More than 20 employees complete training to use evacuation chairs
Crossposted from DES Express Dan Cromwell brings an equity and social justice lens to his work that he’s put into action in a new way recently. As a member of the King County Disability Equity Network, and as Special Duty Assignment Security Manager in the Facilities Management Division, Cromwell noticed evacuation chairs in the nearly vacant Administration Building. “In my new role, I discovered there was no training program (for the use of the chairs) and having come from the KC Disability Equity Network, I saw this as an equity and social… Read More
ORCA Card now available in Google Wallet; Android users can pay for transit with phone and Wear OS devices
Crossposted from Metro Matters ORCA is excited to announce the ability to save and access ORCA transit cards in Google Wallet from Android and Wear OS devices. Starting today, customers across the Puget Sound region can add an ORCA card to Google Wallet for convenient transit payments. Now ORCA customers with Android and Wear OS devices can easily add their ORCA cards to their Google Wallet, enabling them to pay for transit, fund their accounts, purchase a pass, view transactions, and see trip history all within the Google Wallet app. Read more.
State retirement plan contributions change July 1, 2024
Employer contribution rates for some of the following retirement plans will change on July 1, 2024, as approved by the State Legislature. The state Pension Funding Council adjusts contribution rates, as needed, to fund the retirement benefits earned by members. You will see the new employer contribution amounts under employer-paid benefits on your paystub beginning July 17, 2024. More information is available on the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) website. If you have any questions about the rate change, please contact DRS at 800-547-6657 or recep@drs.wa.gov.
BRC team reinvigorates “Underground” team
Crossposted from DES Express Do you know what it takes to ensure your paycheck accurately reflects any changes, like new taxes or union dues, that can occur several times each year? It takes significant behind-the-scenes effort. “No one wants to manually test payroll four times a year,” said Jennifer Gilbert, QA Automation Engineer for PeopleSoft in the Business Resource Center. Read more. Pictured: Pam Ingram and Jessica Maistrovich, both from Hennepin County, Minnesota, and Jennifer Gilbert, QA Automation Engineer for PeopleSoft in the BRC.
‘A victory for regional trails, climate, mobility, and opportunity’: Executive Constantine thanks Sen. Murray, Sen. Cantwell for securing funds to help close a key gap for Eastrail
King County Executive Dow Constantine today thanked U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell for securing a $25 million federal grant administrated by the U.S. Department of Transportation that will help King County Parks close the final gap of the southern segment of Eastrail by crossing Interstate 90. King County Parks will use the funds to retrofit a steel bridge that spans 16 lanes of Interstate 90. It is the latest progress for Eastrail, an emerging 42-mile trail that will ultimately connect South and East King County communities to Snohomish County… Read More
RASKC participates in Kent “Kitty Hall” Cat Adoption Event
Crossposted from DES Express Regional Animal Services staff and several foster volunteers participated in a “Kitty Hall” cat adoption event at Kent’s City Hall on May 30. They brought a whopping 27 kittens and two adult cats to the event for adoption. Twenty-two of those were adopted at the event. “We were excited to see an amazing turnout and all the smiling faces of the new adopters as they got to take their new furry friends home,” said Denise McCollum, Animal Licensing and Marketing Manager at RASKC. “Some of the adopters there… Read More
Attention Active&Fit members
Thank you to every Regence or Kaiser Permanente subscriber who joined the Active&Fit Direct gym program over last year. Please know that on July 1, 2024, Active&Fit is making a policy change to your membership. Learn more.
FSA mid-year check
We’re halfway through 2024, and it’s a good time to check your Flexible Spending Account (FSA) balances and take steps to make sure you spend your remaining funds before the end of the year. Here’s some additional reminders: Health Care FSAs Use Health Care FSA funds to purchase summer-related items such as sunscreen, first aid kits, and prescription sunglasses. Schedule any necessary back-to-school check-ups and sports physicals if you have children. Many over-the-counter items are FSA-eligible, such as pain relievers, cold and allergy medicine, antacids, and feminine care. See the complete list… Read More
Digital ORCA card changes not applicable to county employees
King County Metro recently announced that the ORCA card is available in Google Wallet, but it is important to clarify this change does not apply to King County employees. The King County employee dual-chip badge has this functionality disabled due to security, administrative, and logistical concerns. Many other regional employers who provide transit passes have also chosen to disable this function. In short, this means that King County employee cards cannot be added to the Google Wallet because the physical card is still needed for building access. The option is also not available in… Read More
Join Metro for a FABULOUS Pride Parade!
Crossposted from Metro Matters The Seattle Pride Parade is back on Sunday, June 30, and large crowds are expected to attend to honor our LGBTQIA+ community for their 50th year of gathering publicly here as an act of both celebration and collective resistance. We’re encouraging everyone to plan ahead if they are traveling to or around downtown Seattle. Expect congestion and bus reroutes downtown The parade starts at 11 a.m. on Fourth Avenue at Pike Street and travels north to Second Avenue and Denny Way. From about 7 a.m. until about 5 p.m., Fourth Avenue… Read More
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