Featured Headlines
DCHS-led Health Through Housing initiative hits major milestone
In the field with Executive Zahilay: Listening to staff and empowering solutions
Tap to pay: Puget Sound region transit systems to accept credit and debit cards, and digital wallets as fare payment
Major ‘Revive I-5’ repairs continue for Ship Canal Bridge
News
Additional Mental Health First Aid@Work Trainings added
More than 20 million Americans experience a mental health challenge in any given year. In a world that sometimes makes it feel impossible to ask for help, it’s up to all of us as people leaders and co-workers to know when to help, what resources are available, and how to offer support. Mental Health First Aid@Work Trainings will teach you how to recognize the signs and symptoms of different mental health challenges and conditions and connect someone to resources at work or in the community. Trainings have been scheduled through the end of the… Read More
Training Spotlight for November 12
Building Gender Inclusive Spaces – Online – In this two-hour workshop, participants will learn foundational knowledge of gender and sexuality and best practices to support a gender diverse workforce, with a focus on the intersection of race and LGBTQ+ identities. Participants will have the opportunity to move through real-life scenarios, apply their understanding of pronoun use, and develop strategies to advance gender equity at King County. This training is free and takes place on Monday, Nov. 16, from 1-3 p.m. Register here. Seattle College Winter offerings will be posted by the end of next week. Please visit our King… Read More
New tool available to help employees choose medical plan during Open Enrollment
Open Enrollment is King County employee’s annual opportunity to evaluate employee benefit options and make changes for the upcoming year. The 2020 Open Enrollment period is currently open until November 15. Employees who are considering choosing a new medical plan may be interested in the Washington Health Alliance’s 2020 Quality Composite Scores for Medical Groups and Clinics. This tool measures health care quality across the state of Washington using four domains (measures): Prevention and Screening Care for Chronic Diseases Coordinated, Cost-Effective Care Appropriate, Cost-Effective Care For more information on this ranking tool, and how… Read More
King County Elections and Department of Community and Human Services Election Day partnership
On Nov. 3, King County Elections conducted the largest Presidential election in its history, amidst the backdrop of a global pandemic. As can be imagined, Election employees had been preparing for this day for months. Elections formed a great partnership with the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) Health Ambassadors in the COVID-19 Emergency Services Group. The Health Ambassadors program was developed to play a critical role in King County’s ongoing effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 and preserve hospital capacity. The Ambassadors, who perform outreach duties by passing out… Read More
Supporting mental health and well-being through the 2020 Annual Giving Drive
This week, we are highlighting nonprofits whose work supports mental health and well-being. These and hundreds of nonprofits are participating in this year’s Annual Giving Drive. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (1508) – Exclusively dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research and education and to reaching out to people with mood disorders. Kitsap Mental Health Services (0907) – Kitsap Mental Health Services provides recovery-based behavioral healthcare for people of all ages. Services are each designed to best support an individual’s recovery. Mental Health American, formerly National Mental Health Association (4035) – The nation’s leading community-based non-profit dedicated to helping… Read More
King County honored with workplace mental health award
I am proud to announce that King County has been awarded the 2020 Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health at the Platinum, highest, level by Mental Health America (MHA). The Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health is a first-of-its-kind workplace mental health certification that recognizes employers who strive to improve employee mental health and create a psychologically safe workplace for all employees. It recognizes the comprehensiveness of our mental health approach at a time when we are expecting higher mental and behavioral health concerns due to the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing racial injustice,… Read More
Thanking our local veterans for their service
Dear fellow King County employee, For more than 100 years, our nation has dedicated November 11 as the day to recognize the brave members of our country’s armed forces past and present. They placed their own lives at risk to defend freedom here at home and around the world. Veterans Day is our opportunity to honor and thank them for their service. As we acknowledge the 115,000 veterans of all ages who call King County home, let us also recognize the 1,314 individuals we work beside every day – the King County… Read More
King County to observe Veterans Day holiday Nov. 11
Most King County offices will be closed in observance of Veterans Day on Wednesday, Nov. 11. Due to the nature of our work, some services will continue as normal while others will operate on a reduced schedule. If you have any questions about your schedule for Nov. 11, please talk to your supervisor. Veterans Day is our opportunity to thank our veterans for their service to our nation, and the contributions that they continue to bring to our communities. Services will return to normal on Thursday, Nov. 12.
Training Spotlight for November 10
Mindful Morning for King County Employees – Online – A silent morning of continuous practice. During this half-day retreat, we will be guided in a sequence of meditation and mindfulness practices including: sitting meditation, the body scan, walking meditation, gentle mindful movement, and contemplative practices like the loving-kindness meditation. Restful and restorative. Treat yourself! Join us on Saturday, Nov. 14, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Register here. Building Gender Inclusive Spaces – Online – In this two-hour workshop, participants will learn foundational knowledge of gender and sexuality and best practices to support a gender diverse workforce,… Read More
Access restored to King County systems
Access has been restored to King County systems that were experiencing outages, and these can now be used again. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Outage of several King County systems
King County is experiencing a network outage that is impacting multiple County facilities as well as VPN connectivity. It is also affecting many major services, including call centers and Skype calls. KCIT is working to restore services as quickly as possible. We will send an update when systems are restored. Thank you for your patience.
