Employee News
Telling the stories of King County employees
Crossposted from the Best Starts for Kids Blog We are so excited to share our 2018 Annual Report which is now in a beautiful, digital format! With meaningful stories from our partners, be sure to check it out! Data is woven throughout this report and our most recent data from 2018 is now on our website and interactive! This data represents the collaborative relationships we have with our partners and we love sharing progress thanks to their amazing work. Download a PDF copy of the report here.
A new enterprise content management system, Content Manager, will go live Oct. 7. The system will be available for all King County agencies to use to manage their records and information. Users of the old system, KC ERMS, will automatically have access to the new one. Agencies that have not used KC ERMS can request access to Content Manager by contacting Records Management at records.management@kingcounty.gov. After getting access, manage records easily by a click on the Content Manager icon on your desktop. You can use Content Manager to: File electronic records to comply… Read More
Check out the King County 2019 Flu Shot Schedule and mark your calendars for the location most convenient for you. These are open to all employees, unless noted otherwise. If you miss the opportunity to get a flu shot at work, here are some tips for getting your flu shot through your health plan. Contact balancedyou@kingcounty.gov for more information. Some things to remember: Clinics are open to all employees, except when noted otherwise. Benefits-covered spouses and family members (age 11 and above) are welcome to attend most clinics, but please confirm these details with your site contact(s) beforehand…. Read More
The King County’s Prosecuting Attorney’s Office recently mentored and trained a group of nine young, ambitious second-year law students, giving them firsthand experience into the work of a prosecuting attorney. The intense, 13-week Rule 9 Internship Program gives law students the opportunity to practice the law under supervision by handling real cases. “We have an extremely diverse class and half are people of color, which is remarkable,” said Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Leah Taguba, who oversees the program. “It is through diversity of background and thought that people of color bring to prosecution that help… Read More
More than 50 employees gathered on Sept. 25 in the Administration Building Training Room for a powerful panel conversation about workplace mental health, held in recognition of September National Recovery Month and Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Panelists included Whitney Abrams, Chief People Officer; Heather Steffensen with the Employee Assistance Program; Brandon Banks with Metro Transit Department; Skyler Bridges with the Department of Assessments; and Suzette Dickerson, Council 2 business representative. Sarah Wilhelm from Public Health-Seattle & King County moderated the panel for a standing-room only audience and Skype participants. Recognizing that employees spend so… Read More
King County Metro announced in a surprise ceremony today that the Operator of the Year is Neal Safrin, whose commitment to excellence in safety, customer service, and service to his fellow operators represents the best of Metro. Safrin, 64, joined Metro in 1988 and is a report operator at North Base in Shoreline. Riders have seen his smiling face behind the wheel on dozens of bus routes across King County for decades. “The entire King County family could not be more proud of Neal and his 31 years of faithful service to… Read More
Dear fellow King County employee, Each October, we celebrate Disability Awareness Month in King County and recognize the many contributions that people with disabilities make to our community. Disability Awareness Month also reminds us that we must continue to break down barriers so that people with disabilities can share their unique abilities, perspectives, and talents. That is what is at the heart of our True North: Making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. Each day we inch closer to this goal by doing what we can to break… Read More
Mental Health First Aid at Work: Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) for the Workplace is a skills based and experiential training program. MHFA At Work teaches employees how to become aware of and support an individual who may be experiencing a mental health/substance use issue or crisis and help access appropriate resources. Register and learn more here. View more training and development opportunities at www.kingcounty.gov/learning.
Salary: $73,132.80 – $104,374.40 Annually Location: Seattle, WA Job Type: Multiple job types-career service and/or temp Department: DNRP – Natural Resources & Parks Job Number: 2019-10564 Closing: 10/1/2019 11:59 PM Pacific Learn more about this position or view all available positions.
The National Compadres Network in partnership with King County’s Office of Equity and Social Justice presents Circle Keeper Process Training. This two day training is offered Oct. 22-23 and Nov. 5-6 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.Participants must be present for both days to receive certification and curricula. For more information and to apply click here. If you have any questions about the training or the application please contact Tynishia Walker at twalker@kingcounty.gov or 206-263-0534
JoJo is a 12 ½ year-old, male, shorthair black cat (A403147). His personality color is GREEN, meaning he is an outgoing and adaptable cat who loves to go with the flow. This handsome boy is very sweet and loves to be around people. He can be the life of the party, especially if food is involved! He loves puzzles and works really hard when the reward involves a yummy treat! JoJo does have a heart murmur, so he will do best with regular visits to the veterinarian. Read more at www.kingcounty.gov/adoptapet.
