“What’s My Job?” Public Health project acts on survey results, allows leaders to shadow front-line employees

During 2017, employees from the Public Health – Seattle & King County Community Health Services Division (CHS) suggested their Leadership Team spend more time with CHS employees getting to know them and their work. After viewing the results from the annual employee engagement survey, this seemed like a great opportunity to help leadership learn about the work being done by front line employees and share more information about roles across the division. This project became known as “What’s My Job?” and included a member of the CHS Leadership Team spending up to… Read More

From the Hip: Patty Hayes, Director, Public Health – Seattle & King County

Becoming a trauma-informed organization Patty Hayes, RN, MN is director of Public Health – Seattle & King County. She is responsible for the operations of the 9th largest public health department in the U.S. (ranked by population served); a staff of nearly 1500; six divisions; and delivery of public health services to the more than 2 million people who live in and visit King County.  Public Health touches King County communities in untold ways, including disease investigation and control, food safety through restaurant inspections, health and wellness services for low income moms,… Read More

Public Defense creates new post-conviction unit 

Crossposted from For the Defense People with criminal convictions who are eligible to have those convictions vacated will get additional legal assistance to do so, thanks to a new post-conviction relief unit at the King County Department of Public Defense. The department started its new unit this month, a pilot project funded by King County’s recently passed 2019-2020 operating budget. One paralegal and the equivalent of one full-time attorney will provide the legal help eligible clients need to get convictions vacated. The pilot project also provides funding to the King County Prosecuting… Read More

Last days to have your say in Employee Survey  

There is less than three days to join the more than 7,500 employees who have had their say in the 2019 Employee Engagement Survey and help make King County work better for you. We’re also approaching the finish line for this year’s Speak Up! participation contest. Here are the current leaders as of Wednesday, March 27: For this contest, all divisions are placed in contest classes with their peers by employee headcount; those with the highest participation or are the first in their bracket to achieve 100% will be awarded prizes. Click here for the breakdown… Read More

Kudos! DHR employee makes new employees feel comfortable and welcome! 

The following kudos was received in praise of Kristy Hampton, Senior Human Resource Analyst with the Department of Human Resources (DHR). “I’m writing to let you know how much I greatly enjoy working with Kristy Hampton!  She is a stellar analyst; she makes the process comfortable for the employee, actively listens, asks thoughtful questions, etc.  She has a very approachable style and is very pleasant.    I’ve had the pleasure of meeting with Kristy on at least five+ occasions in the last several weeks.   She consistently provides top notch service. You’ve  got yourself… Read More

Volunteer to be a Ballot Drop Box Closer for April 23

Support your community and your commitment to public service in a visible and impactful way by volunteering as a drop box closer. Drop box closers are the friendly face the public sees on Election Day and allow voters to experience the excitement and camaraderie of the voting process. State law requires that ballot drop boxes close at 8 p.m. Election Day. Drop box closers provide customer service and assistance to voters returning their ballots to a drop box on Election night. King County Elections has rapidly expanded our ballot drop boxes from… Read More

Have a say on Clean Water Plan 

King County has started work on a new Clean Water Plan. The plan will guide the County’s work to protect water quality, public health and our environment for decades to come. This is your chance to learn about what we are doing to protect Puget Sound, lakes, rivers and streams and tell us what your priorities are for the future. King County is committed to an inclusive process and will involve all kinds of people. We are going to be sending messages out about our progress, events and workshops. We hope you will… Read More

Tech Tip: OneDrive Sharing: No more anonymous access   

KCIT has removed the ability for anyone to create anonymous links within King County OneDrive sites, document folders and documents. This change aligns with Microsoft’s security enhancements for OneDrive and helps ensure our external customers authenticate when accessing information shared with them from OneDrive.    From now on, external customers who have had data shared with them from OneDrive will need to have a Microsoft Live account or an Office 365 account from their company to connect to any OneDrive data shared with them.     Existing, anonymous links shared earlier will no longer work.    Please contact… Read More

Training Spotlight: Conflict Awareness in the Workplace and Introduction to Organizational Performance Measurement

Conflict Awareness in the Workplace, April 18: We all encounter difficult people. Whether you are a supervisor, a customer service professional, or have a challenging co-worker, it’s important to know how to rise above your initial emotional reaction and turn negative situations into positive outcomes. Topics include understanding why we label people as difficult, types of difficult people, tools and techniques for resolving issues, coping strategies for dealing with the effects of difficult people, and conflict management strategies. Register and learn more. Introduction to Organizational Performance Measurement, May 8: Have you ever struggled to create… Read More

Pet of the Week: Buster 

Buster is a 4 ½ year-old, brown brindle, Pit Bull mix. His personality color is RED, meaning he is a spirited dog with a fun-loving personality. Buster is an energetic guy who would love to be your hiking partner. He would also make a great cuddle buddy and he just adores belly rubs!  Read more.