Alongside the ongoing transmission of COVID-19, common colds are on the rise in Seattle and King County
Crossposted from Public Health Insider
In the fall of 2018, the Seattle Flu Study (SFS) began monitoring respiratory diseases in the Seattle metro area. At the beginning of 2020, SFS partnered with Public Health – Seattle & King County to launch the greater Seattle Coronavirus Assessment Network (SCAN) to track and monitor COVID-19. The combined SFS and SCAN data offer us a window into the effects of COVID-19 mitigation efforts—not only on the spread of COVID-19, but also on the transmission of other respiratory viruses. The findings also remind us of the importance of diligently following public health recommendations.
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Making Life Easier offers live and on-demand webinars for King County employees, multiple dates
King County employees have access to a variety of upcoming scheduled webinars hosted by Making Life Easier. Register early for live interactive sessions as space is limited; otherwise, recordings will be available on-demand 48 hours after the live session.
- Supporting your working parents in the chaos of 2020: A webinar for managers, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020 from noon to 1 p.m. Register here.
For more information about the Making Life Easier program, visit www.kingcounty.gov/MLE.
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Kicking Off Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month en Línea virtual event, September 16
National Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month takes place Sept. 15-Oct. 15. In celebration of a diverse Latinx history, vibrant culture and innumerable achievements, the King County Latinx Affinity Group (KCLx) invites employees to join this virtual kick-off event.
Come together with the King County familia and learn about the goals of KCLx and our work to advance equity and social justice in the community, enjoy a meet–and–greet with the KCLx Leadership Team, and preview an exciting lineup of upcoming Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month events.
This event will be on Wednesday, Sept. 16 from noon to 1 p.m. via Zoom, and is open to all King County employees. Click here to register.
The event will be facilitated by Melissa Arias, and includes as panelists the KCLx Leadership Team: Cristina Gonzalez, Lluvia Ellison-Morales, Chris Franco, Shannon Perez-Darby, Margarita Aguado, Rocio Martinez Lopez, and Antonio Herrera Garza. For more information, contact KCLx Membership Chair, Melissa Arias at MArias@kingcounty.gov.
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When should I expect my ballot? Key dates to making your vote count
Crossposted from Election Connection
As the countdown clocks continue to tick down the days between now and Nov. 3, we’re getting lots of questions about what to expect when and how to make sure you hit all the important deadlines to make sure your vote counts. Here are some key dates to put in your calendar to make sure that you’re ready to vote.
Sept. 18 – King County mails out ballots to our service and overseas voters on this day, beating that 45-day requirement set out in federal law. Sending ballots early to those overseas helps to ensure that they receive their ballot with ample time to vote and get it back to us. If you’re not a service or overseas voter, hold tight. Your ballot is coming in October.
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Metro and regional transit agencies sign onto APTA health and safety program
Crossposted from Metro Matters
Six Puget Sound area transit agencies have joined agencies across the nation to commit to industry best practices for safe transportation during the COVID-19 crisis.
Community Transit, Everett Transit, King County Metro, Kitsap Transit, Pierce Transit and Sound Transit have all committed to a health and safety program developed by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) in response to public concerns about riding transit during the pandemic.
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Employee volunteers needed for temporary redeployment at smoke shelter
King County and the City of Seattle are jointly opening a shelter in Seattle for homeless persons with conditions vulnerable to smoke, and there is an urgent need for employees to fill positions starting today and tonight.
There is an immediate need to fill roles through temporary redeployment at the shelter site in SoDo as we respond to wildfire smoke in our region. Both medical and non-medical volunteers are sought for the temporary emergency smoke shelter from Friday afternoon through Monday morning. The site is located at 1045 6th Ave South, Seattle.
Employees will continue to be paid at their current rate of pay, and employees will not receive a reduction in pay for the emergency redeployment.
Medical volunteers (RNs, ARNPs, MAs, PAs, MDs, EMTs (including non-agency affiliated), and paramedics): One medical professional is needed per shift to provide support at the shelter, including assisting the clients to feel safe and comfortable, preventing health conditions from worsening, supporting client intake and rooming, providing general administrative and operational support (including monitoring the site, providing food/water, and notifying medical staff if there is an emergency), monitoring the activities of clients to ensure the safety of clients, volunteers and staff, helping clients resolve any issues as they may arise, and assisting with, and triaging, any emergent medical needs. The shelter will be open 24 hours each day, but medical volunteers are only needed between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. for morning and swing shifts. Experience working with individuals living homeless is preferred. All PPE will be provided, and volunteers will be trained in specific responsibilities on site.
