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VIDEO: Interim DNRP Director Mo McBroom shares her path to public service
KCSO in the spotlight: Air support
Welcoming new neighbors: King County invests in vital support for immigrant and refugee communities
King County, Plymouth Housing, and City of Kirkland celebrate opening of new permanent supportive housing community, Sheila Stanton Place
News
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
Executive Constantine proclaims May as Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders Month
King County Executive Dow Constantine has issued a Proclamation recognizing May as Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders month. “We honor the invaluable contributions and leadership of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders across King County, whose communities are diverse and distinct in culture, ethnicity, history, language, nationality, racialidentity, religion, and a variety of complex identities – which means there is no single story of the AANHPI experience, but many different stories that strengthen our society,” Executive Constantine said in his Proclamation. “I encourage residents to join in this recognition of… Read More
Mandatory telework to end July 5, 2021
by Dow Constantine, King County Executive It has been more than a year since I instituted mandatory telework – for those King County employees whose work allowed for it – to slow the spread of COVID-19. I made this decision based on Public Health guidance for how we can make our workplaces as safe as possible for front-line employees and customers while continuing to provide essential in-person service. Your health and safety, and the health and safety of those we serve, continue to guide my decision making. Vaccines are clearly our best… Read More
Talent Acquisition steps up to the challenge
Finding the right job candidates during COVID-19 The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown many challenges at King County departments as they work to protect employees and customers from the virus while ensuring their services remain easily accessible. Continuing to recruit talented staff to fill the wide array of positions at the County, while maintaining social distancing is one of those challenges. Alongside the Talent Acquisition team within the Department of Human Resources (DHR), many departments at King County have their own recruiting teams. As you might expect, initial outreach to candidates is typically… Read More
Accommodations for mental health
As we recognize May as Mental Health Awareness Month, it is important to remember King County’s commitment to supporting employees with mental health conditions in the workplace. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), about one in five American adults, or roughly 43.8 million adults, experience mental illness in a given year. Approximately 39% of employees in the U.S. workforce have a mental health condition. And more than 50% of individuals with mental illness still avoid needed treatment. Untreated mental illness can result in other illnesses and behaviors, such as… Read More
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