Employee News - March 26, 2020

A service of the King County Department of Human Resources

King County Employee News

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Highlights

update

COVID-19 employee guidance updates

As you know we are working in a rapidly evolving situation responding to COVID-19. On Monday evening, Gov. Inslee announced a “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order. We will provide additional guidance soon on what this means for our employees, and will continue to provide regular updates.

To ensure we can continue to serve our customers and slow the spread of COVID-19, the following guidance applies to Executive Branch employees until further notice (Employees in other branches of County government will receive guidance from their leaders [definition below]). Read more.


docusign

DocuSign electronic signature solutions available to employees 

As employees continue to telecommute during the COVID-19 outbreak, KCIT wants to ensure County staff leverage DocuSign for eSignature needs. DocuSign is King County’s enterprise eSignature solution. It allows employees and third parties to digitally sign agreements/approvals quickly, securely, and at no additional cost. Agency leaders should work with their KCIT customer success manager to set up DocuSign accounts for their staff. New users can access training through DocuSign University. For a general overview, please see DocuSign Features and Benefits on its website.

 


covid

Public Health – Seattle & King County launches new data dashboard and social campaign, and other COVID-19 updates for March 25, 2020 

A new public campaign launched, called “Stand Together, Stay Apart.” Public Health—Seattle & King County launched a new data dashboard to update daily case counts and deaths. Public Health announced 82 new cases of COVID-19 today, bringing the official case count in King County to 1359. In addition, six new deaths are reported, bringing the total of deaths in King County to 100. 

StoryStand Together, Stay Apart 

Public Health—Seattle & King County has launched a new public information campaign called, Stand Together, Stay Apart in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign urges people to stay home, limit their contact with others, and take the necessary precautions when making essential trips outside the home. Read more. 


Announcements

water bottle woman

Taking care of ourselves during COVID-19 

It is a challenging time for employees, families, and our community as we continue our efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19, and it is normal to have feelings of uncertainty and anxiety. While many things are beyond our control with this outbreak, there are many things that we can control. When we are anxious and fearful, establishing some control in our lives can be empowering and comforting. 

Balanced You is here to support you as you establish new practices of self-care to support your immune system and overall physical and mental health. Click here to read the rest of this post on Balanced You’s blog.


viruses dont discriminate

Living our values to stop the spread of stigma  

As we work to stop the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), it’s equally important that we stop the spread of stigma and support each other during this challenging time.  

“We are racially just” and “We respect all people” are two of our core values. It’s as important as ever that we stay true to our values and do everything in our power to stand together against discrimination. 

Misinformation about COVID-19 can create fear or hostility that hurts people. Please remember that: 

  • Coronavirus doesn’t recognize race, nationality, or ethnicity  
  • Wearing a mask may be a cultural practice, and does not mean a person is ill  

Read more.


telehealth

How to get care from your home during COVID-19

To lessen the risk of exposure to COVID-19 and to help health care providers prioritize care for those who need it most, use your phone, smartphone, or computer to access health care whenever possible. Most King County employee medical plans have free options for telehealth or virtual visits. If you need to go in-person, call your doctor first. If it’s an emergency, call 911.

Check the information below to learn how to access care through your health plan. Read more. 


Take some time to manage records while telecommuting 

As King County continues to respond to COVID-19, many employees are telecommuting and working from home. With this shift in work style comes different duties and tasks, including the opportunity to manage and clean out records. This can include tasks such as filing records to Content Manager, and cleaning up records in Outlook or on shared drives.  

This work is an essential job duty that can easily be done when employees are out of office, and it serves significantly useful purposes in responding to public records requests, reducing financial liability, and helping each employee do their job more efficiently. To get started, consider taking an online training course, beginning with Basic Records Management and Content Manager courses. A guiding list for managing records while teleworking can be viewed here. Read more.


msa logo

Free webinar for employees: Financial impacts of COVID-19, March 27

On Friday, March 27, join My Secure Advantage (MSA) for a free webinar focused on how individuals can manage their near- and longer-term financial health in the current environment. During the webinar, MSA will provide information and resources, as well as answer participants’ questions about working through the financial challenges you may face in the coming days and weeks. Additionally, MSA will cover current announcements related to legislation and take a deeper dive into retirement, investing and rebalancing portfolios. 

