Employee News
Telling the stories of King County employees
As we will spark reflection and ideas at the MLK Celebration, employees are encouraged to continue the dialogue to deepen our equity, inclusion and belonging discussions and actions in work teams, departments, and communities. One opportunity to participate in facilitated follow-up conversations will be held at the King Street Center 8th floor conference center on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.. All King County employees are welcome. For more information, contact KKibet@kingcounty.gov.
Making Life Easier offers webinars throughout the year, free-of-charge, to King County employees. Topics include mental health, financial savings, healthy communication, and more. Employees interested in developing healthier finances can tune into Making Life Easier’s next webinar, “Your Financial Check-up,” which will be released Jan. 21. Webinars are available on-demand. Employees can access webinars via the Making Life Easier portal, username: King County. Contact balancedyou@kingcounty.gov for more information.
This week’s snowy weather is a perfect reminder for employees to sign up for KCInform, the King County employee emergency alert system. KCinform, powered by CodeRED, allows us to reach you by phone, text, and email with timely information in an emergency or natural disaster. If you have not registered your personal phone, personal email, or work cell information yet, please contact kcinform@kingcounty.gov or 206-296-3830 (between 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday – Friday) to request your unique registration link. Watch this short video to learn more or visit the KCInform website.
Several employees joined Councilmember Joe McDermott to show their support for the Seattle Seahawks by coming together to raise the 12th Man Flag at the Administration Building plaza last Thursday, Jan. 9 The wintry weather couldn’t stop King County employees from raising the Seattle Seahawks flag at 12:12 p.m. on a cold, rainy Blue Friday. Unfortunately the Hawks’ Super Bowl run came to an end on Sunday in Green Bay, but like the 12s, they’ll be back next season. Go, Hawks!
King County operations will open as scheduled today, Wednesday, Jan. 15. 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. Please note that some agencies may send additional instructions directly to their staff. Be prepared for cold weather, high winds, and possible delays on your commute. As always, have a plan for your commute, dress warmly, and let safety be your guide when making travel decisions. Metro Transit routes: Metro Transit service is operating on normal routes… Read More
Our first priority is your safety and security at work. You can take an active role in your safety. The county has produced a variety of communications to help inform employees about safety tips and related updates: Check out a new short video, below, on how to report emergencies and non-urgent security concerns. Watch for additional videos with safety tips throughout the year. Look for posters in English and Spanish at major worksites, especially those downtown, with information about how to report emergencies and security concerns. New employees will receive a wallet… Read More
On Jan. 1, 2020, Washington’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program began providing workers with paid time off to welcome a new child to their family, care for a sick loved one, or recover from their own serious medical condition. Who qualifies? To be eligible, you must have worked at least 820 hours for a Washington employer during the qualifying period, which generally speaking is the last year. Most King County bargaining units and all non-represented employees are eligible (list of participating unions) if they meet the qualifying conditions. What can… Read More
More snow is forecast for tonight and tomorrow morning with continued icy road conditions, so please be prepared for possible commute delays and impacts to business operations. A heavy band of snow is expected to begin this evening in the northern half of the City of Seattle northward, and other areas could see accumulations. As always, have a plan for your commute, dress warmly, and let safety be your guide when making travel decisions. Metro Transit routes: Metro Transit service is operating on snow routes for areas of NE King County. Additional routes may… Read More
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 Clean Water Stories King County’s WaterWorks Grant Program is fulfilling its mission to invest in clean water and community partnerships. The King County Council recently passed an ordinance to approve the funding, moving work forward on projects around the region that will include restoring damaged habitat, building green infrastructure and providing youth education and internship opportunities. Sixty nine local environmental projects that protect water quality, control pollution and build healthy communities will receive funding through King County’s WaterWorks Grant Program. Read more from Clean Water Stories
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.
Cold, wintry weather is forecast for next week, with the potential snow and ice, so please be prepared for possible delays to your commute and impacts to business operations. As always, have a plan for your commute, dress warmly, and let safety be your guide when making commute decisions. Stay informed: Make sure you’re getting the latest King County information at work and at home in the event of inclement weather: Call the Employee Hotline—206-205-8600 (save it to your phone now!). Check your King County email for specific directives and updates. Log… Read More
Salary: $22.24 – $28.33 Hourly Location: WA 98057-2906, WA Job Type: Career Service, Full Time, 35 hrs/week Department: KCE – King County Elections Job Number: 2019RL11109 Division: Voter Services Closing: 1/14/2020 11:59 PM Pacific Learn more about this position or view all available positions.
LB is a 7 year-old male Heeler mix (A478953). His personality color is GREEN, meaning he is an adaptable dog who loves to go with the flow! This handsome boy is very smart and is currently practicing how to “sit,” “shake,” and “stay.” He tends to calm down more when people around him stay calm, and he does best when he gets lots of exercise and something to keep his mind busy. LB was brought in by his previous family because they could no longer care for him. They described him as… Read More
Dear King County employee, Please join us in honoring our nation’s foremost human rights leader and our County’s namesake, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020, noon to 1 p.m. at Town Hall Seattle, 1119 8th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101. The theme for our 2020 Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration is “Yes, we are on the move and no wave of racism can stop us. We are on the move now.” This year’s keynote is by john a. powell, Director, Othering & Belonging Institute, University of California, Berkeley. For more information contact Matias.Valenzuela@kingcounty.gov… Read More
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.
Snow warnings for this week are a reminder to be prepared for seasonal weather hazards. While winter can be wonderful, it can also be quite dangerous unless you’re prepared. Snow, ice, floods, and strong windstorms are just a few of the seasonal weather hazards that can impact our region. Being prepared for winter emergencies not only protects our families and property now, but also provides peace of mind for unpredictable disasters such as earthquakes. While we can’t stop winter from happening, we can get ready for it. Take steps today to plan for how you will weather this… Read More
Crossposted from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office Facebook It’s tough to do an interview about Colleen McIngalls because she just wants to talk about how great her Protection Order Advocacy Program team is. Colleen arrived at the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (PAO) a little more than two years ago. Prior to joining the PAO, she spent 11 years at Victim Support Services, serving her last three years with the organization as Director of Victim Services. She is also an adjunct faculty member at Seattle University in the Masters in Criminal Justice Department and teaches… Read More
King County had a big day on Nov. 21, 2019 – the first two-way radio communication on a new wireless network that will handle public safety response for the next 20 plus years was held. This is the Puget Sound Emergency Radio Network (PSERN). PSERN is managed by the Emergency Radio Communications Division, a division within King County’s Information Technology Department (KCIT), responsible for a nearly $300 million project that will serve first responders throughout King County. The PSERN Project is expanding and updating the current system’s technology, and this work involves:… Read More