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Holiday travel? Metro will help you get there
Emergency exercise tests communications ahead of World Cup
King County Wins 2025 Geospatial Professional Network Award for Innovative AI-GIS System
Recognizing the service of Metro veterans
News
Take care working outdoors during extreme heat
Our region will once again experience extremely hot weather tomorrow, and high temperatures are expected to continue before moderating later in the week. Some of our work needs to be performed outdoors. Executive Branch departments should evaluate planned field work to determine if this work can be postponed to later in the week when temperatures are expected to moderate, where possible. If work must be performed, departments should attempt to adapt schedules wherever possible so work can be performed in the morning. Please see the following guidance and tips (this guidance applies to… Read More
Nature-lover leads West Point Treatment Plant updates
When first contacted about this story Kolby Hoagland started off telling about this great place he knows in the Mt. Rainier National Park for trout fishing. He mentioned the joy of the hike and the beauty of the location. Kolby is the type of person who is made for life in this region. “If it has something to do with the outdoors, I do it,” he said. “Fishing, gardening, soccer and anything in the snow…that doesn’t involve a motor.” It might sound surprising that someone who has a passion for the great… Read More
King County corrections officers line up for vaccines at clinic
By Noah Haglund, DAJD communications specialist One by one, King County corrections officers rolled up a sleeve to get a dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Officer Marcus Barrow was among those attending a June 15 clinic at the downtown Seattle jail. Dropping in during his shift helped Barrow fit in the appointment between work and family obligations. “I saw an opportunity and I took it,” Barrow said. “It was an easy, quick, painless process.” Employee Health staff hosted the clinic, giving doses to 13 employees at the King County Correctional Facility in Seattle…. Read More
Resources to support your mental, emotional, and physical health and well-being
from Whitney Abrams, Chief People Officer I hope you saw the results from our annual Employee Engagement Survey that showed a clear connection between your engagement and the mission of the work you do. As a King County employee, you come to this work because you care about your community, and you want to make a difference. For many this connection has become even stronger in the pandemic as the importance of the work became more and more evident and meaningful. At the same time, the stress and anxiety of the pandemic… Read More
Get your family vaccinated at Metro’s family day vaccine clinic on June 26
King County Metro is partnering with Public Health – Seattle & King County and their partner Discovery Health to host a family day vaccine clinic: Saturday, June 26 from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Metro’s Safety and Training building at 11911 E Marginal Way S, Tukwila Parking is available on site. King County employees and their loved ones are invited to make an appointment to receive one of two COVID-19 vaccines. The Pfizer vaccine will be available for those 12 and older and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be available for those 18 and older. There will… Read More
Security Tips: WiFi? Why Not? VPN is your friend
Using free public WiFi at a coffee shop or airport hot spot is great for convenience, but bad for security.Most free access points do not make use of encryption. This is done for convenience and ease of access. If every person had to ask the barista or gate attendant for the WiFi key, it would get unruly, and no actual work would get done.Keep in mind that you are sharing those wireless airwaves with anyone that is within range of your wireless communications. There is technology out there that allows you to… Read More
Juneteenth and Indigenous Peoples’ Day to be observed holidays beginning in 2022
Starting in 2022, King County government will observe two new paid holidays, Juneteenth and Indigenous Peoples’ Day, subject to available funding resources, bargaining, and potential impacts to existing county services. King County Council passed two Ordinances last year to establish Juneteenth (June 19) and Indigenous Peoples’ Day as paid holidays for King County employees eligible for leave benefits starting in 2022. The holidays are subject to available funding resources, bargaining, and potential impacts to existing county services. The Office of Equity and Social Justice is consulting with county employees who identify as Indigenous people and with… Read More
State retirement plan contributions change effective July 1
Employee and employer contribution rates for the following retirement plans will change on July 1, 2021, as approved by the State Legislature. The state Pension Funding Council adjusts contribution rates every two years, as needed, to fund the retirement benefits earned by members. The PERS employer rate changed to 10.25% for PERS plan 3 and PERS JBM plans 1 and 3. The new contribution amounts will be deducted from your second paycheck in July: If you are paid every other Thursday, your new contribution will appear on your July 22 paycheck. If… Read More
June proclaimed as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Pride Month
In recognition and support of the LGBTQIA+ community, King County Executive Dow Constantine has proclaimed June as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Pride Month. King County is a leader in advancing equitable policies and practices based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and Executive Constantine urges “everyone to honor the fight against discrimination and the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people to our County and our society.” Read the full proclamation below.