This one-hour webinar will be held Friday, March 27, 2020 at 9 a.m., and again at noon. Register here to choose which session. MSA is a free service for King County employees, provided by Balanced You. 


text

Use Text for Departures to see Reduced Service starting March 23 

Your bus may be running less often, during fewer hours, and/or be canceled. Text your bus stop ID # to 62550 for to find out when the next bus will arrive. 


older woman

Working together to protect older adults in our communities 

The risk for COVID-19 rises with age. Adults age 60 years and over are at highest risk for severe illness with COVID-19 illness, and the older you are, the more you are at risk. While much attention has focused on those living in nursing homes, many older adults live independently and face challenges of their own. Older adults often live alone and may need help with basic needs in order to stay home as much as possible and avoid close contacts at gatherings, stores and other public places. Read more. 


online donor

Online “marketplace” connects donors with people and organizations in need during COVID-19 outbreak 

The King County Regional Donations Connector is now available online to link up individuals, businesses, non-profits, and others who have resources with those who need them during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Donations Connector will help make sure services, supplies, and funding reach health care providers, first responders, and social service entities working on the front lines. 

The website at kingcounty.gov/emergency/donate serves three major functions. Read more. 


2020 Worksite Fund applications temporarily paused due to coronavirus 

The 2020 Worksite Fund application period has been temporarily paused while King County focuses its efforts on stopping the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). The Balanced You team will work with leadership to determine a new deadline that allows adequate time for teams to complete applications. The updated timeline will be announced at a later date.  

Employees are invited to continue brainstorming Worksite Fund projects during this period. Please reach out to balancedyou@kingcounty.gov with questions or comments.  

Balanced You supports you in rethinking self-care as you respond professionally and personally to coronavirus. Tips for telecommuters can be found here, and check the Balanced You blog for ongoing advice


Tech Tip: Guidance for security while telecommuting 

As employees adjust to the impacts of COVID-19, there is a need for additional guidance on how to improve cyber security defenses while working from home. Please review the attached Telecommute Security Guidance document which includes a short video about how to create a cyber secure home, as well as other recommendations. The video can also be seen below. 

It is important to make sure King County employees are extra vigilant against cybersecurity threats so that KCIT’s main focus can continue to be on helping employees, not addressing
security issues. Please stay vigilant for phishing or other scams attempting to use keywords related to COVID-19, coronavirus, Wuhan and other related topics, as there has been an increase in this type of malicious activity occurring. 

securehome

millie

Pet of the Week: Millie 

Hi, my name is Millie and I am available for adoption. I weigh
approximately 60 lbs. I was brought in by my previous owner on March 13th, 2020 because I kept getting out of the yard. I lived in a home with young and older children. My previous owner described me as sweet, loving, and fun. I am a sweet old gal who still has a lot of spunk and energy. I love to go out and adventure and explore new areas. I am a very curious girl and love to learn new things. I'm super food motivated and love to work for my food. I would love to go to some training classes to work my brain. 

Read more and view all available pets at www.kingcounty.gov/adoptapet. Have you or someone you know adopted a pet from RASKC? Let us know. We’d love to tell your story. 


Featured JobAdministrative Specialist II - COVID 

Salary$22.74 - $28.83 Hourly 

LocationSeattle, WA 

Job TypeTerm Limited Temporary, Full Time, 40 hrs/wk 

DepartmentDPH - Public Health 

Job Number2020AB11555 

DivisionPrevention 

ClosingContinuous 

Learn more about this position or view all available positions. 


KC Headlines

King County joins with Harborview Medical Center to open COVID-19 recovery site

Bytes and Boxes: Women in Government through the King County Archives  

Public Health Insider: Our role in safe take-out dining  

Public Health Insider: A parenting guide during COVID-19: Be kind to yourself  

Public Health Insider: Resources for the deaf and hard of hearing community 

Public Health Insider: Introducing SCAN: The greater Seattle Coronavirus Assessment Network   

Contact us!

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.