Making Life Easier webinars for the holiday season
King County employees can choose from these upcoming live and on-demand webinars. Register early for the live session as space is limited; otherwise, the recording will be available on-demand 48 hours after the live session. Navigating Grief During the Holiday Season, Wednesday, Dec. 16 from noon to 1 p.m. Register here. Moving Forward From Here: Navigating Uncertain Times, now available on-demand. Register here. Supporting Yourself This Season: The Winter Blues & Seasonal Affective Disorder, now available on-demand. Register here. To learn more about these webinars, login to kcmakinglifeeasier.com with your username: King County, click on the Current… Read More
Stress less this holiday season
The holiday season will look different for many people this year. Many of us will still find ways to cultivate joy and cherish time with loved ones, whether virtually or safely in-person. Many of us will also undergo sadness and fatigue from experiencing holidays during a pandemic. Balanced You and King County’s Making Life Easier program offer the following recommendations so you can enjoy the season to the fullest. Read this Balanced You blogpost for more information.
Video: COVID-19 vaccine planning update from Dr. Jeff Duchin (Dec. 11, 2020)
Crossposted from Public Health Insider With COVID-19 cases surging in King County, Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin shared the most recent data and responded to questions from the media and the community about vaccine planning and how we can all help stop slow the spread during the holiday season. For more on COVID-19 data trends, visit our data dashboards: https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/covid-19/data.aspx For more on COVID-19 vaccine planning in King County: www.kingcounty.gov/covid/vaccine
Your vision benefits don’t expire at year-end
If you’re panicking because your regular vision provider has been closed or is booked solid during the long COVID-19 pandemic, fear not; your vision benefits, through Vision Service Plan (VSP), make it easy for you to get the eye care you need. And best of all… vision benefits are calculated on a rolling 12-24 month period, as follows, meaning you don’t need to rush out before year-end. *Allowance for Regular and Transit ATU 587 employee benefit group is $200, allowance for all other benefit groups is $130. You may use any eye… Read More
With new COVID-19 cases reaching all-time highs, please consider donating to the Emergency Leave Program
The Emergency Leave Donation Program was developed to aid employees who’ve been impacted by COVID-19 and have exhausted their paid leave. Access to donated leave has helped them focus on recovering their health or caring for loved ones. So far this year, nearly 300 employees have generously donated personal leave to support their colleagues. The program is asking employees to again consider donating personal leave to the program, as the paid leave available is running low. Donating leave is an especially good option for employees who may find themselves in a “use-it-or-lose-it” position with an excess vacation balance… Read More
Get help correcting your at-home ergonomics
With many King County employees working remotely through the pandemic, and potentially beyond, you may find yourself missing your perfectly adjusted ergonomic workstation in the office. King County has certified ergonomists in the Department of Human Resources (DHR) that can provide assessments for your at-home workstation. They can’t come to your home, but a virtual assessment can help pinpoint issues and save you pain down the road. “It’s not too late; even if it’s been several months since you started working from home, you should assess any new workstation,” Rob Stafford, Safety… Read More
Planning for COVID-19 vaccine access at King County
Message from Whitney Abrams, Chief People Officer, & Brenda Bauer, Deputy Chief Operating Officer Dear employee, The first shipment of COVID-19 vaccine is expected to arrive in Washington state this week. This is an exciting development in the pandemic response, and the county, particularly Public Health staff, are working hard on plans, preparations, and communications to ensure equitable access to the vaccine in King County. Who will receive the early doses? Initial doses of the vaccine have strict “ultracold” storage requirements with special freezers that are typically found only in certain hospitals…. Read More
Hope and Joy Campaign: December 16 Coffee Connection
As part of the Hope and Joy Campaign, the Balanced You team is hosting a series of virtual zoom sessions, called “Coffee Connections”, to provide spaces for employees to connect over fun topics and events. The second Coffee Connection’s theme is “Quarantine Holiday Celebrations” Join us then to share the unique way you and your family will celebrate the holidays this year. It will be held on December 16, from 10-10:30 a.m. Click here to Register. You can check out other upcoming Coffee Connections on the Balanced You Blog here.
Strategic Interviewing Tips and Techniques, December 17
This two-hour virtual workshop will provide you with strategies and tips to help you to do your best during the interview. Learning objectives include: How to prepare for a virtual job interview The interview structure and types of questions you will be asked The STAR-LA method and how to use it to provide organized and complete responses General tips and strategies This workshop will take place Thursday, Dec. 17 from 1–3 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 visit www.kingcounty.gov/CSS.
Road to Retirement session offered December 15
Are you planning to retire in the next six months? If so, join your Retirement Team for this informative 90-minute online class on Tuesday, Dec. 15, from 1–2:30 p.m. We’ll discuss procedures and forms, medical coverage options, and pension plans—so you’ll be on a smooth road toward a happy retirement. Please register for Road to Retirement at Eventbrite. Sessions for 2021 are also listed, so chose a class that works best for your schedule. After you register, you will receive an email with a Zoom link for the class you selected. To learn more before the class,… Read More
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