Employee News - May 19, 2020

A service of the King County Department of Human Resources

King County Employee News

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Translating video guidance helps keep people safe

Public Health – Seattle & King County has launched a Public Service Announcement (PSA) video entitled, COVID-19 Community Guidance, in different languages to support the diverse communities that make up King County and connect them to life-saving information. Employees from all over King County contributed to the videos, working to overcome language barriers by providing extensive language translations.  

Two of the employees who participated in this video project and translated information are Dr. Eyob Manzengia, Assistant Division Director for Environmental Health in Public Health, who translated in Amharic, and Silvia Rus, Health and Environmental Investigator I, also in Public Health, who translated in Romanian.   

“It’s important to communicate to communities in their languages because they can connect to the information in a way that they couldn’t previously, ensuring that all communities have accurate information to protect themselves and their loved ones,” said Dr. ManzengiaRead more.  


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Advice from EAP during Mental Health Month: Finding safe connection while social distancing 

Social distancing is one the strongest tools we have to save lives and slow the spread of the coronavirus. Yet for many of us, the practice is difficult; while social distancing keeps us and others safe, it also challenges our important need for connection. 

Whether you live alone or in a home full of people, practicing social distancing can lead to feelings of isolation, which can take a toll on your mental health. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to help combat isolation and stay safely connected, both online and offline, to others during this time. Visit the Balanced You blog for more information. 


Protect yourself from unemployment fraud 

As the Employment Security Department (ESD) is grappling with an unprecedented rise in unemployment claims, Washington State is also seeing a rise in fraudulent claims as victims’ identities are being used to file false claims. 

Some individuals who have not filed an unemployment claim have received notification from ESD indicating that a claim as been filed on their behalf. The State is taking this seriously and reviewing its internal processes to identify and prevent these fraudulent claims going forward. This may slow down processing, but is being done in the interest of claimants. 

To protect yourself from fraud 

Employees should consider setting up their own account with ESD to prevent a fraudulent account being created in their name at https://secure.esd.wa.gov/home/. Read more.  

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Your new Phish Alert Button 

On Monday, May 18, King County employees received a County-approved email from do-not-reply@kingcounty.gov about the new Phish Alert Button that has been added to Outlook so you can quickly and easily report suspicious emails that may be phishing attacks. 

The email also advised you that have been enrolled in “Phish Alert Button” training. If you haven’t already done so, please make sure you complete the training to help keep King County safe and defend against cyber-attacks. Most employees received the email Monday morning (see image). Read more.  


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Healthy eating during the coronavirus response 

Now that you have stocked up on groceries, you may be wondering how to best use all the rice and beans you bought and what recipes will boost your immune system. Balanced You has got you covered. 

There’s no better support for your immune system than sleeping well, exercising, managing your stress, washing your hands, and eating a healthy diet. Evidence for specific foods that boost immune responses is mixed, but sticking to a balanced diet filled with lots of colorful fruits and vegetables will help you get the necessary vitamins C and D, and Zinc. Read more.  


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Mentoring Lunch and Learn online session, May 26 

Would you like to have a mentor, someone who can help you grow professionally? Do you want to strengthen your coaching skills? As a Mentee, you will have a trusted advisor who can help you navigate complex situations, and as a Mentor, you can uncover new or forgotten skills and build influence. If the thought excites you, join King County’s Mentoring Program by signing up for monthly online sessions to uncover more about mentoring and search for a Mentor, 

This session is live via Zoom. For questions contact Learning and Development at
 KCTraining@kingcounty.gov


D.I.Y. face coverings: Tips on making cloth masks from the Public Health Crafter’s Corner 

A lot has changed since we published our first Public Health Crafter’s Corner in December (where we featured bedazzled hand sanitizer as a surprisingly prescient holiday gift). Since then, crafting has become a way to fill the many hours at home, and now there is urgent need for homemade cloth masks with the directive to wear face coverings in King County. 

Fortunately, making your own face coverings isn’t necessarily hard or expensive. We’ve got you covered–so to speak–with Do-It-Yourself ideas, even if you’ve never threaded a needle or touched a glue-gun. Read more. 

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Featured job: Pathologist (Disease Control Officer - Associate) 

Salary$182,812.45 - $231,725.73 Annually 

LocationSeattle, WA 

Job TypeCareer Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week 

DepartmentDPH - Public Health 

Job Number2020AB11527 

DivisionPrevention 

ClosingContinuous 

Learn more about this position or view all available positions. 


KC Headlines

Public Health Insider: Media release: Face covering directive goes into effect today: Prevent spreading COVID-19 when unable to maintain 6 feet of distance  

Zero Youth Detention: Getting to zero: 2019 King County youth detention data  

King County Parks Plog: Community conversations – Mountain to Sound Greenway Trust  

Noxious Weeds Blog: Goatsrue – May 2020 Weed of the Month  

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.