King County District Court Expands Youth Traffic Court on Eastside
By Troy Brown, Communication Manager, King County District Court East King County Youth Traffic Court provides teen drivers with an alternative to fines, while helping educate them and their peers on the justice system King County District Court has expanded its Youth Traffic Court Program from Redmond to the broader Eastside. The East King County Youth Traffic Court is a student-led organization that works with district court to hear real cases of traffic citations issued to 16- and 17-year olds, offering them an alternative to the traditional justice system. Cases are handled… Read More
Strategic Interviewing Tips and Techniques, November 18
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 This workshop will take place Wednesday, Nov. 18 from 10 a.m. – Noon. Register here. For additional online workshops offered by King County Career Support Services (CSS), visit their Eventbrite page. For more information… Read More
One week left to complete Open Enrollment
One week left – Complete Open Enrollment by Nov. 15 Don’t miss your opportunity to evaluate your benefit choices and make changes. If you haven’t already done so, make sure the right benefit options are in place for you and your family next year. If you don’t participate in Open Enrollment, your current elections automatically continue for next year—except your Flexible Spending Accounts and your Benefit Access Fee exemption if you cover a spouse on your medical plan—these must be selected each year. Learn See what’s changing next year. Register for a live… Read More
A historic moment for our democracy
Dear fellow King County employee, Last week, the American people elected a new president to lead us for the next four years and begin the work of healing our divided nation. It was a historic victory for President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris, and indeed for democracy itself. I am eager to work with the new administration on fighting the pandemic, rebuilding our economy, upending racial bias, healing the planet, and restoring America’s standing in the world. It is time to turn the page. I am grateful to once again have partners… Read More
Road Services welcomes new director Tricia Davis
Crossposted from King County Local Local Services proudly welcomes Tricia Davis as the new director of its Road Services Division. Tricia comes to us as a 13-year employee at King County, most recently as deputy director for Metro’s Rail Division and, prior to that, as a budget supervisor in King County’s Office of Performance, Strategy and Budget (PSB). Before joining the county, Tricia worked as a research analyst for the Center on Reinventing Public Education. She also worked for Capital One Financial Services as a senior operations analyst. Read more.
Upcoming live and on-demand webinars through Making Life Easier
King County’s Making Life Easier (MLE) program is offering several upcoming live and on-demand webinars. Register early for the live session as space is limited, otherwise, a recording of the session will be available on-demand 48 hours after it has ended. Supporting Yourself This Season: The Winter Blues & Seasonal Affective Disorder – Live, Wednesday, Nov. 18, from noon to 1 p.m. Register here. Deepening Your Resilience: Tools For Persisting In These Times – Now available on-demand. Register here. Moving Forward From Here: Navigating Uncertain Times – Available on-demand the first week of Dec. Registration information coming soon. Please check the website for updates. To learn more about these webinars and to access… Read More
Tech Tip: An important note about Microsoft Skype and Teams instant messages/chat
Employees may recall that the guidance for using Skype instant messages (IMs) has been “do not conduct work via IM.” IMs should only be used for transitory communication because once the IM window is closed, the message is gone. Yes, that has meant the instant messages were totally gone, leaving no record. The same guidance is mostly in place with IMs in Teams, only they’re called “Chats” now. Chats, though, work a little differently in Teams. Microsoft technical requirements prevent Chats from instantly disappearing when the Chat window is closed, so they… Read More
Election 2020: Seattle voters support funding for transit
Crossposted from Metro Matters While some ballots are still arriving and being counted, so far an overwhelming majority of voters in the City of Seattle have approved Proposition 1: “Funding for Transit and Related Transportation Needs.” This proposition would replace a funding source that expires at the end of this year. Revenues from the new measure would fund transit services benefiting Seattle residents through the Seattle Transportation Benefit District. Proposition 1 was placed on the ballot when Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan signed Council Bill 119833 on July 31. The proposition increases the current 0.1% sales tax… Read More
Annual Giving Drive offers virtual “office hours”
This year, the Annual Giving Drive is offering virtual information sessions to make it easier for you to participate in the 2020 campaign. The Annual Giving Drive’s Campaign Assistants are hosting Zoom “office hours” where you can ask questions, get help setting up pledges, discuss giving options, and more. The virtual office hours are available: Mondays and Fridays, from 11 a.m. to noon Wednesdays, from 1–2 p.m. Access the office hours through this Zoom link For more information, contact your Employee Giving Program Ambassador, visit www.kingcounty.gov/giving, email EmployeeGiving@KingCounty.gov or call 206-263-9405.
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