What are the benefits of getting a COVID-19 vaccine?
Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is not only important in protecting you from contracting the virus, but you are also helping to protect your family, friends, co-workers, and customers, especially those who may be at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 and those who cannot be vaccinated. COVID-19 vaccination will help you from getting sick or seriously ill with COVID-19. It helps protect you by teaching your body’s immune system to fight the virus without having to experience a COVID-19 infection. In the clinical trials, the COVID-19 vaccines that are currently available… Read More
How to make sure you are fully vaccinated by Oct. 18
All King County Executive branch employees must be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18, 2021. Oct. 4 is the last opportunity to get vaccinated to meet the Oct. 18 deadline. To meet this requirement, employees must: Receive their second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or the first shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, by Oct. 4, 2021, and Provide verified proof of vaccination by Oct. 18, 2021 Make sure you know when you need to start your vaccine schedule in order to meet the Oct. 18 requirement: If you opt for the… Read More
Metro provides many options for safely commuting to and from work
King County Metro provides many public transportation options that can connect people directly with worksites within the Civic Campus. For those returning to transit, information about our safety measures and how to ride can be found on our “A healthier Metro is here” webpage. In addition, King County’s Employee Transportation Program (ETP) provides resources and benefits to support King County employees with using transit, Vanpools, walkpools, and other non-drive alone options for getting to and from work. Choosing Transit During the peak commute, Link light rail operates through the downtown transit tunnel… Read More
Future of Work Executive Summary and Implementation Plan
King County departments are currently implementing Future of Work plans for delivering services and operations in a post-pandemic environment, and you can learn more about the strategy, next steps, and progress metrics in two new documents. Future of Work plans are guided by our True North and values and draw on the experiences and lessons learned during COVID-19. They also incorporate feedback from employees using a variety of listening mechanisms. King County engaged Grant Thornton LLC to support the development of these plans, allowing the County to draw on their experience working… Read More
Resources to support your mental, emotional, and physical health and well-being
from Whitney Abrams, Chief People Officer I hope you saw the results from our annual Employee Engagement Survey that showed a clear connection between your engagement and the mission of the work you do. As a King County employee, you come to this work because you care about your community, and you want to make a difference. For many this connection has become even stronger in the pandemic as the importance of the work became more and more evident and meaningful. At the same time, the stress and anxiety of the pandemic… Read More
Juneteenth and Indigenous Peoples’ Day to be observed holidays beginning in 2022
Starting in 2022, King County government will observe two new paid holidays, Juneteenth and Indigenous Peoples’ Day, subject to available funding resources, bargaining, and potential impacts to existing county services. King County Council passed two Ordinances last year to establish Juneteenth (June 19) and Indigenous Peoples’ Day as paid holidays for King County employees eligible for leave benefits starting in 2022. The holidays are subject to available funding resources, bargaining, and potential impacts to existing county services. The Office of Equity and Social Justice is consulting with county employees who identify as Indigenous people and with… Read More
State retirement plan contributions change effective July 1
Employee and employer contribution rates for the following retirement plans will change on July 1, 2021, as approved by the State Legislature. The state Pension Funding Council adjusts contribution rates every two years, as needed, to fund the retirement benefits earned by members. The PERS employer rate changed to 10.25% for PERS plan 3 and PERS JBM plans 1 and 3. The new contribution amounts will be deducted from your second paycheck in July: If you are paid every other Thursday, your new contribution will appear on your July 22 paycheck. If… Read More
Could you use a vacation?
Updated June 23, 2021 A year ago, at this time, if you had a vacation planned for 2020 you probably cancelled it or were considering cancelling. If you hadn’t planned one, you were probably wondering if and when you would get to travel again. With almost half of all U.S. adults fully vaccinated, many people have begun traveling again or are making plans to do so. Some have accumulated robust vacation leave balances because of postponed or canceled travel plans. If you are wondering if it is safe to travel, the answer… Read More
Mandatory telework to end July 5, 2021
by Dow Constantine, King County Executive It has been more than a year since I instituted mandatory telework – for those King County employees whose work allowed for it – to slow the spread of COVID-19. I made this decision based on Public Health guidance for how we can make our workplaces as safe as possible for front-line employees and customers while continuing to provide essential in-person service. Your health and safety, and the health and safety of those we serve, continue to guide my decision making. Vaccines are clearly our best… Read More
Day Care FSA limits increased; enrollment and changes allowed in May
With the recent passage of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), you are now able to contribute up to $10,500—pre-tax—into your 2021 Day Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA). For this year only, if you are currently enrolled, you can contribute up to $10,500 to your Day Care FSA, or $5,250 if married and filing separately. (Normally, per year, you can contribute up to $5,000 per household or $2,500 if married, filling separately.) This means you can save up to an additional $1,650 at tax time. In addition, during May 2021,… Read More
Employee News 