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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
Attend a Benefit Fair and complete Open Enrollment by Nov. 15
There’s just one week left to complete Open Enrollment. Don’t miss your opportunity to become familiar with your benefit choices and learn about the changes for next year. Attend one of the last Benefit Fairs to get your questions answered, pick up givaways, and get help with your Open Enrollment. All employees are welcome to stop by any of the Benefit Fairs from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. If you are unable to attend a Benefit Fair, take advantage of the following resources: Go to the Open Enrollment website and see the… Read More
Donate blood at Eastgate Public Health Center, Nov. 27
Giving blood is a simple way to express gratitude for your own good health and know you’re taking action to help a local patient facing a serious medical condition. Schedule an appointment to give blood at Eastgate Public Health Center on Nov. 27 to help make sure we all have a healthy year together. Make it a celebration – of hope, community, and the power we all have to save a life. Wednesday, Nov. 27, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Eastgate Public Health Center, 14350 SE Eastgate Way, Community Room, Bellevue, WA… Read More
Help celebrate furbabies with the Annual Giving Drive
Every October, we get to enjoy one of the best months of the year—Adopt a Shelter Dog Month and World Animal Day. This makes it the purr-fect time to celebrate and support the organizations that rescue all the adorable furbabies. World Animal Day, celebrated on October 4, is an International Day of Action for animal rights and welfare, and Adopt a Shelter Dog Month shines a spotlight on the importance of adopting rescue dogs from shelters and giving them a second chance at life. This a great time of year to consider bringing… Read More
Records Management Reminder: What are retention schedules?
A retention schedule is the name of a legal document that provides important information about county records. King County retention schedules are all based on, and compliant with, Washington State Local Government Records Retention Schedules. However, county employees should only use county retention schedules to determine what to do with their records. All King County retention schedules are available on the Records Management website, which is automatically updated every day. Retention schedules include important information including: Cutoff date: When a type of record becomes inactive; Retention period: How long a record must be retained after the cutoff… Read More
Proposed budget focuses on cleanliness, equity, reliability, safety, and sustainability
Crossposted from Metro Matters King County Executive Dow Constantine’s 2025 budget proposal includes transit investments that will expand access to opportunity across our region. The Executive transmitted his proposed budget to the King County Council on Sept. 23. The council is currently considering and modifying the budget. Adoption of the budget is expected by the end of November. Read more.
Humans of Road Services: David Garcia
Crossposted from King County Local David Garcia has found a rare and fulfilling balance between his career and his personal passions. He is a transportation planner by day but spends most of his free time outdoors, exploring mountains, lakes, and forests with four-legged pal Winston close in step. David is drawn toward adventure, culture, and new experiences. Understandably, he has moved around quite a bit. After growing up in the bustling, diverse Bay Area, he moved to Guatemala to gain a closer connection to his family’s culture, language and land. Read more.
Daylight Saving reminder: “Fall back” one hour on Nov. 3
Remember to move your clock back one hour this weekend. Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3. Daylight Saving Time in Washington will next be in effect from 2 a.m. Sunday, March, 9 to 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025.
Seattle Thunderbirds King County Employee Nights, Nov. 16 and Jan. 11
King County employees can receive discounted tickets to two upcoming Seattle Thunderbirds vs Everett Silvertips men’s junior hockey league games. Both games are at 6 p.m., doors open at 4:30 p.m., and are at the accesso ShoWare Center, located at 625 W James St, Kent, WA 98032. Both links provided below require you to input coupon code “County” to purchase tickets for $24 plus fees, a discount of $10 off a regular priced $34 ticket. This discount only applies to blue seats on the seating chart. Saturday, Nov. 16 – To purchase… Read More
Regional Veterans Court recognizes hard work of its participants, Nov. 14
The same week the United States honors veterans on Veterans Day, King County Regional Veterans Court (RVC) will recognize the successes and hard work of RVC program participants. The annual celebration of RVC program participants, including participants who have successfully completed the program and will graduate from it, will be held Thursday, Nov. 14, at 1:30 p.m. King County employees are invited to attend either in person or via Zoom: In-person: King County Courthouse, Courtroom E326 Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/7597251370 (meeting ID: 759 725 1370) Operated by King County District Court since 2012, RVC understands that… Read More
Kaiser to close three Puget Sound-area medical facilities
Kaiser Permanente Washington recently announced that they will be closing their medical facilities in Ballard, Gig Harbor, and Poulsbo on Dec. 13, 2024. The Kaiser announcement stated “As the health care market changes rapidly, with increased competition, new technologies, and high consumer expectations, it is critical that we continue to adapt by allocating our people and resources where they provide the greatest value to our patients, members, and customers.” Members who seek care at the Kaiser medical facilities in Ballard, Gig Harbor, and Poulsbo can follow their clinician to a new location… Read More
Coming soon: Add pronouns and preferred first name/nickname to PeopleSoft and Microsoft
Starting Nov. 1, employees will be able to add pronouns and preferred first name/nickname in PeopleSoft and Microsoft 365 (including Teams and Outlook), making them visible to other King County employees. This option advances our We respect all people value and helps us create a more inclusive and affirming workplace for everyone. It also aligns with the County’s Gender Identity in the Workplace policy. These options will be available for both PeopleSoft and Microsoft 365. Sharing this information with other King County employees is a personal choice and completely optional. Once entered, this information may be subject to public disclosure… Read More
Celebrating creativity and fun on Halloween with the Annual Giving Drive
It’s finally here—Halloween—the day of fun and imagination that brings people together in celebration. The Annual Giving Drive loves this day because it is a time when creativity takes center stage and everyone—kids and adults alike— can embrace their playful side with costumes, decorations, and more! Halloween offers so many ways to showcase imagination and artistry. We hope everyone has a happy, safe, and creative Halloween! Here are some fun Halloween themed EGP nonprofits that specialize in the arts and creative spaces. Read more. Pledge or renew here by Nov. 22.
