Employee News
Telling the stories of King County employees
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, King County will extend the suspension of many face-to-face customer service operations through at least April 30. This move is being made in accordance with Governor Jay Inslee’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order issued on March 23. Employees are expected to work in line their current, approved arrangements. Employees will continue to provide services by phone, online, and by email wherever possible. Supervisors, managers, and leaders will provide additional information to their employees as needed. Please visit kingcounty.gov/ServiceChanges for a list of face-to-face service suspensions. This list… Read More
It’s important to review and update your personal contact information in PeopleSoft in case we need to urgently reach you or your emergency contact. By making sure your information is current: Your emergency contact can be notified if something happens to you at work. Someone at King County can reach you with information about building closures, safety directives, and other time-sensitive issues. You can receive information at the email address and phone number you prefer. Here’s how: Sign in to PeopleSoft. You can also access PeopleSoft from home: ess.kingcounty.gov. Go to Personal Details… Read More
Crossposted from Public Health Insider A new public campaign launched, called “Stand Together, Stay Apart.” Public Health—Seattle & King County launched a new data dashboard to update daily case counts and deaths. Public Health announced 82 new cases of COVID-19 today, bringing the official case count in King County to 1359. In addition, six new deaths are reported, bringing the total of deaths in King County to 100. Story: Stand Together, Stay Apart Public Health—Seattle & King County has launched a new public information campaign called, Stand Together, Stay Apart in response to the… Read More
Crossposted from Public Health Insider The risk for COVID-19 rises with age. Adults age 60 years and over are at highest risk for severe illness with COVID-19 illness, and the older you are, the more you are at risk. While much attention has focused on those living in nursing homes, many older adults live independently and face challenges of their own. Older adults often live alone and may need help with basic needs in order to stay home as much as possible and avoid close contacts at gatherings, stores and other public… Read More
Dear employee, as you know we are working in a rapidly evolving situation responding to COVID-19. On Monday evening, Gov. Inslee announced a “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order. We will provide additional guidance soon on what this means for our employees, and will continue to provide regular updates. To ensure we can continue to serve our customers and slow the spread of COVID-19, the following guidance applies to Executive Branch employees until further notice (Employees in other branches of County government will receive guidance from their leaders [definition below]). First responders: Employees… Read More
To lessen the risk of exposure to COVID-19 and to help health care providers prioritize care for those who need it most, use your phone, smartphone, or computer to access health care whenever possible. Most King County employee medical plans have free options for telehealth or virtual visits. If you need to go in-person, call your doctor first. If it’s an emergency, call 911. Check the information below to learn how to access care through your health plan. SmartCare (Kaiser Permanente) Customer Service: 888-901-4636 Hours: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m., 7 days… Read More
As King County continues to respond to COVID-19, many employees are telecommuting and working from home. With this shift in work style comes different duties and tasks, including the opportunity to manage and clean out records. This can include tasks such as filing records to Content Manager, and cleaning up records in Outlook or on shared drives. This work is an essential job duty that can easily be done when employees are out of office, and it serves significantly useful purposes in responding to public records requests, reducing financial liability, and helping each employee do their job more efficiently. To get started, consider taking an online training course, beginning with Basic… Read More
As we work to stop the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), it’s equally important that we stop the spread of stigma and support each other during this challenging time. “We are racially just” and “We respect all people” are two of our core values. It’s as important as ever that we stay true to our values and do everything in our power to stand together against discrimination. Misinformation about COVID-19 can create fear or hostility that hurts people. Please remember that: Coronavirus doesn’t recognize race, nationality, or ethnicity Wearing a mask may be a cultural… Read More
Crossposted from Metro Matters Your bus may be running less often, during fewer hours, and/or be canceled. Text your bus stop ID # to 62550 for to find out when the next bus will arrive. Visit the Reduced Service webpage. View the update in other languages here.
Hi! My name is Dakota and I am available for adoption. I was brought in by my previous owner on February 2, 2020. They described me as energetic and outgoing. I’m a really smart guy, everyone here at the shelter keeps calling me a genius and I’m not sure what they are refering to……. I love to train, I am beyond basic commands and would love to train for a job like agility or nose work. Read more and view all available pets at www.kingcounty.gov/adoptapet. Have you or someone you know adopted a pet from… Read More
Salary: $34.04 – $43.14 Hourly Location: WA, WA Job Type: Special Duty Assignment or Term Limited Temp (TLT) Department: DPH – Public Health Job Number: 2020AB11418 Division: Prevention Closing: 3/25/2020 11:59 PM Pacific Learn more about this position or view all available positions.