Looking to reduce stress? Mindfulness is the simple yet powerful ability of the mind to attend more fully to the present moment’s experience. Cultivating mindfulness results in many benefits for mental and physical health, well-being, and happiness. Through a partnership with Mindfulness Northwest, Balanced You offers Mindfulness classes, available online and in-person to all employees, free-of-charge. Visit Balanced You’s blog for a list of classes recently added for Fall/Winter 2019.
King County’s Making Life Easier program offers the Wellspring Stress Center, a web-based stress management tool that includes a variety of resources to help become more stress-resilient. One of the tools, Instant Relief, is designed to help ease tension in minutes and stay relaxed and recharged throughout the day, by including guided meditation, muscle relaxation, desk yoga, and relaxation music. Access Instant Relief at www.kcmakinglifeeasier.com, enter username “King County,” and click on Stress Center.
Crossposted from Metro Matters The last few times we’ve asked you to “get ready,” it hasn’t been connected with good news. Alaskan Way Viaduct closure and buses moving out of the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel required the public to change travel times and habits, and made tougher commutes for everyone. But, we have great news with the Fall Service Change starting September 21: more Metro to get you where you are going. Read more from Metro Matters
By Alex Hurtado The brick and mortar of the Children and Family Justice Center (CFJC) is nearing completion, but it’s the services that will be provided to youth, their families and the community that will make this building shine. Each courthouse level’s interior design has a King County theme; the main level of the courthouse side – The City – includes a café, community conference rooms, and a resource center. This floor will be vibrant, dynamic and community-centric. Robert Gant, who is the Superior Court Community Partnership Manager, is enthusiastic about the opportunity… Read More
Want to learn about amazing tech options available to aid your department or agency? Then come visit KCIT Innovation Day Monday, Sept. 30 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Multiple rooms on the first floor of the Chinook Building will host different speakers and topics throughout the day. Here’s a sampling of what’s available at Innovation Day: Augmented Reality: How Spatial Computing is Changing the Way We Learn and Work – Find out how mixed-reality hardware like the Microsoft HoloLens and software like Taqtile Manifest are changing how workers capture and transfer knowledge,… Read More
King County is celebrating National Recovery Month this September by helping to raise awareness, support, and recovery resources for people with mental health and substance use conditions and their families, friends and co-workers who support them. One program that provides behavioral health supports is the Behavioral Health Supported Employment Program. This program assists people who have experienced chronic mental health and/or substance use conditions to gain and maintain competitive, integrated employment throughout our region. The program provides job search assistance and ongoing support after job placement through an evidence-based, integrated team approach with… Read More
Dear employee, Email is an important tool for your work here at King County, and it is most effective when used appropriately. It is important that each employee understands the legislation and policies that apply to our use of email: Acceptable Use of Information Assets Policy One of our eight core values is “We respect all people,” and the way that we communicate with another is central to being a safe, respectful, and inclusive workplace. King County’s Acceptable Use of Information Assets Policy sets out the acceptable and prohibited use of all information… Read More
King County Executive Dow Constantine has proclaimed the month beginning September 15 “Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month” in King County. “Latino and Latina residents have been a consistent, vital influence in the history of King County, and we name our commemoration “Latinx” Heritage Month to be more inclusive of the experiences and identities of our communities,” Executive Constantine said in the Proclamation. Additionally, Sound Transit’s Latinx in Transportation (LIT) Employee Resource Group, King County Metro and the Seattle Department of Transportation held a multi-agency Latinx Heritage Month kick-off celebration on September 19, 2019. View more photos below and… Read More
Check out the King County 2019 Flu Shot Schedule and mark your calendars for the location most convenient for you. These are open to all employees, unless noted otherwise. If you miss the opportunity to get a flu shot at work, here are some tips for getting your flu shot through your health plan. Contact balancedyou@kingcounty.gov for more information. Some things to remember: Clinics are open to all employees, except when noted otherwise. Benefits-covered spouses and family members (age 11 and above) are welcome to attend most clinics, but please confirm these details with your site contact(s) beforehand…. Read More