Non-Medical volunteers: Five to six non-medical volunteers are needed each shift including morning, swing, and overnight to provide shelter support. Expected tasks include intake and registration, orientation to the shelter space, attendance and recordkeeping, serving meals, and shelter monitoring. Experience working with individuals living homeless is preferred. Volunteers will be trained in specific responsibilities on site.
Dates and Shifts:
Friday, Sept. 11
- Swing 2 – 10 p.m.
- Overnight 10 p.m. – 6 a.m. (non-medical only)
Saturday, Sept. 12
- Swing 2 – 10 p.m.
- Overnight 10 p.m. – 6 a.m. (non-medical only)
Sunday, Sept. 13
- Swing 2 – 10 p.m.
- Overnight 10 p.m. – 6 a.m. (non-medical only)
Monday, Sept. 14
- 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. (medical and non-medical)
If you are a King County employee who can fill one these roles, and have capacity to help, please follow these instructions:
- Receive permission from your supervisor to apply for this redeployment, and
- Once approved, email EmergencyStaffing@kingcounty.govand CC your supervisor.
- Indicate which date and shift you are volunteering to fill, and in which role.
- For questions or for more information, contact EmergencyStaffing@kingcounty.gov.
Thank you for helping to keep our community safe during this challenging time.
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Update on the 2021-2022 Proposed Budget
Dwight Dively, Director of the Office of Performance, Strategy and Budget, has recorded a short video update on the 2021-2022 Proposed Budget.
In the video, he shares an update on the revenue forecast, the COVID-19 response, and the upcoming proposed budget.
“We have identified some exciting budget proposals that will come out in the County Executive’s budget on September 22 which will fundamentally change our legal system,” Dwight said. “We’re also working with lots of groups around the county and with community organizations on ways that the County can pursue other aspects of the anti-racism agenda, including co-creation of programs with our communities.”
You can watch the video below.
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Featured Job: Buyer
Salary: $34.54 – $43.78 Hourly
Location: Seattle, WA
Job Type: Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week
Department: DES – Executive Services
Job Number: 2020JM12060
Division: FBOD-Finance & Business Ops
Closing: 9/13/2020 11:59 PM Pacific
Learn more about this position or view all available positions.
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Guidance for working in smoky air
Dear employee,
Our region is experiencing significant levels of wildfire smoke today, which is expected to continue through the weekend. Wildfire smoke can cause a range of health problems, including chest pain, coughing, fast heartbeat, headaches, and asthma attacks. Some people need to be outdoors for their work or other responsibilities. With our current unhealthy air conditions, it’s recommended that you limit your time outdoors. If you are concerned about doing field work in these conditions, please consider these tips and guidance:
- Talk to your supervisor about possible options to reduce the amount of time you spend outdoors by performing desk work or alternate work assignments on smoky days.
- Departments should evaluate planned field work to determine whether some work should be postponed, where possible, to next week when conditions are expected to improve.
- The air quality level can change quickly, so check air quality conditions regularly and if possible, adjust your schedule to avoid travel and working outdoors during periods when air quality is the most impacted by smoke conditions (keep in mind air quality is typically the worst in the middle of the day during wildfire smoke).
- If you must work outdoors, limit time outdoors to a minimum and find a safe location to breathe filtered air while maintaining social distancing during breaks from outdoor work. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it will be more difficult to find public spaces to take clean/cool air breaks this year.
- Drink plenty of water.
- If you have medical conditions that could be worsened by wildfire smoke, consult with your medical provider and speak with your supervisor to work out the best options for your work schedule on smoke days.
- You may be able to use accrued vacation or comp time when there is wildfire smoke instead of reporting to your designated work location. You may request leave, subject to approval by your supervisor. If you have no leave accrued, your supervisor may approve leave without pay to cover absences. Please refer to HR Bulletin 2011-0009 County Operations During Emergency Situations and Inclement Weather to learn more.
It is not known how much protection cloth face coverings or surgical masks provide from wildfire smoke. N95/N100 masks can provide protection to some people when worn properly but can also worsen conditions for people with existing respiratory conditions. Due to COVID-19, N95/N100 masks may not be available and those available are in need by medical professionals. KN95 masks are available through your agency’s Safety Officer where needed. Safety Officers may contact Fleet Stores for masks at fleetstores@kingcounty.gov.
