Our Roads Services maintenance crews are continuing to keep roads and bridges in unincorporated King County safe and usable during COVID-19 and beyond.    In his “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order, Governor Jay Inslee listed road maintenance and construction as essential infrastructure activities. Delaying Roads’ work could cause immediate safety hazards as well as long-term deficiencies in the county’s road and bridge system. Catching up on delayed maintenance work in the future might be difficult or impossible, resulting in degraded road conditions and safety problems.   Roads crews are following public health guidance while… Read More

King County employees and their family members enrolled in Kaiser (SmartCare) and Regence (KingCare and KingCare Select) medical plans will not have to pay copays, coinsurance, or deductibles for medical services and medications related to the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19. King County is providing this coverage enhancement to remove any financial barriers to accessing care and treatment for COVID-19. This expanded coverage takes effect immediately and applies retroactively to services and medications received beginning March 5, 2020. The 100% coverage applies to COVID-19 testing and treatments at an office visit, emergency room, urgent care,… Read More

Essential personnel are employees whose jobs are necessary for King County to continue operating. Many of you – including staff from Metro, DAJD, FMD, the Criminal Defense system, and others – have jobs that cannot be performed at home, and so you continue to report to work each day during this pandemic. King County is grateful for your continued dedication to our community.  Balanced You knows this is a difficult and stressful time for you. We are here to support essential personnel in reducing stress and caring for your well-being. Visit the Balanced… Read More

Crossposted from Balanced You  During the uncertain economic times brought on by the coronavirus outbreak, you may find yourself becoming worried about your family’s financial stability. Wouldn’t it be great if you could turn to an impartial expert for advice? With King County’s My Secure Advantage (MSA) program, you can receive personalized advice from a professional Money Coach for free.  What is a Money Coach?  A Money Coach is a trained professional who works with you one-on-one to assess your current financial situation and help you take concrete steps to improve it. Money Coaches have… Read More

Crossposted from Balanced You  Mindfulness is a practice that can support you in reducing stress at work and at home. Mindfulness techniques are especially useful now, as we move through the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic.  Balanced You continues to partner with Mindfulness Northwest to offer free mindfulness classes and workshops to King County employees, via both employee-specific and community classes. In alignment with social distancing recommendations, all in-person classes have temporarily shifted to online platforms.  Read more from Balanced You

Crossposted from Balanced You Exercising during a pandemic is tough. Our routines are thrown off. Gyms, Activity Centers, and trailheads are closed. Stress levels are high. Due to the coronavirus response, many employees are working from home, while others are pulling long hours in the office or in the field. Because everything is currently so different, it is easier than normal to get wrapped up in a work project, spend an entire day without exercise or stretching, and end the day with an aching body. Muscles need a break, not only from strenuous work,… Read More

Reporting to your workplace during a pandemic is challenging. The pace can be frantic, and the work can feel relentless. Many people – colleagues and customers – are stressed out, ourselves included. Whether your job is categorized as essential, front line, first responder, or mission-critical, coming into work at this time can cause anxiety, perhaps even fear. Visit the Balanced You blog for advice from EAP on how to cope with areas where you may be struggling. 

If you are a member of a Deferred Compensation Plan through King County, you will receive guidance from T. Rowe Price on coronavirus-related relief which may be permitted under the Coronavirus Response and the Affordable Care Act (CARE Act). For more information, please visit the T. Rowe Price website or call them at 888-457-5770.   

As our community socially distances to stop the spread of COVID-19, law enforcement officials have seen an increase in domestic violence situations. Throughout the month of March, the Seattle Police Department saw a 21% increase in reported domestic violence.     King County is here to provide support and resources for survivors of domestic violence and their families. To get help, or support someone in need, review this resources webpage. You can to find out about legal rights, get an order of protection, and other community services. Emergency petitions can be now filed for Anti-Harassment or Stalking… Read More

Public Health has stated that essential services, including public transit and paratransit, have critically important tasks that at times involve getting closer than six feet to others. For example, the safety of passengers in wheelchairs relies in some cases on drivers helping to secure them.  Metro has adhered to Public Health’s guidance to minimize driver-to-passenger interaction by directing riders to board at rear doors if they are able, eliminating fares, and installing safety straps; by regularly sanitizing and deep cleaning vehicles and facilities; and by providing hand sanitizer and gloves to drivers.    Metro has assembled a… Read More

In partnership with the state’s health care unions, King County Executive Dow Constantine and King County Council Chair Claudia Balducci today announced that the County reserved a block of rooms at Hotel 116 in Bellevue for healthcare workers who need a place to stay if they are concerned about COVID-19 exposure.  King County is partnering with Washington State Nurses Association, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, and UFCW 21 to inform their members about this resource.   “Healthcare workers on the front lines of our crisis response shouldn’t have to put their families and loved ones at risk for… Read More

King County is working hard to address the challenges that have arisen from the coronavirus, and is providing new ways to support employees. Some employees are impacted more than others, and will exhaust their paid leave while recovering their health or caring for others. With this in mind, the Emergency Leave Donation Program was developed so that employees who have been affected by COVID-19 can request donated leave. Employees interested in supporting colleagues affected by COVID-19 can donate accrued sick and vacation leave in two different ways: Using PeopleSoft to make donations. Learn how… Read More

Crossposted from Public Health Insider  Public Health – Seattle & King County provides tips to minimize risk when travelling to necessary medical appointments – including for people who have symptoms of COVID-19. In addition, Public Health reported 202 new cases of COVID-19 today, bringing the official case count in King County to 3688. Fourteen new deaths were reported, bringing the total of COVID-19 deaths in King County to 244.  Story: Tips for safer transportation to necessary medical care  Even with the Governor’s Stay at Home order in place, people may need to travel… Read More

Crossposted from Balanced You  The coronavirus outbreak has radically changed our sense of security and daily routines. Everyone will experience this situational trauma uniquely based on past experience and current context, but there is a predictable arc in the human response to crisis we can use to afford ourselves grace and build resilience.  The following information on the emotional phases you may experience during this pandemic is based on research by the NeuroLeadership Institute. Following the review of emotional phases, you will find an overview of additional resources. Remember, what you are feeling… Read More

The courage, professionalism and service of public health and healthcare professionals deserves our deepest gratitude and admiration.  Thank you for your service and sacrifice as we face the COVID-19 pandemic together.  April 6-12 is National Public Health Week. Over the last several weeks, we’ve all seen firsthand why public health matters to our community and around the world.  We’re grateful for the work you do every day, and especially now.