Employee News
Telling the stories of King County employees
King County Executive Dow Constantine announced the appointment of Terry White as General Manager of King County Metro, the region’s largest public transportation agency. White currently serves as Interim General Manager and previously served as Deputy General Manager. “I am honored to appoint Terry White to be King County Metro General Manager,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “Terry possesses a bold vision for how our transit system can lead with equity and prioritize service where needs are greatest. Across his remarkable 33-year career at Metro, he has unrivaled knowledge, insights, and… Read More
As we move through the difficulty and stress of a socially isolating pandemic, Balanced You is launching the Hope and Joy Campaign. Throughout the winter, we will find ways to connect with one another through moments of hope and joy. The Hope and Joy Campaign does not exist to quiet other emotions you may be experiencing during this time, but rather balance them with joyful emotions and connection with each other so we can build our strength to weather these challenges. Please join Balanced You in making hope and joy contagious this… Read More
Some employees have received agency-paid parking at the Goat Hill and King Street Center garages during the COVID-19 pandemic. The federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers this an employer-paid benefit, and employees can be liable for income taxes on any amount over $270 per month, the threshold amount for 2020. For example, if the agency-paid parking for the month totaled $340, an employee receiving the benefit could be taxed on the excess, which in this example is $70. This “Imputed Taxable Income” is shown on your paystub as “ImpTxIncm” under Employee Taxable Value. … Read More
This two-hour virtual workshop will provide you with strategies and tips to help you to do your best during the interview. Learning objectives include: How to prepare for a virtual job interview The interview structure and types of questions you will be asked The STAR-LA method and how to use it to provide organized and complete responses General tips and strategies There are two opportunities to attend this online workshop: Wednesday, Dec. 9 from 10 to noon and Thursday, Dec. 17 from 1–3pm. Register here. For additional online workshops offered by King County Career Support Services… Read More
Hi! My name is Indy and I am available for adoption. I was brought in as a transfer from another shelter on November 12, 2020. I’m a wiggly and active guy with a ton of energy. I love running zoomies! My personality color is RED. I am a spirited dog with a fun-loving personality! I am still working on my manners, so I would do best with a family who is willing to work with me and help me become the best dog I can be! Read more and view all available pets at www.kingcounty.gov/adoptapet. Have… Read More
To allow for system maintenance, the PeopleSoft system will not be available the weekend of Friday, Dec. 4 through Sunday Dec. 6. During this planned outage, the Business Resource Center (BRC) will apply vendor updates and maintenance. This work will begin on Friday, Dec 4 at 3 p.m. and is scheduled to be completed by 6:30 a.m. on Monday, Dec 7. The system will not be available for access by any County staff during this outage window. There will be a communication sent out to all County staff when the system becomes available. We… Read More
Winter brings with it darker days and cooler temperatures, but also an increase in respiratory illnesses, like the flu. With the risk of COVID-19 increasing as people head indoors, it is recommended to get a flu vaccine to reduce the risk of getting the flu, severe illness, and hospitalization. This helps minimize the need for medical attention and ensures hospitals, clinics, and doctor’s offices can care for COVID-19 patients and their health needs. Getting a flu shot is more important than ever. Not only does it prevent flu medical visits, but since… Read More
Mentorship Lunch and Learn – Online – Would you like to have a mentor, someone who can help you grow professionally? Do you want to strengthen your coaching skills? As a Mentee, you will have a trusted advisor who can help you navigate complex situations, and as a Mentor, you can uncover new or forgotten skills and build influence. This Lunch and Learn is free and the next session is on Dec. 17, from noon to 1 p.m. Register Here Please visit our King County Eventbrite page website for more opportunities. For more information, contact… Read More
Crossposted from Public Health Insider As cases skyrocket and hospitalizations increase, Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County and Matias Valenzuela, Equity Director for Public Health, shared updates on COVID-19 spread, reviewed what the public needs to do to turn this trend around, and discussed new data that shows where people most frequently report being exposed to COVID-19.