If you are working indoors, Public Health has provided some guidance on How to Keep Indoor Air Clean on Smoky Days.
More information from Public Health – Seattle & King County about wildfire smoke and your health can be found here. Additional information from WA Department of Health and EPA on indoor air filtration during wildfire smoke can be found here and here. We will provide additional updates as conditions warrant.
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Developing new practices for COVID-19 just another day in Payroll Operations
Many groups around King County have had to adapt rapidly to the challenges posed by the coronavirus, switching gears to accommodate new policies and procedures. But for the Central Payroll Operations Team, a small group of employees who already move at a quick pace, these changes are part of their ever-evolving work routine.
As we celebrate National Payroll Week, we spoke with Payroll Operations Supervisor Pam Bell to learn more about how the Team is operating during this time. Pam joined King County in 2004 and has been with the Department of Executive Services (DES) in her current role since then.
Central Payroll Operations works hard to ensure paychecks are received in a timely, smooth manner, with no hiccups or inconveniences to employees. The team also handles payroll taxes and provides employees with annual W-2 forms.
“So payroll seems like it would be really simple: department timekeepers report time and time off, Human Resources reports changes to positions or pay rates and employees magically get a paycheck or direct deposit,” Pam said. “But the truth of the matter is something is always changing, like state laws, union contracts, or federal laws. Honestly, there’s never a dull moment.”
Pam explains how the team and the payroll community across the County have a rigid production schedule they follow to meet payroll deadlines, and to do so means regularly adapting to constant changes. This includes potential changes in multiple County systems (such as Oracle and PeopleSoft), adjusting to support employee needs, and relying on current, up-to-the-minute information from timekeepers and departments. Doing this work efficiently and quickly means utilizing Lean methods and implementing continuous improvement methods.
“We always try to do things as streamlined as possible to get work done, but success really depends on our ability to work with others, like the Business Resource Center (BRC),” Pam said. “If there is a new law or regulation, for example a new medical leave type, then we have to work with our business partners and the BRC to make sure it can get done for employees.”
“We are always looking for continuous improvement as we have a short period for turnaround so we have to be quick,” she adds.
The most recent example of changes Payroll made was working with the Department of Human Resources (DHR) – which it is joining on Jan. 1, 2021 – to implement new codes for COVID-19 related acts passed in Congress, including extended family medical leave, COVID-19 leave, emergency leave bank, identifying wage types, and filing payroll taxes for the County. Working to address these changes was challenging, but Pam credits her team and the focus they bring to their work for being continuously successful in providing employees an essential service.
“We also deal with the output from payroll, meaning everything you see on your paycheck, every deduction you see, our section, the Benefits, Payroll, and Retirement team does,” she said. “We prefer to think of ourselves as if we’re doing our job right, then nobody knows who we are.”
Pam explains that when employees have payroll issues, they are directed to speak with their department payroll representative to review the data that was submitted for her team to process, as her team ensures taxes and deductions are applied and payments are made. While there are other teams who do payroll or submit employee hours in certain department, such as Public Health and the Department of Natural Resources and Parks, the Central Payroll Operations Team is the only team in the County that can provide payments and process checks.
It is a task that requires each employee’s full attention, and it is this focus that helps the Central Payroll Operations Team be successful collectively and thrive in their individual roles.
“To be honest, I can’t imagine anyone being successful in this group of professionals if they weren’t agile or able to make quick decisions,” Pam said. “You can’t say ‘Oh I’ll do that tomorrow or next week’ because things have to be done within the next hour. To be happy in this work, you have to be very present in what you are doing all the time.”
The team has also made a few physical adjustments in response to the virus, with employees rotating days present in the office with telecommuting, being flexible with each other’s schedules, communicating more about tasks and needs, and working together to ensure items like paperwork, the mailbox, and systems are regularly reviewed.
Pam and the Central Payroll Operations Team take great pride in their work, for the value it brings each employee, and for the role it plays in King County as a community leader.
“We pay everybody across the County. It doesn’t matter where you work, what you do, or who you are, our mission is to make sure that you have a paycheck on payday and that it’s right,” Pam said. “Besides being a team who is comprised of people who are very good at what they do and enjoy working with the payroll community across the County, we enjoy working in the public sector and are grateful that employees can count on us because they bring such value and service to all of King County.”
On Jan. 1, 2021, Central Payroll – which is part of the Benefits, Payroll and Retirement Operations section (BPROS) of DES – will join DHR when BPROS transitions to the department.
Employee News 