Mindfulness is the practice of being present and fully engaged with whatever we are doing at the moment—free from distraction or judgment. It is a proven method to reduce stress, improve focus, and enhance overall well-being. Balanced You partners with mindfulness providers CuriosityBased, SolJoy, and Mindfulness Northwest to offer classes to King County employees. The classes are open to all employees and each class is a one-time event. You can find the 2025 winter mindfulness schedule here. Supervisors: Here is a printer-friendly PDF with the Mindfulness winter 2025 schedule to post at your worksites for… 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, 2025: The premium rate will increase from 0.74% to 0.92%. Employers will pay 28.48% of the total premium and employees will pay 71.52%—a ratio similar to last year. The Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave program is funded by premiums collected from employees and employers in Washington state. By law, the Employment Security Department recalculates the premium rate annually in October based on program usage and… 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

Are you a King County employee interested in financial planning or investing and are eager to learn more? Looking for a chance to grow your leadership skills while supporting your fellow King County employees? Consider joining the King County Deferred Compensation Plan Board! The Deferred Compensation Plan helps employees save for retirement through automatic pre-tax and post-tax contributions. It is governed by a nine-member board that is seeking three new members: Two current King County employees and one King County retiree. As a board member, you will: Spend approximately three hours per month in… Read More

Food choices can support your immune health and help prevent type 2 diabetes. King County offers Omada—a personalized program that provides you with resources and support you need to maintain a well-balanced diet. Omada helps you reach your health goals with a personalized plan, dedicated health coach, and tools to track your health progress. King County employees and their family members can receive the Omada diabetes prevention program at no cost. Visit omadahealth.com/kingcounty to see if you qualify. Read more.

If you haven’t already completed Open Enrollment, be sure to go to PeopleSoft and finish up before midnight tonight, Friday, Nov. 15. Don’t miss your opportunity to put the right benefit options in place for you and your family next year. For information about your benefit choices, go to the Open Enrollment website and see the 2025 Key Benefit Changes. If you don’t participate in Open Enrollment, your current benefit plan elections will remain the same for next year except your Flexible Spending Accounts and your Benefit Access Fee exemption if you cover a spouse on your medical plan—these… Read More

There’s just one week left to complete Open Enrollment. Don’t miss your opportunity to become familiar with your benefit choices and learn about the changes for next year. Attend one of the last Benefit Fairs to get your questions answered, pick up givaways, and get help with your Open Enrollment. All employees are welcome to stop by any of the Benefit Fairs from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. If you are unable to attend a Benefit Fair, take advantage of the following resources: Go to the Open Enrollment website and see the… Read More

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… Read More

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 More

View the most recent Open Enrollment information at http://www.kingcounty.gov/open-enrollment. Open Enrollment for next year’s benefits is coming up, Nov. 1–15. Get a head start on understanding your 2025 benefit choices and the changes for next year by attending an online information session or a benefits fair hosted by your Benefits team. Register for an Open Enrollment Information Session to: Attend a Benefit Fair to: Benefit Fairs will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the following locations: For additional information and tools, go to Open Enrollment or contact the King… Read More