Crossposted from Metro Matters On Nov. 15, Gov. Jay Inslee announced a four-week statewide set of restrictions in response to the increased rate of the COVID-19 infections in Washington and across the country. King County also has seen an increase in cases, with south King County disproportionately impacted. Since the beginning of the pandemic and especially during this time, the safety of Metro’s employees, customers, and community members remains our highest priority. Read more.
Last week, many King County employees were able to take time to celebrate the Thanksgiving Day holiday, but many employees continued to serve our community throughout the holiday. At this time, as we battle the spread of COVID-19 and care for people impacted by the virus, we want to thank the many employees who continued to serve our community during Thanksgiving. We send a special thank you to the many employees – bus operators, medics and other health care professionals, Isolation and Quarantine Facility staff, corrections officers, sheriff’s deputies, and many others… Read More
The State of Washington has launched a new app that alerts residents if they have potentially been exposed to COVID-19. WA Notify is a simple, anonymous exposure notification tool to help stop the spread of COVID-19. By adding WA Notify to their smartphones, Washington residents will be alerted if they spent time near another WA Notify user who later tests positive for COVID-19. WA Notify uses privacy-preserving technology jointly developed by Google and Apple and works without collecting or revealing any location or personal data. WA Notify is free and can be enabled in… Read More
Seattle CIO, part of a national leadership network that recognizes chief information officers (CIO), recognized Tanya Hannah, King County CIO, with its 2020 Public Sector ORBIE Award. This award recognizes CIOs who have shown excellence in technology leadership, and honors Tanya for her work in government and with education organizations. The CIO of the Year ORBIE Awards is the premier technology executive recognition program in the United States. Since inception in 1998, over 1,200 CIOs have been honored as finalists and over 300 CIO of the Year winners have received the prestigious… Read More
As our Annual Giving Drive winds down, you can still make a difference through the Employee Giving Program. Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving powered by social media and collaboration. For just one day, we have reopened the online pledging system for payroll donations. To join the movement, give now. More than 500 past contributors have yet to renew payroll for 2020. Renewal is easy — but not automatic. Renew now. If you’ve already pledged — thank you for your generosity! On Giving Tuesday and all year, we work with… Read More
Mindfulness and Emotional Resilience – Online – This 2-session workshop introduces techniques specifically designed to enhance participants’ ability to be aware of and respond to difficult emotional situations with both mindfulness and compassion, a combination which cultivates emotional resilience. This training takes place on Dec. 10 and 17, from 9:00am to 11:00am each day. The training is free and space is limited. Register here. Communication and Problem Solving Skills – Online – Join instructor Lenny Borer for this two-day training. He will address communication and problem-solving skills with the public and with co-workers. This two-day class covers skills for effective listening, speaking, dealing with conflicts,… Read More
Access to the PeopleSoft system is now restored for all users. Thank you for your patience.
As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in King County and Washington state, we are in a more dangerous time now than we were last spring. We have reached a new peak in case counts – the positivity rate is too high, and hospitalizations are up. The Governor has issued new restrictions to help bring the numbers down. The actions we take now as individuals and families will make the difference. We can all play our part in slowing the spread of the virus by following King County’s COVID-19 workplace safety measures: Do not report… Read More
Employees across King County responded to the call to support one another during the COVID-19 pandemic by donating leave. As of November 13, nearly 285 King County employees donated sick and vacation leave valued at $774,687. Their generous donations have benefited more than 300 employees in need who’ve been granted 23,162 hours of emergency leave so far this year. Some employees have been impacted by COVID-19 more than others and exhausted their paid leave. Access to donated leave has helped them focus on recovering their health or caring for loved ones. “COVID-19… Read More
Some employees are experiencing difficulties accessing the PeopleSoft system. We are working with our support partners to restore service and will send an update when the system is available again for all users. Thank you for your patience.
Drop boxes are a low-tech solution that fell out of favor in the internet age. But the Facilities Management Division (FMD) resurrected these relics from the past to serve customers safely while King County buildings remain closed due to COVID-19. In spring 2020, FMD installed nine new drop boxes in collaboration with Treasury, Records and Licensing, Assessments, and Metro. The boxes typically average 100-150 parcels per week, and that number skyrockets up to 350 parcels a week during tax season. “Yes, people still conduct transactions via the internet; however, there were… Read More