Featured Headlines
Holiday travel? Metro will help you get there
Emergency exercise tests communications ahead of World Cup
King County Wins 2025 Geospatial Professional Network Award for Innovative AI-GIS System
Recognizing the service of Metro veterans
News
King County leaders discuss importance of 2019 Employee Survey
The 2019 King County Employee Survey is now underway, and we’ve asked some County leaders why the survey is important to them and their employees, and how they will act on the results. In this video, we talk to King County Executive Dow Constantine, Chief People Officer Whitney Abrams, Chief Operating Officer Casey Sixkiller, Chief Information Officer Tanya Hannah, Director of the Department of Executive Services Caroline Whalen, King County Elections Director Julie Wise, and King County Assessor John Wilson. The survey runs through Friday, March 29 (March 22 for Metro paper… Read More
Using sick leave to volunteer helps employees make a difference in our community
“When you ask most people what they want to do when they retire, they will often say two things – travel and volunteer more,” said Junelle Kroontje, King County Employee Giving Program Manager (KCEGP). “During an employee’s work life, making time for volunteering can be difficult. By allowing our employees to use up to three days of sick leave to volunteer at a King County Employee Giving Program nonprofit or at a local school, it frees them up to do it today – instead of waiting for retirement.“ The volunteer program allows… Read More
Stev Weidlich: Mining data to address policy issues at DPD
By Leslie Brown, Department of Public Defense Remember story problems from high school math — those vexing questions about the arrival times of trains or the number of apples a shopkeeper has to sell to break even? Some of us hated them. Stev Weidlich loved them. And today, he’s putting that puzzle-solving mind of his to good use. Stev is the research and data analyst at the King County Department of Public Defense (DPD), where he ferrets out the answers to tricky questions every day. How many DUIs did one of the divisions handle at the Maleng Regional Justice… Read More
A leader in secondary trauma provides insights and support to DPD staff
By Leslie Brown, Department of Public Defense Laura van Dernoot Lipsky, a pioneer in the field of trauma exposure, visited the King County Department of Public Defense (DPD) last month, where she led a spirited, provocative, and often humorous exploration into the impact of secondary trauma on one’s life. The genesis for the training came out of the Secondary Trauma Care Work Group, recently organized by SEIU Local 925, Teamsters Local 117, and DPD. Laura discussed common responses to trauma, from guilt and hopelessness, to chronic exhaustion, to feelings of depression. When trauma is… Read More
2019 Employee Survey: How it works
The 2019 Employee Survey is now underway and you should receive your unique link from kcemployeesurvey@us.confirmit.com by the end of today. Why take the survey? How will your responses be used? Watch the short video below to find out. The survey runs through Friday, March 29 (March 22 for Metro paper surveys), so please take 15 minutes to have your say and make a difference in your workplace.
Featured Job: Medical Assistant – Eastgate Public Health
Salary: $22.40 – $28.40 Hourly Location: Bellevue, WA Job Type: Term Limited Temporary, Full Time, 40 hrs/wk Department: DPH – Public Health Job Number: 2019-09266 As the only county in the United States named after Martin Luther King Jr, one of the most influential civil rights leaders in our nations’ history, King County is a vibrant community with residents that represent countries from around the world. It is a region with increasing diversity that cherishes the artistic and social traditions of many cultures. We continue to build on an enduring legacy of shared values of… Read More
2019 Employee Survey kicks off today
Dear fellow King County employee, The 2019 Employee Survey kicked off today and you will soon receive an email from our survey consultant asking you to participate. This is now our fourth successive survey and each year your responses help us make King County a better place to work and a more effective service provider for our residents. Your responses have already had an impact. Almost 8,000 employees participated in our last survey and 290 action plans were implemented to address the issues you raised. As a result we’ve made many changes,… Read More
Pet of the Week: Dexter
Crossposted from Tails from RASKC Who’s a handsome boy? Why, it’s Dexter, our Pet of the Week! This young pittie is full of energy and loves to play! That’s why he’s one of our “Rambunctious Red” pets. He tends to calm down more when people around him stay calm. Dexter also does best when he gets lots of exercise and something to keep his mind busy. Read more.
Training Spotlight: Conflict Awareness in the Workplace and Introduction to Organizational Performance Measurement
Conflict Awareness in the Workplace, April 18: We all encounter difficult people. Whether you are a supervisor, a customer service professional, or have a challenging co-worker, it’s important to know how to rise above your initial emotional reaction and turn negative situations into positive outcomes. Topics include understanding why we label people as difficult, types of difficult people, tools and techniques for resolving issues, coping strategies for dealing with the effects of difficult people, and conflict management strategies. Register and learn more. Introduction to Organizational Performance Measurement, May 8: Have you ever struggled to create… Read More
Remembering Bernice Stern for Women’s History Month
March is Women’s History Month, and as we celebrate, we want to introduce you to Bernice Stern, who in 1969 became the first woman elected to the King County Council. Online encyclopedia History Link has a great piece about Bernice’s life and legacy. Read it here. Photo courtesy of King County Archives.
