider of any King County retirement or financial plans. Keep in mind, representatives for King County retirement and financial plans will not call you unsolicited. For security purposes it is recommended that you not give out any personal information to anyone you did… Read More