King County operations will open as scheduled today, Monday, Jan. 13. If you are scheduled to work today, please plan to report to work at your normal start time or discuss any changes beforehand with your supervisor. Some agencies may send additional instructions directly to their staff. Be prepared for cold weather on your commute. As always, have a plan for your commute, dress warmly, and let safety be your guide when making commute decisions.  HR Policies: When an agency remains open, but conditions prevent you from reporting to work on time,… Read More

Crossposted from Balanced You  Would you like to stress less this year? Give one of our popular mindfulness classes a try! Balanced You has partnered with Mindfulness Northwest to offer classes at county worksites, online, and in the community. Classes are available to King County employees free-of-charge, subject to availability. See the January to March 2020 calendar at the link below.  Mindfulness classes are one more way King County is Investing in YOU. Contact Balanced You with questions at BalancedYou@kingcounty.gov or 206-263-9626.  Read more from Balanced You

Balanced You knows that financial wellness is important to you and your well-being. As such, King County employees are eligible for 90 days of confidential, unbiased money coaching through My Secure Advantage (MSA) every year. You can take the first step with MSA by opening an account and taking the online financial assessment. If you take the assessment before February 14, 2020, MSA will enter you into a drawing to receive a $100 Amazon gift card! Visit the Balanced You blog for more information. 

You and your spouse or significant other are invited to learn more about saving for retirement with the King County Deferred Compensation Plan. Several in-person sessions are coming up Jan. 14, 15, and 16, including:  Social Security Simplified  Retirement Ready  Savings Strategies  Financial Wellness  Women and Retirement  See details and registration. Other education sessions are offered throughout the year. For more information about Deferred Compensation Plan education—including webinars—go to the Deferred Compensation web page. If you have any questions, please contact KC Deferred Comp. 

Each January, certain members of Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) Plan 2 have the opportunity to transfer to PERS Plan 3. You are eligible to transfer to Plan 3 if you meet all of the following criteria:  You enrolled in PERS Plan 2 before Sept. 1, 2002.  You are currently in an eligible position.  You will earn service credit in January.  Here’s how:  Use the resources on the DRS website to help you decide if transferring to Plan 3 is right for you.  Complete a DRS Member Transfer Form   Return it to the King County Benefits, Payroll… Read More

We wish our employees and residents a Happy New Year! May 2020 bring you many exciting opportunities and wonderful moments! Despite the dark days we’ve had lately, remember what the Beatles sang, “here come’s the sun, it’s alright.” Look forward to this new year with reassurance the light will always come through.

The Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) has advised that on Dec. 18, 2019, the Thurston County Superior Court issued an order temporarily restraining certain state agencies, including the Department of Retirement Systems, from releasing information in response to a public records request DRS received for certain items of information “for each person currently employed by a public employer in Washington.”  The court has scheduled a hearing on Dec. 27, 2019, to determine if the order should be made permanent. A copy of the order is available here. Read more on the DRS website. For… Read More