Crossposted from Balanced You 

During the uncertain economic times brought on by the coronavirus outbreak, you may find yourself becoming worried about your family’s financial stability. Wouldn’t it be great if you could turn to an impartial expert for advice? With King County’s My Secure Advantage (MSA) program, you can receive personalized advice from a professional Money Coach for free. 

What is a Money Coach? 

A Money Coach is a trained professional who works with you one-on-one to assess your current financial situation and help you take concrete steps to improve it. Money Coaches have certifications in financial planning, taxes, and credit counseling. They can help with a wide variety of situations, including establishing or adjusting your budget, advising on mortgage and loan deferrals, or investing. The MSA Money Coaches are paid a salary; they will not charge you any fees and they won’t try to sell you anything. 

Read more from Balanced You

Crossposted from Balanced You 

Mindfulness is a practice that can support you in reducing stress at work and at home. Mindfulness techniques are especially useful now, as we move through the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Balanced You continues to partner with Mindfulness Northwest to offer free mindfulness classes and workshops to King County employees, via both employee-specific and community classes. In alignment with social distancing recommendations, all in-person classes have temporarily shifted to online platforms. 

Read more from Balanced You

Crossposted from Balanced You

Exercising during a pandemic is tough. Our routines are thrown off. Gyms, Activity Centers, and trailheads are closed. Stress levels are high. Due to the coronavirus response, many employees are working from home, while others are pulling long hours in the office or in the field. Because everything is currently so different, it is easier than normal to get wrapped up in a work project, spend an entire day without exercise or stretching, and end the day with an aching body.

Muscles need a break, not only from strenuous work, but also from continuous, low-level activity like sitting, and repetitive motions like driving a bus. Additionally, regular exercise has been shown to improve depression and anxiety symptoms, which is especially helpful during this time of uncertainty.

Read more from Balanced You.

Reporting to your workplace during a pandemic is challenging. The pace can be frantic, and the work can feel relentless. Many people – colleagues and customers – are stressed out, ourselves included. Whether your job is categorized as essential, front line, first responder, or mission-critical, coming into work at this time can cause anxiety, perhaps even fear. Visit the Balanced You blog for advice from EAP on how to cope with areas where you may be struggling. 

If you are a member of a Deferred Compensation Plan through King County, you will receive guidance from T. Rowe Price on coronavirus-related relief which may be permitted under the Coronavirus Response and the Affordable Care Act (CARE Act). For more information, please visit the T. Rowe Price website or call them at 888-457-5770. 

As our community socially distances to stop the spread of COVID-19, law enforcement officials have seen an increase in domestic violence situations. Throughout the month of March, the Seattle Police Department saw a 21% increase in reported domestic violence.    

King County is here to provide support and resources for survivors of domestic violence and their families. To get help, or support someone in need, review this resources webpage. You can to find out about legal rights, get an order of protection, and other community services. Emergency petitions can be now filed for Anti-Harassment or Stalking Orders remotely. To donate to an organization that provides domestic violence assistance, view a list or nonprofits that participate in the Employee Giving Program here.   

King County employees dealing with a domestic violence situation and in need support, can also call the King County Employee Assistance Program Main Line at 206-263-8733 or email HRDEAP@kingcounty.gov. You can find additional employee resources for emergency housing and community safety here. 

Pictured: Safety straps Metro has installed in all vehicles.

Public Health has stated that essential services, including public transit and paratransit, have critically important tasks that at times involve getting closer than six feet to others. For example, the safety of passengers in wheelchairs relies in some cases on drivers helping to secure them. 

Metro has adhered to Public Health’s guidance to minimize driver-to-passenger interaction by directing riders to board at rear doors if they are able, eliminating fares, and installing safety straps; by regularly sanitizing and deep cleaning vehicles and facilities; and by providing hand sanitizer and gloves to drivers.   

Metro has assembled a task force to explore how to further promote safety. This is part of a commitment to continue providing essential transit service to the community during this time—including for first-responders, grocery store workers, and healthcare providers, while keeping drivers, passengers, and community members as safe as possible.  

For more information about what King County Metro is doing to keep operators and passengers safe, visit the Metro Matters blog. 

In partnership with the state’s health care unions, King County Executive Dow Constantine and King County Council Chair Claudia Balducci today announced that the County reserved a block of rooms at Hotel 116 in Bellevue for healthcare workers who need a place to stay if they are concerned about COVID-19 exposure. 

King County is partnering with Washington State Nurses Association, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, and UFCW 21 to inform their members about this resource.  

“Healthcare workers on the front lines of our crisis response shouldn’t have to put their families and loved ones at risk for doing their jobs. I am gratified to have the opportunity to work with healthcare unions to offer housing for caregivers during this public health emergency, so they can remain safe and care for our community,” said Executive Constantine. 

Read more in the official press release.