Dear fellow King County employee, In this time of anxiety and disruption, the last thing I want is for our employees to have any additional stress while they work to stop the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in our community. To that end, all Executive Branch employees will remain in paid status and continue to receive their normal pay at least through Friday, April 24, with the exception of short-term temporary employees and interns. Whether you are teleworking, on the front lines, performing other duties, or on one of our types of… Read More
The 2020 Worksite Fund application period has been temporarily paused while King County focuses its efforts on stopping the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). The Balanced You team will work with leadership to determine a new deadline that allows adequate time for teams to complete applications. The updated timeline will be announced at a later date. Employees are invited to continue brainstorming Worksite Fund projects during this period. Please reach out to balancedyou@kingcounty.gov with questions or comments. Balanced You supports you in rethinking self-care as you respond professionally and personally to coronavirus. Tips for telecommuters can… Read More
During this difficult period, let us pause and remember the contributions by intelligent, passionate women toward helping and healing our world. From NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson and world renowned geneticist Barbara McClintock to computer programmer Grace Hopper and marine biologist Idelisa Bonnelly de Calventi, women have been responsible for leaps and bounds in science, math, medicine, the arts, and many other fields. We take this month to honor their contributions and appreciate the impact women have in our lives. Join us in thanking and showing gratitude to women who have made a difference in your life. … Read More
Crossposted from Metro Matters Every day, thousands of King County Metro transit, rail, and paratransit operators are responsible for delivering passengers to work, school, and appointments, and back home again. They wake before the sun comes up and work through the night. During these challenging times, it’s more important than ever that we honor our public servants who are essential to keeping our community moving. On March 18, 2020, we’re again celebrating International Transit Driver Appreciation Day. Read more from Metro Matters
As COVID-19 related events unfold, we find ourselves in uncertain terrain as impacts move closer to home. It’s common during these times to experience heightened anxiety or fear. While we cannot control external events, we can establish practices and enlist tools to support our resilience and well-being. Instead of suffering with anxiety, we have the ability to administer care to ourselves, our families, our work colleagues, and our communities. Join in on a free webinar to learn how to navigate these uncertain times with resilience. Wednesday, March 18, 2020 from noon to… Read More
Salary: $2,993.87 – $3,794.90 Biweekly Location: Seattle, WA Job Type: Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week Department: DOA – Assessor’s Office Job Number: 2020-11414 Division: Accounting Operations Closing: 3/27/2020 3:00 PM Pacific Learn more about this position or view all available positions.
When markets go on a wild ride, it’s understandable to feel uneasy and maybe even begin to question your investments and savings plans. Ironically though, one certainty is that market uncertainty is a constant. Market downturns happen frequently and are typically followed by recoveries. Presented by My Secure Advantage (MSA), this training session will cover key considerations and best practices in times of heightened volatility, as well as actionable next steps that you can take now and in the longer term. The training will be held Friday, March 20, 2020 at 9… Read More
Due to the COVID-19 emergency, many King County employees are working remotely. Basic self-service functions in PeopleSoft, such as entering time and manager timesheet approvals, are available outside of the King County firewall and can be done remotely without using the King County VPN. Timesheet entry and manager approval (self-service functions) are available in PeopleSoft using the Login from Home link on the BRC SharePoint intranet site or by typing ess.kingcounty.gov in the address bar of your browser. Log into PeopleSoft as you normally would; you will have access to only self-service functions. (Timekeeper, Human Resource,… Read More
King County employees are continuing to deliver essential services, but several buildings will close to public walk-in access until further notice due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Employees who are not telecommuting or on leave via a prior arrangement are expected to report for work as normal. Healthy first responders and medical personnel should continue to report to work. Supervisors, managers, and leaders will provide additional information to their employees as needed. The affected facilities are: King County Administration Building, 500 Fourth Ave., Seattle King County Sheriff’s Office registry on second floor will… Read More