Launch of Professional Development Scholarship Fund
In support of Executive Constantine’s commitment to Investing in YOU, King County and the Coalition of Unions are pleased to launch the Professional Development Scholarship Fund Program. Scholarship funds will be awarded to eligible employees for training that occurs in 2019. The intent of the scholarship is to support employees in achieving their career goals at King County or enhance their work related skills. The maximum total amount an eligible employee can receive for the year in training funds is $2,500. Applications are now being accepted for training that will begin anytime between January 1, 2019 – March 31, 2019…. Read More
Considering KingCare Select? Hear what your co-workers think
Crossposted from Balanced You Open Enrollment is just around the corner. Are you considering the newest health plan option, KingCare Select? Watch the video below to learn what a few King County employees think about this plan. Note: At this time, the KingCare Select medical plan is not available to Deputy Sheriffs, Sheriff Captains, and TEA-Transit employees.
Employees practice “Drop, cover and hold”
On Thursday, October 18 King County participated in the Great Washington Shake Out, an earthquake drill to help residents prepare for the next possible earthquake. This even included the Senior Leadership Team, who dropped, covered, and held on until the drill ended. Pictured here are Labor Relations Manager Bob Railton, Chief Operating Officer Casey Sixkiller, Director of Labor Relations Megan Pederson and Chief People Officer Whitney Abrams.
Q&A with our Elections translators: Signe Chan, Chinese
Crosposted from Election Connection We’re highlighting the great work our translators do helping make our elections and services accessible to every member of the community. Here we sit down for a brief Q&A with Signe Chan, our Chinese language translator. What is your background and what brought you to working in local government at King County? My family immigrated to the United States when I was a teenager. Often times I have to interpret for my parents and elderly friends who speak limited English. Helping people is one of my specialties; I started… Read More
The many ways to vote in King County
King County Elections makes it simple and convenient for voters throughout the county to make their voice heard. In addition to offering prepaid postage, Elections also provides accessible voting centers and an online ballot marking program for people who need assistance completing their ballot. The accessible voting centers are operated by trained staff and have special equipment available to help voters with disabilities cast a private, independent ballot. The equipment is a special machine called an Accessible Voting Unit (AVU). It has a touch screen and audio ballots to accommodate voters. These centers guarantee all King County voters… Read More
U.S. Department of Defense to present awards to King County and DAJD
The Department of Defense’s Employer Support of the Guard (ESGR) will present King County and the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD) with awards, Nov. 8, in recognition of their support of County employees who currently serve in the Reserve and National Guard. King County was nominated for the award by Senior Master Sergeant Michelle Helpenstell, a corrections officer with DAJD, who also serves in the Reserve. “When I learned of the Freedom Award I immediately knew I needed to recognize those who have been so supportive to KC military members,” said… Read More
Sisters Who Care about breast cancer awareness
True to their name, the Sisters Who Care really do care about their Juvenile Court colleagues and clients. This group of employees includes African American women who champion various causes and projects throughout the year. They are responsible for the annual Juneteenth celebration, and this month they feature Justice in Pink, a focus on Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Justice in Pink is the brainchild of Superior Court Renton Unit Supervisor JoeAnne Taylor and Renton Juvenile Probation Counselor Darlin Johnson who noticed many co-workers and family members were affected by cancer diagnoses. Justice in Pink is designed to educate Juvenile Court staff… Read More
Look for Open Enrollment information in your mailbox
Check your home mailbox for important benefits and Open Enrollment information mailed recently to the address you have listed in PeopleSoft. Open Enrollment takes place Nov. 1 – 15 and is your opportunity to: Enroll in the new short-term disability plan (Regular employees only)—Learn more at Life and Disability Insurance. To help you decide if this benefit is right for you, use the decision support tools, including videos, claims examples, rates, and coverage highlights. Change medical plans—Use the Plan Comparison Charts and other resources on the Medical plan page to consider whether Kaiser SmartCare or KingCare Select (Regence) makes… Read More
Supported Employment Program recognized at Governor’s Employer Award Program
King County’s Supported Employment Program was nominated for the Employment and Disability Issue Governor Awards for 2018 Public Sector Employer of the Year. The awards ceremony was held at the Microsoft Conference Center on Wednesday, October 17. The program was recognized by the Washington State Governor’s Committee on Disability Issues & Employment (GCDE) for the efforts of public employers (federal, state, local government) and their efforts to recruit, hire and advance the employment of individuals with disabilities. Although King County did not win the award, (hats off to the City of Bellevue) this was a great opportunity to not only… Read More
Employees participants needed for discussion about engagement data
The employee engagement team is looking for employees with ideas on how to improve the county’s response to what employees have said about their experience at King County. Contact Brooke Bascom at Brooke.Bascom@kingcounty.gov if you are interested in participating in a discussion that looks at: Are we responding to the engagement data in the most effective way? What works about action planning at the workgroup level? What doesn’t work about action planning at the workgroup level? What do we need to do that we’re not currently doing to improve engagement at King County? What should we keep… Read More
Employee News 