Employee News
Telling the stories of King County employees
To allow for system maintenance, the PeopleSoft system will not be available starting on Friday, Oct. 7 at 3 p.m. and is scheduled to be back online by on Monday, Oct. 10 at 6:30 a.m. During this planned outage, the Business Resource Center (BRC) will apply vendor updates and maintenance. Managers, timekeepers, and combo code users – enhancements are coming to fluid timesheet. Watch your inbox for an email detailing the upcoming enhancements. The system will not be available for access by any County staff during this outage window. There will be a… Read More
King County’s vaccine mandate will continue for executive branch employees and is unaffected by Governor Inslee’s ending of all remaining COVID-19 emergency orders and the state of the emergency by October 31, 2022. Consistent with current policy and practice, all executive branch employees are required to be fully vaccinated, unless they are otherwise accommodated. New hires continue to need to provide proof of full vaccination before their start date. Also consistent with current policy and practice, all county contractors and volunteers, including volunteers serving on boards and commissions, are required to be… Read More
King County will conduct a test of KCInform, King County’s employee alert and warning system, on Thursday, Oct. 20 at 9 a.m. as part of the annual Great Washington ShakeOut drill to test earthquake preparedness. KCInform is used to notify County employees of emergency situations, infrastructure disruptions, facility closures, changes in department business operations, and other critical impacts. Your King County desk phone and @kingcounty.gov email address are already in the KCInform system. However, please register your County provided cell phone (if applicable) and personal cell phone and email address to ensure you don’t miss important, time-sensitive messages. The service… Read More
As part of the 2022 Annual Giving Drive, we are highlighting nonprofits whose work supports organizations committed to mental health and well-being. These and hundreds of nonprofits are participating in this year’s Annual Giving Drive. You can go online or use a paper form by Friday, Nov. 18, to make a pledge to your favorite Employee Giving Program nonprofits by: For more information, contact your Employee Giving Program Ambassador, visit www.kingcounty.gov/giving, email EmployeeGiving@KingCounty.gov, call 206-263-9372, or attend an online Nonprofit Expo.
Since 2005, the King County School-to-Work program has been partnering with businesses to hire students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, both strengthening and diversifying their workforce. The effort brings together schools, state, and employment agencies to connect students with employment services while still in their high school transition programs. “Our motto is jobs by June,” said coordinator Richard Wilson, “and the program is designed to assist students to find paid employment before leaving school.” Currently, the School-to-Work program is serving its 18th cohort of students. Throughout the years, they’ve placed students in… Read More
Starting this year, King County government will observe Indigenous Peoples’ Day as a new annual paid holiday on the second Monday in October, which falls on Oct. 10 in 2022. This new holiday provides an opportunity for us to deepen our knowledge about our nation’s history and the institutionalized practices and policies that continue to harm Indigenous people today. It will also help us further our understanding of Indigenous heritage and culture, and the many ongoing contributions of Indigenous people in our region. Look for opportunities to learn more about the heritage and… Read More
by Dow Constantine, King County Executive Each October, King County celebrates National Disability Employment Awareness Month and the many contributions that people with disabilities make to our community. The theme of this year’s celebration is “Disability: Part of the Equity Equation,” and it highlights the importance of people with disabilities to a diverse, inclusive, and thriving American workforce. Every person must have the opportunity to fulfill their potential and fully participate in everything that our region has to offer. Every person must have the opportunity to share their unique abilities. That’s how we… Read More
King County employees are being offered a special price of $29 tickets for Pops Series Orchestra level seats on the Main Floor. Prices are good through Oct. 1. View upcoming performances and purchase tickets at www.seattlesymphony.org/concerttickets. Enter the sale code 29GKSale. Latin Fire: Oct. 14 and 16 Holiday Pops: Dec. 9 and 10 Gene Kelly: A Life in Music: March 17 thru 19 The Linda Rondstadt Songbook: June 9 thru 11 See all available King County employee discounts on the Employee Discount webpage.
Public Health – Seattle and King County has a training resource hub for understanding and supporting people with substance use disorders (addiction). The site contains short videos, recorded webinars, clinical guidelines, and educational materials. There are also links to order supplies for programs, and a toolkit for providing naloxone (Narcan) training to your team, clients, or the public. Read more.
