Employee News
Telling the stories of King County employees
With Halloween coming up, it’s easy to be inspired by all the fun costumes, eye-catching decorations, and entertaining movies — plus related traditions like the Haitian Fèt Gede, Irish Samhain, Mexican Día de los Muertos and Filipino Undas. It’s just as easy to take for granted the time, training, resources, skills and knowledge required to create much of the art we enjoy every day. We are surrounded by creative potential that is nurtured, developed and amplified by arts and culture nonprofits. The Annual Giving Drive is a great way to support these organizations spanning the many creative disciplines and cultures… Read More
Crossposted from Metro Matters Every day, hundreds of thousands of riders step onto King County Metro buses and count on a smooth, safe and welcoming ride. For many lucky passengers, that ride has been in the capable hands of Jack Millman — a driver whose calm presence and consistent kindness have made commutes better and lives brighter. Now, Jack Millman, who has delivered exceptional service for more than two decades, has been named King County Metro’s Operator of the Year. “Today, it is my absolute privilege to recognize Jack — someone who represents the very… Read More
Crossposted from Cultivating Connections King County Executive Shannon Braddock announced recently that the county will invest up to $25 million through 2026 to support nonprofit human service providers and workers with higher wages, cost-of-living subsidies, improved benefits, hiring and retention bonuses, professional development, and more. Recent findings from King County’s Nonprofit Wage & Benefit Survey and Nonprofit Employee Engagement Survey show how reductions in federal funding, rising cost of living, economic uncertainty, declining individual donations, volunteer shortages, and other factors are threatening the sector’s viability. This investment is made possible through the voter-approved Veterans, Seniors, and… Read More
Employees can now take advantage of a special 20% discount off of select Pacific Northwest Ballet performances in the 2025/2026 season, featuring The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Firebird, and more! Purchase tickets at the link here. King County employees can also receive discounted tickets for Disney’s The Lion King, playing at the Paramount Theatre December 2025 through January 2026. Discounted tickets can be purchased here, no promo code needed. For more information, view this flyer. See all available discounts on the Employee Discount intranet page.
Visit kce.wiki/BallotAlert to receive a text or email when King County Elections (KCE) has received your ballot back at Elections Headquarters, and when your signature has been verified. KCE will send you a reminder to vote before Election Day, and an alert if there’s any issue with your signature. Ballot alerts are the best way to track your ballot through every part of the process! Sign up today at kce.wiki/BallotAlert. For more information visit kingcounty.gov/elections.
The Facilities Management Division (FMD) recently launched a new intranet site. On this site you will be able to: Access FMD Services. From repairs and custodial services to HVAC, moving, tenant improvements, capital projects, parking, and ADA requests – FMD has you covered. Use this site to easily submit requests, access up-to-date forms, and connect with the right team. Learn more about King County Buildings. On this page, you can learn more about locations, hours, services, and amenities in buildings managed by FMD. Additional buildings will be added soon. Review FMD policies and procedures. Here you… Read More
Crossposted from the DES Express Fleet Services has launched a new online surplus auction, making it possible and easy for the public to buy surplus county goods. Fleet is also making it easier for agencies to send furniture, supplies or other assets to Surplus. “Providing our local community access to county surplus goods is a big step for the Fleet Personal Property Surplus Program in service of our mission,” said Chauntelle Hellner, director of Fleet Services. “We are excited to continue growing and stabilizing this service and adding value to the county… Read More
Jyoti Karna, with the Performance, Strategy and Budget (PSB) team, recently interviewed Brad Steinmetz, who leads the Executive Priorities Monitoring Program. The story highlights how the Enterprise Performance Dashboard is transforming this work by streamlining monitoring, aligning measures and giving senior leadership a clear, high-level view of countywide progress. Once managed through spreadsheets, this work now lives in a single, integrated dashboard that provides transparency and real-time visibility. Brad describes the dashboard as “a game changer,” helping leaders come prepared for critical discussions across the county’s monitoring processes. Read the full story here. Take a… Read More
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about domestic violence, signs of abuse, and how we can stop it. Domestic violence can take many forms, including physical, emotional, psychological, and financial abuse. It does not discriminate by age, gender, background, or profession. It can impact our coworkers, our neighbors, and our loved ones. The statistics remind us why awareness matters: Nearly 3 in 10 women and 1 in 10 men have experienced domestic violence and reported it. On average, 24 people per minute in the United States are physically… Read More
Ballots were mailed last week. If you haven’t received yours, give King County Elections a call at 206-296-VOTE. Not sure if you’re registered? Visit VoteWA.gov to register or update your registration information online by Oct. 27. After the 27th, you can register to vote in person until 8 p.m. on Election Day is Nov. 4. Local elections like this one are your chance to make sure your voice is heard in your community. King County Elections is projecting just 45% turnout this election so your vote will make a big impact. For more information… Read More