Accepting applications: Art of Facilitation Training spring and fall cohorts
The Art of Facilitation is a six-session training, hosted by the Office of Equity and Social Justice, for King County employees that is rooted in experiential learning. The training is designed to increase effectiveness in working in cross-racial teams, combining skills in group facilitation, communication, and presentation with self-development and resilience building. The learned skills are transferable across all areas of work at King County. Applications are now being accepted for the spring and fall cohorts: May through June and September through November. This training opportunity is limited to 30 people per… Read More
2018 King County Sheriff’s Awards honors employees
Get to meet some of the amazing heroes who work hard to keep our region safe everyday in this video of the recently held 2018 King County Sheriff’s Awards. View the video here or below.
King County Wastewater Treatment highlighted for diversity through Operator in Training Program
Crossposted from Clean Water Stories Check out this article about how King County Wastewater Treatment is working to recruit employees that represent our diverse and growing communities through the Operator in Training Program, featured on the WEF Highlights website, the news site for the Water Environment Federation. Read the full article here.
Executive Constantine thanks employees for extraordinary work during snowstorm
Our employees went above and beyond to help keep residents safe and moving during the biggest snowstorm the region has experienced in decades, and King County Executive Dow Constantine took a moment to thank employees in a brief video. “It tested our ability as a local government to serve the people under extraordinary circumstances, and thanks to our dedicated employees, we rose to the challenge,” Executive Constantine said in the video. Click the image below to watch the video.
Celebrating Women’s History Month
King County Executive Dow Constantine has proclaimed the month of March Women’s History Month in King County, and encouraged all residents to participate in events to commemorate and honor women and their contributions to our community and nation. “Women of every race, class, and ethnic background have made historic contributions to the growth and strength of King County, the state of Washington, our nation, and the global community,” Executive Constantine said in the Proclamation. “Women are making history every day and will continue to do so in ways that will change our… Read More
Save the date for Administrative Professionals Recognition Event
King County Career Support Services and the Administrative Professionals Advisory Committee are excited to announce the Fourth Annual Administrative Professionals Recognition Event. This event recognizes administrative professionals who embody the attributes of excellence and innovation. It will be held at the King County Courthouse on Wednesday, April 24 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Event registration will open on Wednesday, March 27. Register for the event here.
Bus route changes coming March 23 to downtown Seattle
Starting Saturday, March 23, seven bus routes will shift from the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel to surface streets and buses on a total of 15 routes will change bus stop locations on Seattle streets to accommodate the Washington State Convention Center construction and future Link light rail expansion. To keep buses and riders moving, the City of Seattle is establishing a new transit pathway on Fifth and Sixth Avenues and Metro will establish all-door boarding in the Third Avenue corridor and at stops along Westlake Avenue North. Metro will also add trips,… Read More
Executive Constantine shares his experience participating in the annual point-in-time homeless count
Executive Dow Constantine shares his experience participating in the annual point-in-time count of people who are experiencing homelessness in King County. It included responding to a young person who was struggling and asked for help.
Employee Survey launches March 11
The King County Employee Engagement Survey kicks off March 11 and is a great opportunity to check-in with employees to learn what is going well and where we need to improve. Employees who participated in the survey over the last three years have helped us make King County a better place to work, and a more effective service provider for our residents. This year we’re making some enhancements to make the survey work better for everyone: The survey is shorter. Analysis will be done in house. There will be more ways to… Read More
Use your 2018 FSA funds
If you still have funds set aside in last year’s Health Care or Dependent Day Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA), be sure to get reimbursed for expenses incurred in 2018. Check your FSA balances: Go to Navia Benefits and log in as a participant. Learn about eligible expenses incurred Jan. 1—Dec. 31, 2018: Health Care FSAs cover a variety of medically necessary expenses for you and your eligible family members, including deductibles, coinsurance, and copays, and other Eligible Health Care Expenses. Dependent Day Care FSAs cover a range of services for your child, disabled spouse, or dependent parent that… Read More
About
We tell stories that highlight the work we do to support our residents,
build strong communities, and make our region a great place to live and work.
Our 17,000+ employees work every day to make King County
a welcoming community where every person can thrive.
Share this:
King County, WA LinkedIn
Follow us on LinkedIn to stay up to date with all King County professional news.
Employee News 