Cross-posted from the Sheriff’s Newsletter The King County Sheriff’s Office would like to introduce Quinn, the latest member to join the K9 unit. Quinn is a 20-month-old male Labrador Retriever and comes from a prestigious hunting dog pedigree. Before joining KCSO, Quinn had a career as a featured cover model for Purina. Quinn will start training in October for the narcotics division along with his handler, Detective Travis Gray.
Benefits Open Enrollment is Nov. 1-15, and it’s important that you review and update your personal information in PeopleSoft to ensure you receive announcements. You can also update your emergency contact information, receive important updates, and select the email address where you prefer to receive information. Got to ess.kingcounty.gov and select Personal Details to make sure all items are up to date. For login help, call the IT Service Center at 206-263-4357.
King County’s Annual Giving Drive (AGD) kicks off next week, and it’s your opportunity to support the causes and nonprofits that are important to you. This year, the AGD runs from Oct. 3 to Nov. 18. During the drive, King County employees may: Market and communicate about specific causes and participating Employee Giving nonprofits Sign-up online in self-service for payroll donations for the coming year Give using Time Donation Invite in nonprofit speakers Hold fundraisers and put on special events and more! Look for more information on the many ways you can… Read More
Administrative Professionals are a large part of King County government’s workforce and valuable contributors to the success of every department. They support and provide direct services to internal customers and the public. Submissions for recognition for the third quarter are due by Sept. 30. To show your appreciation and recognize an Administrative Professional that you’ve worked with, click here.
King County is transitioning all employee workstations to the new Windows 11 operating system. Designed to enhance productivity, Windows 11 offers a brighter, more user-friendly interface engineered to help you get more done. All business software will function the same, but the new start menu and desktop layout keeps your frequently used applications front and center. KCIT will roll out Windows 11 through 2024 as laptops are replaced, repaired, or issued to new employees. Please do not upgrade your workstation yourself. Read more about Windows 11.
Cybersecurity Training is an important safeguard that protects King County systems, and the number of employees who complete training each year impacts our insurance rates. When your training is assigned, you will receive an email from kc-knowbe4@kingcounty.gov with a direct link to your required training modules. If you can’t find the email, check your Junk folder or login with your work email here. All employees must complete annual Cybersecurity Training by Dec. 31, 2022 unless your agency has specified a different deadline. Thank you for doing your part to protect King County! Read more.
Cross-posted from the Sheriff’s Office Weekly Newsletter Local TV personality and host of Community Conversations, Tony Ventrella, recently met with Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall for an episode of Community Conversations, produced by King County TV. Their discussion covered a variety of topics including recruiting efforts by the department, community engagement, and collaboration with local organizations. Watch the entire episode below.
Focusing on four priority pillars of work first introduced in his 2022 State of the County address, King County Executive Dow Constantine joined the King County Council today to deliver his 2023 – 2024 biennial Proposed Budget. The $15.8 billion budget will make major investments in the Executive’s priority areas focused on battling the climate crisis and restoring our environment, ensuring every person has a home, ensuring a community where every person is safe, and uprooting racism and racial disparities. Read more.
The new season of the Seattle Symphony is underway and King County employees are offered special discounts. Go to the Seattle Symphony website and use promo code BACH23 for 15% off tckets.Tchaikovsky Pathétique Symphony – Performance features pianist Jan Lisiecki conducted by Ludovic Morlot and includes Grieg’s Piano Concerto. Gabriella Smith’s Tidalwave Kitchen rounds out the program. Thursday, Sept. 22 at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23 at noon Saturday, Sept 24 at 8 p.m. Dvořák Semphony No. 7 – Jonathon Heyward returns to conduct and cellist Nocolas Altstaedt performs the Seattle Symphony premiere of Esa-Pekka Saloonen’s otherworldly Cello Concerto. Thursday, Sept. 29… Read More
For Suicide Prevention Awareness month, we are highlighting a King County employee who has made a huge impact in advancing the conversation around suicide. Wellness Hero Skyler Bridges from Department of Assessments talks about his experience losing loved ones to suicide, how he began healing, and why it’s important to talk openly about the struggles he’s encountered. Read more.
At King County, we are building a workplace culture based on mutual trust, respect, and inclusivity, one where we value one another for who we are and what we bring to our work. There is no room for any type of harassment or discrimination in this culture. King County’s Nondiscrimination, Anti-Harassment and Inappropriate Conduct Policy clearly sets out the conduct and behaviors that are prohibited at King County. As a member of our organization, you have a defined role in the policy to prevent, report, and act on behavior that is not in line… Read More