King County wants employees to be healthy so you can feel good, get the most out of life, and do your best work for the community we serve. This year, the Washington Department of Health (DOH) recommends that everyone six months and older get a flu vaccine and the updated 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine. To ensure access to these vaccines, DOH has also issued a standing order authorizing all qualified healthcare providers to vaccinate individuals six months and older, including pregnant people. If you’ve recently had COVID-19, you may want to delay getting a… Read More
When it comes to climate change, the best time to act was at least decades ago but the next best time is now. The first International Day of Climate Action was held on Oct. 24, 2009, by 350.org — named after the 350 parts per million (ppm) upper limit of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere deemed safe by scientists. As of June 2025, the CO2 in Earth’s atmosphere was 430 ppm. Environmentally focused organizations tackle our climate crisis year-round by facilitating education, access to resources, and advocacy and community organizing. Your gift through the Annual Giving… Read More
Crossposted from Medium A new program aims to cut through myths and misunderstandings about the justice system and spark conversations about justice, government, and our shared civic responsibilities. Judges and lawyers across King County are fanning out to community groups, schools, and clubs to deliver presentations that cut through myths and misunderstandings about the justice system and its role in the three branches of government. Sponsored by the King County Bar Association (KCBA), the effort is called the Civics Stewardship Program. “This program is about meeting people where they are, outside the courtroom,… Read More
Fall is the season of pumpkins, Halloween, vibrant foliage, and… illnesses such as the flu, COVID-19, and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus). Fortunately, we have vaccines for all three of those major illnesses. We also have the tried-and-true precautions that still help you stay healthy. Five ways to avoid getting sick and spreading illness during cold and flu season: Get vaccinated. Stay up to date with flu, COVID-19, and RSV vaccinations. Wear a mask in crowded spaces. Put on a mask when you’re elbow-to-elbow with others. Wash your hands often. Use hand sanitizer if you can’t… Read More
Open Enrollment is just around the corner—Nov. 1–15. Many employees will have some significant benefit changes for next year. Look for information mailed recently to your home address and use the following resources to learn about the changes and all of your benefit choices for 2026. Go to the Open Enrollment web page. Find everything you need in one place, including links to resources and detailed information about the changes for next year. Look for the Open Enrollment mailer sent to your home address or download a copy: Regular Employee Mailer, Transit ATU 587 Employee Mailer, Deputy… Read More
Crossposted from the DES Express On Oct. 28, Tina Shields, P-Card Program Manager in Accounts Payable for the Finance and Business and Operations Division, will reach a rare milestone: serving King County for 40 years. The King County Council recognized Shields at their meeting on Sept. 16. “I came from a very poor background,” Shields said. “I’m one of those people that’s not going to give up even if the odds are against me.” After working at an insurance company for five years, Shields started her career at King County as an… Read More
Crossposted from Metro Matters They enjoy watching the Seattle Sounders and Manchester United. One is a “Proud Country Girl” who enjoys being outdoors. They fish, hunt and travel and play softball and volleyball. Those who ride with them say one went the extra mile to return a lost phone: “I can’t tell you how happy I am to have it back, knowing it was safely with him the entire time.” Another rider talked about their ability to help a distraught passenger: “I was so impressed with her ability, in the midst of snow and… Read More
Crossposted from Metro Matters Marking ongoing positive ridership growth, King County Metro posted a silver medal win among the 10 largest transit agencies nationwide. Metro had an estimated 63 million boardings this year through Aug. 31, which is increase and 4.5 million higher than the same time last year. Comparing Aug. 2024 and 2025, we’re seeing about 5,000 more morning boardings, 6,600 more midday boardings and 9,500 more afternoon boardings on an average weekday. A regional rising star is the RapidRide G Line. Although the new line only just celebrated its one-year anniversary,… Read More
This October is the 80th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), an annual recognition of the positive impact of people with disabilities in the American workforce. As we celebrate acknowledgement, it is helpful to be reminded of the amazing Disability Services teams taking care of and supporting King County employees. Disability Services collaborates with the individual, their healthcare provider, and the appropriate departmental personnel for an individualized analysis of reasonable job accommodations that could effectively meet health or disability needs in the workplace. View this Disability Services Overview for more information and… Read More
King County’s Annual Giving Drive is underway, running from Sept. 29 to Nov. 14, 2025. This year’s theme, “Start Something Good,” is a celebration of King County’s strong legacy and invites us to cultivate hope and take positive action. Every act of giving is a fresh beginning. Through the Annual Giving Drive, we can choose to grow the good by supporting causes that matter most to each of us. Check out this video to learn more about the Annual Giving Drive, ways to give, and how to join! To see the full list of Employee Giving… Read More