Employee News
Telling the stories of King County employees
Our state is now in Phase 1a and Phase 1b, Tier 1 and Tier 2 for vaccine distribution and many King County employees who have been on the front lines during the pandemic are now eligible, including staff working in congregate settings in public transit, corrections, courts, and first responders not covered under earlier phases. If you are eligible for a vaccine, you are encouraged to look for open appointments across all current options available to you, and not wait: Call your doctor’s office or health care provider to see if they have… Read More
by Dow Constantine, King County Executive As we work to fight the spread of COVID-19 in our community, we stand together against the spread of misinformation about COVID-19 and the rise of aggression, racism, and violence aimed at Asian and Pacific Islander Americans. We are always stronger together. That is the promise of our diversity and shared future. We are again witnessing how racist rhetoric locally and nationally is fueling fear, separation, and blame, and harming individuals, children, and communities. These incidents of hate and bias are unacceptable and cannot be tolerated…. Read More
by Whitney Abrams, Chief People Officer Starting March 17, eligibility for COVID-19 vaccine will expand to include residents eligible under Phase 1B2, including critical workers in certain industries and people 16+ who are pregnant or have a disability that puts them at high risk. I am delighted that so many more of our King County employees who have been on the front lines during the pandemic will now become eligible, including staff working in congregate settings in public transit, corrections, courts, and first responders not covered under earlier phases. While this is… Read More
As of Thursday morning, March 25, about 60% of all eligible employees have completed the 2021 Employee Engagement Survey and let County leaders know about their experiences at King County. The deadline to participate is Friday, March 26. You can see a complete breakdown of participation rates here. If you haven’t completed the survey, look in your King County inbox for an email from KC Employee Survey (kcemployeesurvey@us.confirmit.com) with the subject line “Welcome to the King County 2021 Employee Survey.” All employees are eligible for the employee survey, except the following: Employees… Read More
From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Improve fit to help prevent air (potentially with respiratory droplets containing the virus) from flowing freely around the edges of the mask and instead forcing air to flow through the mask. Improve filtration to cause more respiratory droplets containing the virus to be captured by the mask. How to Improve Fit COVID-19 spreads mainly from person to person through respiratory droplets that come out of the nose and mouth when people breathe, cough, sneeze, talk, shout, or sing. These respiratory droplets travel in the air and can then… Read More
In recognition of the 41st year of Women’s History Month, King County Executive Dow Constantine has proclaimed March 2021 to be Women’s History Month. The proclamation states “Whereas Women’s History Month has been celebrated in the U.S. since 1980 – and the 2021 theme is “Valiant Women of the Vote: Refusing to Be Silenced” and “even after many women received suffrage through the 19th Amendment in 1920, many other women and groups were still denied the franchise on the basis of race and gender,” Executive Constantine encourages all King County residents to… Read More
King County departments have submitted the first phase of their “Future of Work” plans as part of efforts to look ahead to the needs of operations, employees, and customers once the risk of the COVID-19 pandemic has ended. The plans draw on the experiences and lessons learned from the last year operating amid COVID-19 and incorporate input from employees using a variety of mechanisms, including surveys, all-hands meetings, and focused breakout discussions, with a particular emphasis on equity and employee health and safety. The Future of Work plans are being developed in… Read More
The 2021 Employee Engagement Survey is now underway, and King County leaders want to hear from you about what is going well and where we need to improve. King County Executive Dow Constantine, King County Council Chair Claudia Balducci, Assessor John Wilson, and Elections Director Julie Wise recorded a short video about why participating in the Employee Engagement Survey is so important. Watch the video. Most employees will receive an email in their King County inbox between Monday, March 8, and Tuesday, March 9, from KC Employee Survey (kcemployeesurvey@us.confirmit.com) inviting them to have… Read More
Between Monday, March 8, and Tuesday, March 9, most employees will receive an email in their King County inbox from KC Employee Survey (kcemployeesurvey@us.confirmit.com) with the subject line “Welcome to the King County 2021 Employee Survey” inviting them to have their say in this year’s Employee Engagement Survey. Here is what the email will look like: The 2021 Employee Engagement Survey will take place from March 8-26, and it is a great opportunity to let County leaders what is going well and where we need to improve. Remember that changes happen from your… Read More
by Whitney Abrams, Chief People Officer Marking one year This week marks one year since the first cases of COVID-19 were identified in King County. I want to acknowledge what a challenging, stressful, and exhausting year this has been. The COVID-19 pandemic together with the public health crisis of racism have had—and continue to have—a profound impact on you, your families, and our community. I am grateful for the many ways you have taken care of yourself and of one another during this past year. Together, our sustained strength, courage, and resilience has enabled us to provide exceptional service to the people of King County. Together, we’re helping to slow the spread of… Read More
