Employee News
Telling the stories of King County employees
Crossposted from King County Local Strong communities rely on engaged people and government working together, which is why the Community Service Area Civic Connectors program is so important. Recently, the Department of Local Services brought together people from across unincorporated King County to help empower them to become engaged with their local government. More than 30 people who are part of the program joined Director Leon Richardson and other members of our team at Renton Technical College for the group’s first meeting. Local Services is working with this passionate group so that,… Read More
Crossposted from Cultivating Connections The past year marked important milestones and successes for the Developmental Disabilities and Early Childhood Supports Division (DDECSD). We made great strides in supporting children, young people and adults; bolstering the workforce who make the programs we do possible; and ensuring communities have access to the tools and resources they need to be successful. Read more.
Crossposted from the DES Express Gail Stone initially retired from King County in April 2023 after serving as a high-level law and justice policy advisor for 13 years. She was drawn back to public service in late February for a new role, serving as a strategic planning manager for the Inquest Program. “Inquest is the only thing I can imagine coming out of retirement for,” Stone said. The purpose of an inquest is to shed light, in an open public forum, on the facts surrounding a death at the hands of law… Read More
The King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) is looking for a few good people, and if you know any, it could help your bottom line. As part of the Employee Referral Bonus Program, any King County employee who is part of a collective bargaining agreement, is eligible for a $5,000 referral bonus if that referral leads to the successful hiring of a new deputy. Items to note: You must be employed at King County at the time of the bonus payout. The bonus will be paid out once the new employee successfully completes… Read More
Crossposted from the King County Sheriff’s Office newsletter Recently, Fox 13’s reporter AJ Janavel went on a ‘fly along’ with the KCSO Air Support Unit to show viewers their importance to the department. Watch the story here.
As we celebrate Telecommunicator Week, we want to highlight the great work that the King County Sheriff’s Office call takers and dispatchers do 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our telecommunicators are the heartbeat of public safety, guiding help to those who need it most and supporting our deputies every step of the way. We see you, we appreciate you, and we thank you. Your steady voices, sharp minds, and unwavering dedication makes a large impact on our deputies and the communities we serve.
Creating strong passwords should be the number one priority in keeping your online world safe. Having weak passwords could result in stolen identities, loss of data or money, and even the loss of a job and/or reputation. You’ve likely heard recommendations for creating secure passwords before. Experts suggest using long, complex, and random combinations of words, letters, numbers and special characters. Follow the tips below to improve your password safety practices: Improve the strength of your passwords. Strong passwords are usually made up of at least eight characters. They should contain numbers, uppercase… Read More
King County employees can take advantage of discounts to upcoming performances at the Seattle Symphony this weekend. Learn more and purchase tickets at seattlesymphony.org using promo code KINGSSO. Limit 4 tickets per household. April 10 at 7:30 p.m. Waive all handling fees at the checkout cart. April 11, at noon. Unlock 15% off tickets and pay no additional fees. April 12 at 8 p.m. Waive all handling fees at the checkout cart. Additionally, employees can purchase discounted tickets to upcoming Seattle Storm games. All games are held at Climate Pledge Arena. Purchase discounted tickets… Read More
Crossposted from Cultivating Connections The King County 2025 Developmental Disabilities and Early Childhood Supports Resource Fair will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, May 29, 2025, at the Microsoft Commons Mixer building located at 15255 NE 40th St., Redmond, WA 98052. This is a free community event that welcomes people with developmental disabilities and delays, their families, caregivers, teachers, employees and other interested community members. A variety of workshops and over 50 exhibitors will connect attendees with the people and tools to support their goals in employment, education, building community and more…. Read More
We now have confirmed cases of measles in King County and surrounding counties. Ensuring you and your family are vaccinated against measles is an important way to protect yourself and others. Read on for information on why the MMR vaccine is important, who needs the MMR vaccine, and where they can be vaccinated. What makes measles so dangerous? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), measles isn’t just about a fever and a rash; it’s a serious disease. Complications can include pneumonia and brain injury. Children under 5 are… Read More
Crossposted from the DNRP newsletter On April 28, Rebecca Singer will start her role as the new Division Director for the Solid Waste Division. Rebecca is a visionary leader committed to achieving ambitious goals in protecting public health and enhancing environmental quality, all while steering towards a sustainable future. Most recently, Rebecca served as the Operations Section Manager in the Wastewater Treatment Division. As the new Solid Waste Division Director, Rebecca will oversee both day-to-day operations and long-term waste management strategies. She will play a key role in advancing equity and racial… Read More
