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Looking back at Pride in celebration and solidarity
Usually at this time of year, King County employees, family, and friends are getting ready to take part in the Seattle Pride Parade and other community events in support of LGBTQ+ rights.
While we can’t celebrate in person this year, we will celebrate the spirit of Pride, the fight for equality and acceptance for all, and the voices and rights of Black and Brown LGBTQ+ people.
We’ve put together short video to look back at King County Pride over the years, and remind us that the fight continues today. Watch the video here and below.
Finding connection and centering People of Color during Pride 2020
In June of every year, Pride Month – a celebration of visibility, equality, connection, and self-affirmation – is celebrated by the LGBTQ+ community across the country and around the world. This year, as the Black Lives Matter movement grows, it is important to remember that the first Pride was held in commemoration of the 1969 Stonewall riots. These riots, led by trans women of color fighting against police brutality and oppression, were the catalyst for the rights our LGBTQ+ community has today.
As we continue to protect ourselves and our community from coronavirus, we know that a quarantined Pride will look different than past Prides. Though parades have been canceled, the celebrations have not, and Balanced You encourages you to take this time to intentionally live into the spirt of Pride by connecting safely, uniting virtually, and amplifying and celebrating the queer Black and Brown voices who paved the way for equal rights.
Pride 2020 marks the 50th year of Pride celebrations. In the face of the pandemic, organizers throughout Seattle and the world have come together to develop virtual Pride events. Visit the Balanced You blog for more information.
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Mindfulness Classes: Back by popular demand, multiple dates
As we continue to maneuver through this very difficult time in our society, it is important that we manage our mental health and stress levels. Balanced You heard from employees that Mindfulness Classes have helped alleviate some of the anxiety many are experiencing, so we are continuing to provide them through August.
In this two-hour workshop, we will review the various aspects of mindfulness practice, the ways mindfulness can help reduce stress, reactivity and burnout, and the science that supports the practices. The workshop includes hands-on learning of several simple but effective mindfulness practices that participants can put to use in their lives right away.
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King County distributing 25 million face coverings to residents, workers and businesses
With King County preparing for a transition to Phase 2 of the Governor’s Safe Start Plan, and county and state directives about face coverings in effect, the county is distributing 5 million cloth face coverings and 20 million disposable face coverings to residents, workers and businesses.
“We made good progress at flattening the curve, and saved thousands of lives, but with increasing activity comes the need for ever-increasing vigilance to protect each other from COVID-19,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “The county is providing these face coverings at no cost so that everyone who needs them can get them.” Read more.
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King County Metro restores some transit service starting June 22
With stabilized workforce levels and the state’s “Safe Start” plan moving forward, King County Metro will restore service on dozens of bus routes, increase water taxi service, and partially restore Via to Transit on Monday, June 22.
The move fully restores 23 bus routes that were canceled in March and April and adds trips to other routes. A few recently canceled peak commuter routes will be restored, while other routes will remain suspended due to financial constraints and lower anticipated ridership.
The result is Metro will operate more than 11,000 weekday bus trips, or 85% of its pre-COVID service level. Saturday service will be 8,200 trips (99%) and Sunday service will be 7,000 trips (99%). Starting Monday, Metro’s will increase the number of transit operators providing service from 64% to about 80% of pre-COVID levels. Read more.
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Working from home shouldn’t hurt: Ergonomics when away from the office
It can be challenging to maintain good ergonomic practices when working away from the office. Below are some tips to help employees when setting up a laptop for frequent use.
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Maintain a neutral neck position by placing the top of the screen at about eye level or slightly lower if using bifocal glasses.
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Use a laptop stand or place your laptop on a stable support surface, such as monitor risers, reams of paper or books so that the screen height can be adjusted.
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Benefit education videos help employees learn about their benefits
Your employee benefits package is an important part of your compensation. Learning about your benefits is essential to making informed choices about your options.
A series of short videos has been created to explain some of the complex topics by breaking them down into bite-sized pieces. Here is one focused on Understanding your health benefits Learn about your medical, dental, and vision plan options. View all the videos here, and get more information and resources on the Benefits, Payroll and Retirement website.
Community support: Helping seniors stay safe at home during COVID-19
The growing senior population in King County has been facing unprecedented challenges due to COVID-19.
Below, we feature three VSHSL-funded senior centers that have found creative ways to serve seniors during this challenging time. Read more.
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Some good news
We interrupt this beautiful day to bring you beautiful news – more water taxi service is floating your way starting Monday, June 22!
As Washington State moves forward with its “Safe Start” plan, the Marine Division is enhancing service on the water taxi routes to Vashon Island and West Seattle starting next week. Both routes will operate a Monday to Friday commuter schedule.
This means that service will triple over its current level of service. Read more.
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Featured Job: Public Defense Investigator
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Closing: 6/30/2020 11:59 PM Pacific
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