FAQs on vaccine and mask requirements for employees
On June 2, 2021, King County issued new vaccine and mask requirements for employees. We have developed a Frequently Asked Questions document to provide additional information on this guidance. You can read the FAQs here and review the June 2 announcement here. This information will be updated periodically as new information and guidance emerges. It applies to all Executive Branch employees. Employees in other branches of County government will receive guidance from their leaders.
Juneteenth Celebrations for King County employees
There are several Juneteenth events scheduled celebrating the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. These presentations will provide insights, education, and personal experiences from a historical and current day perspective. All King County employees are invited to attend. Stories from the Road to Freedom – SPARKS! conversation series Stories from the Road to Freedom, narrated by Deon Cole, gives a fresh perspective of the Black Movement in America, from Emancipation to the Civil Rights era. The film uses first-hand accounts, rare audio recordings, never-before-seen archival footage, and home movies to… Read More
King County Security Tips: Lock Your Screen
Locking your screen when you get up from your desk is a security action that is often overlooked and can have dangerous consequences. Failing to lock your screen can open you up to several vulnerabilities–some more serious than others. Although many organizations have a policy which automatically locks your screen with a screen saver after a certain amount of inactivity, not all screen savers are password-protected, leaving your workstation defenseless. Here are a few actions the bad guys can do when you leave your workstation unlocked and unattended: Files can be downloaded… Read More
FAQs and updates to mask requirements for King County employees
Mask requirements are evolving with changing federal, state, and local public health guidance, and will continue to be updated as needed. Effective immediately, King County employee mask policies are as follows: If you are working indoors or in an enclosed space with others (for example, multiple people in a vehicle): You must wear a mask whether or not you have been fully vaccinated. On May 18, the King County Public Health Officer directed all individuals – regardless of vaccination status – to continue wearing face coverings over their noses and mouths when… Read More
No need to wait for a COVID-19 vaccine
If you’ve been waiting to get vaccinated against COVID-19, drop-in vaccination is available at vaccination sites across King County, no appointment needed. Vaccination in your car is available every day at the Snoqualmie Valley Hospital and on Mondays at King County’s Auburn Outlet Collection clinic. The Auburn clinic is open until 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, and several sites are open on Saturdays and Sundays. Please see the list of sites below for more details. As of May 13, everyone ages 12 and older is eligible for COVID-19 vaccination. Learn more about vaccination for youth… Read More
King County Security Tips – Wire Transfer Fraud
What would you do if you received an email from your CEO or CFO asking you to make an immediate or urgent wire transfer of funds? If you are the person in your organization who is responsible for such tasks and receive requests like this regularly, you may not think twice. However, with the increased sophistication of hackers and cybercriminals, you must Stop, Look, and Think before deciding how to proceed. Business Email Compromise is an advanced form of spear-phishing which targets employees of businesses that routinely perform wire transfer payments or… Read More
Could you use a vacation?
Updated June 23, 2021 A year ago, at this time, if you had a vacation planned for 2020 you probably cancelled it or were considering cancelling. If you hadn’t planned one, you were probably wondering if and when you would get to travel again. With almost half of all U.S. adults fully vaccinated, many people have begun traveling again or are making plans to do so. Some have accumulated robust vacation leave balances because of postponed or canceled travel plans. If you are wondering if it is safe to travel, the answer… Read More
Mask requirements remain in force for King County employees
On May 13, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities – large or small – without wearing a mask. Washington Governor Jay Inslee announced full alignment with the CDC masking guidance, and provided for businesses to retain the right to require customers and employees to wear masks. At King County, our existing mask mandate for employees remains in force while we review and update our policy guidance. Under our Temporary COVID-19 Personnel Policy, “Employees must wear… Read More
King County Security Tips – Is That Email Really from HR?
One of the easiest ways the bad guys trick you into falling victim to their fraudulent scams is to exercise a sense of trust by pretending to be someone you know. More than likely, you receive emails from your Human Resources team on a frequent basis. Scammers take advantage of this constant communication by crafting spear phishing attacks using emails that spoof your HR team. Spear phishing attacks are email scams that typically target an individual or organization by spoofing, or appearing to come from a trusted sender. Don’t blindly trust emails… Read More
Metro working with Public Health to get the word out to employees about vaccines
While COVID-19 vaccine availability has been steadily increasing in the region, the number of people getting vaccinated has begun to level off. Recently, Metro hosted a King County employee vaccine clinic at Metro’s South Training Center where Virginia Mason Franciscan Health vaccinated 575 King County employees. During the preparation for that clinic, Metro realized that some of their mission-critical workers are hesitant to get the vaccine. There are still many people in King County who have either decided not to get vaccinated or are still undecided. It’s normal to have questions or… Read More
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