Attention King County employees, Washington state is preparing to launch WE-bike, an instant rebate program that helps Washington residents purchase certain cycling equipment and electric bicycles, also called e-bikes. On April 9, people across the state will be able to apply online for one of these instant rebates. The programs ends the morning of Wednesday, April 23. More than $4 million is available for instant rebates of either $300 or $1,200 per person, depending on income qualifications. Interested residents can visit the WE-Bike program website ahead of April 9 to check eligibility, learn about… Read More
Crossposted from Metro Matters King County Metro needs new members to join our Mobility Equity Cabinet to help us shape our transit policies, plans and programs. We value your thoughts and opinions! Members of the cabinet will: Gain a deep understanding of Metro as an organization, its guiding policies, services, operations and decision making. Build and strengthen connections in their communities, learn and share about their community’s history, assets, needs and priorities around transit. Shape Metro initiatives and policy updates by collaborating and advising us on key initiatives and policy updates. We… Read More
By Noah Haglund, DAJD Communications Specialist IV Seattle Central Little League joined the Mariners Opening Day festivities on March 27, having the honor of saying the two most important words in baseball: Play ball! The league was represented by 70 young people alongside its Coach and President Aaron Parker, who also serves as director of the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention’s (DAJD) Community Corrections Division. This unforgettable moment before first pitch was a highlight for local players, coaches, and families, as they helped start the Major League Baseball season Seattle Central… Read More
The Employee Engagement Survey is in full swing and now through April 21 eligible King County employees (all Executive Branch employees, employees in King County Elections, King County Assessor’s Office, and King County Council who have worked at the county for at least three months prior to the survey and are not an intern or on an STT assignment) are encouraged to share their feedback. Look for an email from kcsurvey@qualtrics-research.com and noreply@qemailserver.com with your custom link to complete the survey. If you did not receive the survey email, please check your email junk or “Other” inbox. If… Read More
Visit any website these days and it’s very likely that you will be viewing ads as well. Sometimes these ads can be tempting, with many offering sales, promotions, or freebies to attract more clicks. Ads on certain websites can even be targeted specifically to you based on past browsing history, making you even more likely to click! Remember this: Just because you are on a reputable, well-known website, it does not mean that the ads on the website are safe to click as well. How adspace can become infected: Advertisers do not sell their… Read More
King County employees can take advantage of a 25% discount to attend the Tony Award winning, Best Revival of a Musical, PARADE playing at The 5th Avenue Theatre, from April 16 through May 4. This North American touring production of the Broadway musical is filled with soaring music and with a timely and heart-wrenching story. To book directly through the website, visit 5thavenue.org/seacity or go to the CALENDAR section of the website and enter promo code: SEACITY to purchase tickets. See all available discounts on the Employee Discount intranet page.
Meditation and mindfulness are techniques used to reduce stress by encouraging a heightened sense of awareness and focused attention. Both approaches share many of the same tools to promote mind and body practices that increase calmness and physical relaxation and enhance overall well-being. There are several meditation and mindfulness resources available for King County employees. Balanced You encourages you to explore these resources to find ones that work for you. Making Life Easier (MLE) Toolkit This meditation toolkit from Making Life Easier (MLE) includes tips sheets, guided videos and audio exercises, and additional resources. Read more.
By Noah Haglund, DAJD Communications Specialist IV To attract the next generation of officers at King County jails, the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention’s (DAJD) recruitment team is trying out a novel form of storytelling. “On the Job” uses a comic book-style to show the journey of three wayward young people who tour a jail, meet COs, and overturn their assumptions about working in corrections. By the end, they are ready to apply to work as corrections officers. Created in collaboration with LA-based Hero Projects, “On the Job” was published online in March…. Read More
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. At least nine people a day are killed in distracted driving crashes. Handheld and hands-free phone calls and texts, emails, social media, passengers, snacks, and even built-in vehicle touchscreens are just some of the distractions fighting for your attention on the road. Here’s a simple way to think about it: if something requires your hands, your eyes or your attention while you’re driving, it’s a distraction. Distracted driving isn’t just risky for you, it can be deadly for every nearby driver, pedestrian, bicyclist, and worker. Pledge… Read More