PeopleSoft HCM Outage Notice, December 23

To allow for system maintenance, the PeopleSoft system will not be available starting at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 23.   During this planned outage, the Business Resource Center (BRC) will apply vendor updates and maintenance.   This work will begin on Wednesday, Dec. 23 at 3 p.m. and is scheduled to be completed by 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, Dec 24.    The system will not be available for access by any County staff during this outage window. There will be a communication sent out to all County staff when the system becomes available.   We… Read More

New COVID-19 Child Care Reimbursement Program

Dear King County employee, We are excited to announce that, in response to the overwhelming impacts of COVID-19 on working parents, including the closure of many in-person schools and child care providers, labor and management have agreed upon a COVID-19 Child Care Reimbursement Program to help those in the Regular Employees Benefits Plan with child care expenses incurred during the 2020-2021 school year. This groundbreaking agreement, first proposed by a King County Coalition of Unions, will cover approximately 10,400 union and non-represented employees who receive the Regular Employees Benefits Plan through the Joint… Read More

Thank you to you, our employee audience

Our top stories and videos for 2020 Throughout 2020, the Department of Human Resources Employee Communications Team highlighted the professional accomplishments and successes of our employees, resources to help them navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, learning and advancement opportunities, and important events. These were shared in our twice weekly Employee News newsletter, the KC Employee News blog, and the King County Employees YouTube channel. Additionally, these same stories were also shared on the KCEmployees Twitter account and the King County, WA LinkedIn account. Thank you to all our readers for engaging with our content, sharing it… Read More

Tech Tip: Teams Breakout Rooms are here

Microsoft Teams offers users the option to use a Breakout Room. Meeting organizers can use Breakout Rooms to break meeting attendees into small groups during you meeting.   Breakout Rooms rolled out the week of Dec. 7. Meeting organizers should now see the icon in their meetings.   Only meeting organizers can create and manage Breakout Rooms. Anyone in a Teams meeting can participate in a Breakout Room though.   To use Breakout Rooms, as a meeting organizer, select the Breakout Rooms icon (a square within a square). Follow the instructions that pop-up in the next screen.   To learn more about Breakout Rooms, read this… Read More

Safe holiday activities for kids during the pandemic 

If you have children at home, you may be wondering what types of activities you can do to provide entertainment and help them feel the spirit of celebration during the pandemic. Balanced You has put together a list of seasonal activities you can do as a family that foster connection and well-being while observing guidelines for staying healthy. Visit this Balanced You blogpost for more information. 

Give the gift of safety this winter season 

Crossposted from Public Health Insider  As winter approaches, you may find yourself driving in the snow, skiing, snowboarding, sledding, ice skating, or giving gifts this season. Here are some tips for giving the gift of safety for the holidays:  If you are giving a bike, scooter, skateboard, snowboard or skis, remember to give a helmet too!  If you are giving a toy to a child, check the warning labels and instructions to make sure it’s age-appropriate.  If you have a friend or loved one who owns a gun and want to give them… Read More

Creating Effective Application Materials online workshop, January 13 

This one-hour virtual workshop will provide you tips and strategies on how to make your application materials stand out.  Learning objectives include:   Understanding the purpose of the job application, resume, cover letter and supplemental questions and how to make each of them more effective   Deciding what to include in your resume and the best format to showcase your qualifications   How to write a cover letter tailored to the specific position   Identifying and showcasing your accomplishments  This workshop will take place Wednesday, Jan. 13 from 1-3 p.m. Register here.   For additional online workshops offered… Read More

Training Spotlight: Intro to Mindfulness for King County Employee COVID-19 Responders – Online

A special session for those working the front lines during this pandemic, in this one hour workshop, we will review the various aspects of mindfulness practice, the ways mindfulness can help reduce stress, reactivity and burnout, and the science that supports the practices. This training is free and takes place on Wednesday, Dec. 23, from 10–11 a.m. Register here using the password ERkingcounty.   Please visit our King County Eventbrite website and our Learning and Development website for more opportunities. For more information, contact the Learning and Development Team at KCTraining@kingcounty.gov or visit Learning and Development at www.kingcounty.gov/learning. 

Expansion of testing into the eastside of king county 

Crossposted from Public Health Insider  Starting this week, there will be a new option for convenient, free COVID-19 testing on the Eastside. A new site at Bellevue College will open on Tuesday, expanding efforts to control the spread of COVID-19 in east King County and along the I-90 corridor. This will be the first free, high-capacity COVID-19 test site on the Eastside. This site will be free and open to anyone, regardless of insurance or immigration status.  If you have COVID-like symptoms or have had close contact with someone with COVID-19, Public Health… Read More

STAR-LA Interview Practice and Feedback, January 12 

This 60-minute, virtual, small group workshop is designed to provide mock interview practice and feedback using the STAR-LA method as taught by King County Career Support Services. This workshop is ideal for participants who have attended the Strategic Interviewing Tips and Techniques workshop or have watched the 10 minute STAR-LA method video found on the Career Support Services website.  This workshop will take place Tuesday, Jan. 12 from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Register here.   For additional online workshops offered by King County Career Support Services (CSS), visit their Eventbrite page. For more information about CSS along with links to career related… Read More