2019 Employee Survey results now available
As King County Executive Dow Constantine said in his latest employee message, the results of the 2019 Employee Survey are now available. The results for the County overall and your department or division can be viewed here (Sharepoint). Work group results will be available soon.
Overall, we had a 70% response rate, up 11 points from our first annual survey in 2015 and our highest participation rate ever. Employee engagement continued its steady increase, with our engagement index climbing two points from 2017 – a significant jump for an organization our size – and up a total of eight points since we began the annual survey in 2015.
Thank you for participating in this year’s survey. Your participation will help to identify ways to better serve the public and improve the work experience for all King County employees. To learn more about the employee survey visit www.kingcounty.gov/employeesurvey.
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Stars Shine Bright: Celebrating Our Employee Giving Program Ambassadors
Thank you to everyone who joined and helped us celebrate the 2018 Annual Giving Drive — and our collective impact as King County employees!
Our Employee Giving Program is a great example of the positive impact we have, and the stories we share as public sector employees. It makes all of us feel so proud to work here, to work with you, and to share with the world.
Hundreds of King County employees came together and made this program a labor of love. This program would not be what it is without you. A huge and well-deserved thank you to all of you! Read more.
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King County District Court partners with students to launch Redmond Youth Court
By Troy Brown, Communications Manager, King County District Court
It all started when Bouke Spoelstra, a high school junior at The Bear Creek School in Redmond, WA, became interested in law when reading Michael Connelly’s novel “The Lincoln Lawyer” as a child. An active participant in a youth court in Bothell working with Bothell Municipal Court Judge Michelle Gehlson, Bouke decided to ask around for any judges in Redmond who might be interested in creating a similar program for teens in that city. Judge Gehlson helped connect Bouke with King County District Court (KCDC) Judge Michael Finkle, who enthusiastically worked with a group of students and others to develop the new court.
After months of planning, Redmond Youth Court launched on April 8, 2019.
Redmond Youth Court is a student-led organization that works with King County District Court to hear real cases of traffic citations issued to 16 and 17-year-olds by Redmond Police, offering them an alternative to the traditional justice system. The cases are handled by youth “attorneys,” a youth “judge” and a youth jury, making it the ultimate “jury of your peers” for teenagers. Read more.
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Activity centers offer employees exercise and healthy workout options
Employees interested in working out have the option to get their morning started, or break up their day, by accessing one of 21 (soon to be 23) available activity centers at King County worksites. Each activity center offers similar exercise equipment, such as treadmills, dumbbells, and other items, but can also be equipped with items more specific to employee needs based on their work environment.
Each center can vary in size, but the goal of the activity centers remains the same: To give employees the convenience of being able to work out at work.
“The activity centers gives employees an opportunity to get a workout in and relieve stress,” said Balanced You Health Educator Karla Clark. “The convenience of being able to go on your lunchbreak, before or after work, is in line with our theme of balance.”
“Being able to balance your workday and your physical activity,” she adds. Read more.
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Help prevent the spread of measles
King County and other counties in western Washington are currently experiencing an uptick in measles cases. The good news is that most people are fully immunized and are protected. Now is a good time to determine your immunization status. If you’re not immune or if you can’t confirm whether you’ve been fully immunized, get the vaccine. King County Health Plans fully cover the MMR vaccine for children. The adult vaccine is fully covered by the Kaiser’s SmartCare plan and within network for KingCare Regence plans.
Measles is very contagious so if you are not immunized, you could be at risk if you were in the same place and around the same time as a person with measles. Public Health investigates all cases of measles and publishes the public locations where people with measles visited. Review the list of exposure locations. Finally, be aware of symptoms and call your health care provider right away if they appear.
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Celebrate 10 years of the BBY5K with us!
Spring is in full swing and that means one of our favorite family friendly events is coming up! The Big Backyard 5K presented by Kaiser Permanente is happening on Sunday, June 2 at King County’s Marymoor Park. And this year is a very special year as we are celebrating our 10th annual event, which has raised funds to support the maintenance and operations of our parks and trails in King County since 2010.
We are so excited to celebrate this milestone that we are adding a special 10K distance option to our tenth event! Participants can now choose between running or walking the 5K or running the 10K. And to make things even more special, every participant that crosses the finish line on June 2nd will receive a special commemorative ten year BBY5K finisher medal!
Check out the event website at www.bby5k.com for more information about the race and to register. King County Employees can use the promo code KC5 to receive $5 off their registration. We can’t wait to see you at Marymoor Park on June 2nd for the BBY5K (or 10K)! Read more.
