First 2024 Professional Development Scholarship application period ends Oct. 8
The first application period for the 2024 Coalition Labor Agreement’s Professional Development Scholarship Program ends at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023. The Scholarship Program is a benefit offered as part of the 2022 – 2024 Coalition Labor Agreement and is only open to employees represented by one of the unions in the Coalition. Award recipients for this period will be notified between Nov. 20 – Dec. 1, 2023. Please check the scholarship website for important dates, information and the link to apply. The Scholarship Program is part of the County’s commitment to Investing in YOU, and is designed to assist eligible… Read More
We are racially just: Our King County values at work
A message from King County’s Learning & Development team To reach our True North – a welcoming community where every person can thrive – we must achieve racial justice. “We Are Racially Just” is a core value of King County. Through personal testimonies from King County employees, the We Are Racially Just: Our King County Values at Work eLearning course explores what it means to be racially just and helps to familiarize employees with King County’s Pro-Equity and Anti-Racist actions and identify behaviors that can support these actions at work. This training… Read More
2024 Professional Development Scholarship applications to open Sept. 6
What could up to $3,000 do for your career? The first application period for the 2024 Coalition Labor Agreement Professional Development Scholarship is rapidly approaching, and now is the time to identify training opportunities to help you reach your career goals. In conjunction with the Coalition of Unions, the Professional Development Scholarship Program will be accepting applications Sept. 6 – Oct. 8, 2023, for training that will begin anytime between January – June 2024. The application process is changing so please periodically check the scholarship website and the Employee News for updates on how to… Read More
Workforce Equity and you: Disability as a protected class
As an employer, King County has a reputation for being a place where all people can succeed and thrive. Diversity, inclusion, equity, and social justice are part of our True North for both residents and employees. This means that employees with disabilities, whether visible or not, all have the same rights and resources as employees in other protected classes. The Workforce Equity Team is part of the Director’s Office of the Department of Human Resources (DHR). Workforce Equity provides oversight, guidance, support, and compliance functions that ensure an inclusive and diverse workforce,… Read More
Second Professional Development Scholarship Award Letters and round up
All award letters for the second period of the 2023 Coalition Labor Agreement’s Professional Development Scholarship Program have been sent to the scholarship recipients. This second period saw 41 employees receive over $100,000 in scholarship funds. In total, the 2023 program awarded $180,000 of the $225,000 budgeted. Approximately $45,000 will be carried over into the 2024 program year for a total budget of about $270,000. The 2024 scholarship year will open September 6, 2023, and will be for training that starts anytime between January to June 2024. Employees interested in applying for… Read More
FSA mid-year check
We’re more than halfway through 2023, and it’s a good time to check your Flexible Spending Account (FSA) balances and take steps to make sure you spend your remaining funds before the end of the year. Here’s some additional reminders: Health Care FSAs Use Health Care FSA funds to purchase summer-related items such as sunscreen, first aid kits, and prescription sunglasses. Schedule any necessary back-to-school check-ups and sports physicals if you have children. Many over-the-counter items are FSA-eligible, such as pain relievers, cold and allergy medicine, antacids, and feminine care. See the… Read More
July is BIPOC Mental Health Month
Established in 2008 in honor of Bebe Moore Campbell, the formally recognized National Minority Mental Health Awareness month was created to bring awareness to the unique mental health struggles that underrepresented groups in the U.S. experience. Anyone can experience mental health challenges; they do not discriminate based on race, age, gender or identity. At the same time, one’s background and identities can present unique experiences, specific barriers, and opportunities to get support. Read more here about how to support yourself and your community with mental health resources and worksheets.
Help us recruit your next teammate to King County
Have you noticed some of the new outreach and marketing being done to attract candidates to King County? There is a small, creative team within the Department of Human Resources’ Talent Acquisition team who are creating tools to support centralized outreach and marketing. Some of those tools include social media blocks that we released for Mental Health Awareness Month, which you may have seen online. The team’s efforts were designed to bring visibility and voice to county-wide recruitment with coordinated messaging at no cost to departments. Examples include advertising on El Rey radio in February… Read More
Second Professional Development Scholarship applications under review
The second and final round of completed applications for the 2023 Coalition Labor Agreement’s Professional Development Scholarship Program are currently under review. There are 52 applicants requesting a total of $130,000 in scholarship funds. Awardees for this period will be notified by email no later than July 14, 2023. The scholarship is part of the County’s commitment to Investing in YOU, and is designed to assist employees represented by a union in the Coalition of Unions with their professional development by providing up to $3,000 in financial assistance towards obtaining training, certificates, degrees, licenses, and… Read More
Second Professional Development Scholarship Program application period now closed
The second application period for the Coalition Labor Agreement Professional Development Scholarship is now closed as of June 4. Awardees for this period will be notified via email no later than July 21, 2023. The scholarship is part of the County’s commitment to Investing in YOU, and is designed to assist employees represented by a union in the Coalition of Unions with their professional development by providing up to $3,000 in financial assistance towards obtaining training, certificates, degrees, licenses, and certifications. For more information go to the Professional Development Scholarship website or email ScholarshipFund@kingcounty.gov.
Employee News 