Healthcare organizations continue commitment to protect patients and healthcare workers with an update to masking guidelines
Crossposted from Public Health Insider Healthcare systems in the Puget Sound region have updated their joint guidelines for masking in hospitals and outpatient clinics during respiratory illness season. This means local healthcare facilities may require patients, visitors and employees to wear masks when respiratory illnesses such as flu and COVID-19 are circulating widely in the community. Masking is an effective way to reduce the spread of respiratory illnesses in healthcare settings. These latest guidelines re-affirm the importance of the health and safety of patients and employees, particularly for those who are at high risk… Read More
Tips and resources for coping with election stress
By Whitney Abrams, Chief People Officer This article is written for employees of King County. The resources listed are only available to employees of King County. Tuesday, Nov. 5, is Election Day and many Americans are waiting anxiously for the results. According to a recent survey by the American Psychological Association (APA), more than two-thirds of U.S. adults say the 2024 U.S. presidential election is a significant source of stress in their life. This can be a time with a lot of uncertainty, stress, and anxiety and it is important that we take care… Read More
Open Enrollment begins tomorrow
Open Enrollment starts tomorrow, Nov. 1 and ends Nov. 15. Most employees have significant changes to the benefits offered in 2025. Use the following resources to learn about the changes and all of your benefit choices, so you can make the best decisions for you and your family during Open Enrollment. Go to the Open Enrollment website and see the 2025 Key Benefit Changes. Attend a Benefit Fair. The first one is tomorrow, Nov. 1, from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. in the Chinook Building, Room 121/123. Register for an Open Enrollment information session…. Read More
Halloween is a great day to vote
Happy Halloween! It’s a great day to vote! We’re projecting 82% turnout for this Election – that’s more than a million ballots returned! – and we expect to see the majority of ballots returned on Monday, Nov. 4 and Tuesday, Election Day, Nov. 5. If you need assistance with anything, give King County Elections a call at 206-296-VOTE, or visit a Vote Center this weekend. You’ll find a list of Vote Center locations and hours at kce.wiki/VoteCenter. Your ballot is too important to leave until the last minute. At King County Elections, we… Read More
Working to end domestic violence
Dear fellow King County employee, This month, we observe Domestic Violence Awareness Month in King County to raise awareness about the prevalence of domestic violence, signs of abuse, and how we can stop it. Shockingly, on average, nearly 24 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States – more than 12 million people each year – according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. This can be our family, friends, neighbors, work colleagues, and even ourselves. If a person is an abusive relationship, whatever stage, they need to… Read More
Happy National Vote Early Day
Your King County ballot will be on time if it’s postmarked by Nov. 5, or if it’s in an official ballot drop box before 8 p.m. on Election Night. With that in mind, we’re expecting more than 300,000 ballots to be returned just on Election Day, so we recommend getting ahead of the drop box lines and returning your ballot today! For more information, visit https://kingcounty.gov/elections.
Make your vote plan
Do you have a vote plan? Research shows that voters who make a clear plan to vote are most likely to follow through and make their voices heard. Take a moment today to consider things like where you’ll vote, what pen you’ll use, and what resources you’ll use to research your choices. If you’d like to return your ballot by mail, it’s best to get it mailed by Friday, Nov. 1, to be sure it’s postmarked on time. There are 85 official ballot drop boxes around the county and they’ll be open… Read More
La Niña predicted to return to King County, prepare for a potentially active flood season
Flooding is the most common natural disaster in King County. Scientists expect that La Niña, a natural weather pattern of cooler and wetter weather, will happen this fall and winter, creating the potential for an active flood season in the region from October through April. Typically, La Niña lasts for one or two years, but the most recent La Niña lasted from 2020 to 2023, which was unusual. There were some moderate to high flood events during those years that resulted in major damage to homes, businesses, roads, and other important infrastructure in King… Read More
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