The 2021 Employee Engagement Survey will take place from March 8-26, and it is your opportunity to let County leaders what is going well and where we need to improve. The last 12 months have been very challenging and it’s more important than ever to hear how you are doing. Employees who participated in previous surveys have helped us make King County a better place to work and a more effective service provider for our residents. The survey — which can be taken on your work computer or a mobile device —… Read More
King County employees set a new record for dollars raised and number of participants in the 2020 Employee Giving Program Annual Giving Drive, pledging almost $2.4M to nonprofit organizations. In the last 12 months when most of the news has leaned toward the negative, the Annual Giving Drive has given us some positive numbers to be proud of: $2,392,295 raised 20% over 2019 dollars 614 new participants In 2020, the Annual Giving Drive ran from Oct. 5 to Nov. 20 under the theme Care. Connect. Act. Even though the Annual Giving Drive… Read More
King County’s Employee Engagement Survey is back in 2021, and there are a few changes that we want to share. Every year, the County’s Employee Engagement team recommends improvements to the data and survey process. Many of these improvement ideas come directly from employees. Their feedback helps us improve the employee experience and data quality, and to provide better analysis. Here’s what is changing in 2021: All employees will take the survey electronically, saving 80 reams of paper – or roughly five trees each year. There is a new belonging index. There… Read More
The caseworkers who used to oversee the operation in the King County Courthouse aren’t idle – far from it. They’re busier than ever. Work Education Release and the Community Work Program closed down this year, after a long pandemic pause. But the number of people on Electronic Home Detention shot up over that time. It all spells huge changes for the Community Corrections Division (CCD). Like many countermeasures against COVID19, these appear to be here for the long term. “Everyone has had to rethink things, and we’re no exception here,” said John… Read More
One of the key issues that came out of last October’s Disability Awareness Month was how and when to disclose a disability for both King County job applicants and employees with disabilities. Applying for jobs and maintaining positions can be stressful for anyone, but for a person with a disability–whether visible or invisible–there are added layers of complexity. Should you disclose? When should you ask for accommodations…during the hiring process or after? Disclosure of a disability is a very personal decision. Whether or not you choose to disclose, it’s important to be… Read More
Data breaches are becoming more and more common these days. You hear about them in the news all the time. So you might be wondering: what exactly is a data breach? A data breach is when secure information is taken from a trusted environment without permission. The bad guys can use this information to steal your identity, hack into your online accounts, or use the information for targeted phishing attacks to gather even more information about you. However, just because the data was exposed does not necessarily mean it’s already being used… Read More
As a symbol, King County’s logo remains a powerful daily visual reminder for what Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy stands for — past and present — and the values of racial justice and advocacy for fair and equal treatment of people of all races, that he represents for our community and government. “During the less than 13 years of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s leadership of the modern American Civil Rights Movement, from December 1955 until April 4, 1968, African Americans achieved more genuine progress toward racial equality in America than the previous 350 years had produced…. Read More
Last year, many employees were victims of unemployment fraud, which has resulted in some employees receiving 1099-G forms showing reported income from Washington State Employment Security Department. If you have received a 1099-G from the State of Washington and already reported the fraud, please follow the instructions provided at ESDWAGOV – Tax info for fraud victims. If you are just learning that you may have been a victim of unemployment fraud because you received a 1099-G, please also take the following steps: 1. Step One – Contact ESD Complete a fraud report… Read More
Snow is forecast for our region this week with extremely cold temperatures and icy road conditions expected, so please be prepared for possible commute delays and impacts to business operations. If you work onsite, please be prepared for cold weather. Have a plan for your commute, dress warmly, and let safety be your guide when making commute decisions. If you drive, have an emergency kit in your vehicle, including extra clothing, food, water, and a flashlight. Also, make sure your mobile phone is fully charged. Please remember to wear a mask at… Read More
King County Executive Dow Constantine has proclaimed February 2021 to be Black History Month in King County. “King County acknowledges the long history of forced enslavement, and institutional and structural racism toward African Americans in the U.S. and its generational impacts, and has committed itself to make progress on Equity and Social Justice, reflecting its commitment to racially just policies and practices that create opportunities for all people to thrive,“ Executive Constantine said in his Proclamation. “The scientific, technological, economic, political, and cultural innovations by Black Americans and African Americans have been essential… Read More