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Candidate Filing for King County Personnel Board starts June 3
Know someone who might be interested in running for the King County Personnel Board? The Personnel Board conducts hearings on appeals of certain county personnel actions. It’s made up of five members, one of which is elected by county career service employees. The position is only open to non-King County employees and candidates must file with the Department of Elections between Monday, June 3, through Wednesday, June 5. Find more information about the election and the Personnel Board here.
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You know an #OrcaHero!
Many county staff show their public service not just though their day job, but also in their daily actions. Even off duty, many employees are an #OrcaHero working for a clean, beautiful environment.
Do you know an #OrcaHero? This kind of hero helps keep our waters and Puget Sound clean and orcas healthy. Every action adds to cleaning up pollution from our homes, neighborhoods and businesses. Post your #OrcaHero and tag @PugetSoundStartsHere so we can share their story.
Everyday heroes help our habitat by:
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Avoiding pesticides and synthetic fertilizers
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Checking for and fixing car leaks
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Picking up dog poop and throwing it in the trash
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Installing rain gardens!
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Third payday of the month on May 30
Almost all King County employees get paid on a biweekly basis, every-other-Thursday—resulting in 26 pay periods per year. Most months, you receive two paychecks, but there are two months each year when you receive three paychecks. This year, May 30 and Oct. 31 will be your third payday of the month.
The net dollar amount of these “third” paychecks may be larger because not all deductions are taken out. For example, Deferred Compensation, supplemental insurance premiums, Benefit Access Fees, and Employee Giving donations are not deducted from these checks.
For more information about your paycheck, go to Payroll or speak with your department Payroll representative or timekeeper.
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Discounts available for multiple upcoming Seattle Symphony performances
To order tickets visit www.seattlesymphony.org and enter the promo code CONDUCTOR19 prior to selecting seats, order by phone at 206-215-4747 or 1-866-833-4747 and give the operator the promo code, or purchase tickets in person at the Benaroya Hall Box Office located at the corner of Third Avenue and Union Street, Monday – Friday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday 1 – 6 p.m.
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Training Spotlight
Mental Health Accommodations, May 29: The Disability Services Section within the Employee Health & Safety Division of DHR is hosting an interactive training on mental health accommodations. May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. This session will last 1.5 hours, including time for a Q&A. This training is designed for HR professionals. Register and learn more.
Excel 1: Getting Proficient, June 8: Learn to work with Quick Access Toolbar, customize your Ribbon, and work with Dialog box launcher. Expand your knowledge on Relative and Absolute References, Sort and Filters, plus controlling page Headers and Footers. Leave more confident with Excel and what it can do for you. Leave the class with a CD and textbook to save you and your colleagues time and frustration on your next project! Register and learn more.
Tech Tip: Update your browser
How to access the training:
To start your Cyber Security Awareness Training please login at:
Your account for Securing the Human:
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Username: King County email address
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Password: King County email password
For more information about Cyber Security please visit our Sharepoint site:
Pet of the Week: Sasha
Sasha is a 9 year-old, female, longhair dilute tortie (A497023). Her personality color is RED, meaning she is a fun and spirited cat who likes to get attention on her own terms. Sasha is a gorgeous kitty with a big personality! She likes to be petted a certain way and is a very sweet cat with those who respect her signals and preferences. Read more.
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Featured Job: Project Program Manager I - Program Coordination Assistant
Salary: $32.75 - $41.51 Hourly
Job Type: Special Duty Assignment or Term Limited Temp (TLT)
Department: DPH - Public Health
The HIV/STD Program is seeking to hire a Project/Program Manager I to assist with project coordination and participate in data collection for a new National HIV survey in the King County area that will focus on transgender women, with a priority of Black, Latinx, and other trans women of color. Seattle is one of eight sites nationally that will be participating in this survey that is funded through the Minority AIDS Initiative (MAI) and designed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The project is designed to monitor the trends of sexual and drug-use behaviors, HIV testing history, and HIV prevalence in populations that may be at increased risk for HIV. Our aim for the survey locally is to work closely with the community to meet national objectives while also ensuring this project positively impacts the long-term health and well-being of transgender women in King and Snohomish Counties. The survey tool itself is currently undergoing review with the Office of Management and Budget under the Paperwork Reduction Act. This position is anticipated to start sometime in late spring 2019 pending final approval of the survey.
KC Headlines
Interested in sharing a news story, or have a news tip? Click here to submit an item to Employee News. For questions or suggestions, please contact KCEmployees@kingcounty.gov.
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