Employee News
Telling the stories of King County employees
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
Hi! My name is Maxwell and I am available for adoption. I was brought in by my previous owner on March 3, 2020 because they were moving. I lived in a home with another other cat. My previous owner described me as shy, but loving. I was nominated as the Pet of the Week on 10/19/2020. This means that my adoption fee has been waived. However, please note that a pet license is a requirement and therefore a fee may be applied. This helps my safe return home should I become lost,… Read More
Join instructor Lenny Borer for this two-day online 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, and dealing with defensive behavior. This training is $65 and space is limited. It takes place on Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 8 and 9, both days from 1-4:30 p.m. Register here. Please visit our King County Eventbrite page website for more opportunities. Winter Seattle College courses have been posted. For more information, contact the Learning and Development Team at KCTraining@kingcounty.gov or visit Learning and Development at www.kingcounty.gov/learning.
COVID-19 has changed so much about the way we work, but one thing that hasn’t changed is that we are stewards of the public’s records. As such, we must maintain both good records management practices and provide timely responses to requests for public records, whether those come from the public directly, or through a public records officer (PRO) or coordinator. The PROs coordinating public records requests are working to collect responsive records as efficiently as possible while trying to minimize disruptions to the important work that is being done under uncommon conditions. One… Read More
As Executive Constantine’s new Chief of Staff, April Putney will be responsible for administration of the Executive’s staff as well as directing external and internal policy coordination and strategic initiatives. Putney previously served as the Director of Government and External Relations, overseeing local, regional, state, and federal relations. Putney replaces Rachel Smith, who was named President and CEO of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce today. Smith, who also serves as Deputy County Executive, will retain that position until she leaves the Executive’s Office at the end of the year. “April brings… Read More
It has been a challenging year, and during this national time of thanksgiving, we would like to take the time to say Thank You to our employees, for their dedication to making King County a beautiful, welcoming, and civic minded region. Thank you for the work you do every day. Thank you to your families and loved ones for supporting you to do it. And thank you to our community, and our region, for allowing King County to serve you. We wish you a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.
Salary: $75,332.82 – $95,489.26 Annually Location: Seattle, WA (telecommute) Job Type: Special Duty Assignment or Term Limited Temp (TLT) Department: DPH – Public Health Job Number: 2020CF12431 Division: Prevention Closing: 12/1/2020 11:59 PM Pacific Learn more about this position or view all available positions.
Crossposted from Public Health Insider As cases skyrocket and hospitalizations increase, Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County, shared updates on COVID-19 and what the public needs to do to turn the outbreak around. “The upcoming holiday season greatly adds to the risk, and to the importance of taking action now. If people travel, or gather for Thanksgiving celebrations or other get-togethers, we could see an explosion in COVID-19, causing human suffering unlike anything we’ve experienced in modern times. We want to remind everyone again that we… Read More
On June 11, 2020, King County declared racism a public health crisis. In partnership with advocates, community-members, and public servants throughout King County government, Executive Constantine put together a package of budget proposals to reform the criminal legal system, and begin an ongoing, multi-year effort to shift resources from systems that cause harm, to upstream programs aligned with racial and social justice. King County staff developed anti-racist policy agendas and biennial budget priorities based on demands from Black, brown and indigenous people of color. To aid in further effective policy and investment development,… Read More
Do you have money left in your Flexible Spending Account (FSA)? Check the balance of your Health Care or Day Care FSA by going to Navia Benefits and signing in to your account. Expenses must be incurred by Dec. 31, 2020. And you have until March 31, 2021, to submit claims to be reimbursed. Day Care FSAs Use your Day Care FSA to pay for day care or dependent care expenses for your child under age 13, disabled spouse, or dependent parent so you can work or attend school full-time. Day Care FSA funds can also… Read More
November is Native American Heritage Month. This November, Balanced You gives thanks to Indigenous communities. We honor the wisdom and culture of Indigenous people, we mourn the colonization of their land, and we celebrate the Indigenous people who continue to reside on their ancestral homeland. While the tradition of Thanksgiving has been rooted in colonization, there are steps you can take toward decolonizing the holiday. Balanced You invites King County employees to honor and give thanks to Indigenous People during Thanksgiving, Native American Heritage Month, and year-round. Visit this Balanced You blogpost for tips… Read More
In response to employee requests, Balanced You, in partnership with Vivecorp, is offering free, live, virtual exercise classes starting Wednesday, Oct. 21. King County employees and anyone in their home, including children, are welcome to join. Classes will be hosted on Zoom and held on Wednesdays at 5 p.m. and Fridays at noon through December 2020. Visit this Balanced You blogpost for the class schedule and instructions on how to register and join. These classes will be not be held the weeks of Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Please note: You will need to use Chrome or Microsoft Edge as… Read More
Thanksgiving gatherings traditionally center around time spent breaking bread with loved ones. This year, in light of the ongoing pandemic, the steep rise in confirmed COVID-19 cases, and the recent Governor orders to limit social gatherings and non-essential activities, Thanksgiving celebrations are likely to look different for many people. Fortunately, there are still safe, fun, and meaningful ways to celebrate the holiday together. Visit this Balanced You blogpost for tips and resources for navigating 2020’s Thanksgiving.
Are you reaching Medicare age? Do you want to learn more about Medicare and your options as a King County employee? SIgn up for Medicare 101, an upcoming seminar featuring guest speaker Jean Cormier, who will discuss Medicare basics. In addition, Jenny Stark from Regence BlueShield and Hannah Bachelder from Kaiser Permanente will discuss their Medicare Advantage plan options. This seminar takes place Tuesday, Dec. 15 from 2:30–3:30 p.m. Register here. Please note, attendance is strictly voluntary, on your own time, and non-work related. For more information, contact Carmen Johnson.
Phishing attacks continue to hit employees at King County, just like other local jurisdictions. Because of this, KCIT wants to remind employees about the banner which identifies emails sent from outside of the county. The banner is used because a common phishing tactic employed by the bad guys is sending emails in which the display name in the “From” field looks like it’s been sent by someone within King County, but that email address is fake and actually from someone making a phishing attempt. Unfortunately, users do not always notice when such an email is a phishing attempt. This makes employees vulnerable to viruses and other… Read More
Do you have ideas on how King County can better support the well-being of you and your colleagues? In response to employee surveys and listening sessions, Balanced You, is developing two new well-being advisory committees: one for telecommuters and one for essential employees working onsite. Anyone interested is invited to apply. Visit this Balanced You blogpost for more information.
“I thank the King County Council for their careful deliberations since I transmitted my proposed two-year budget in September. I also want to recognize the many community members who participated in hearings and other venues to get their voices heard. “This budget puts our money where our values are. It will provide a safe, dignified place to live to thousands of chronically homeless people. It re-orients our criminal legal system and makes a significant down payment in our ongoing efforts to shift resources to upstream programs aligned with racial and social justice. … Read More