Employee News - Sept. 28

A service of the King County Department of Human Resources

King County Employee News

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Highlights

vaccine card

Verify your vaccination status as soon as possible

If you haven’t yet submitted your proof of vaccination for verification, make sure you do so as soon as you receive your final vaccination. In order to be fully vaccinated by the deadline, you must receive your second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or your only dose of the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine by Monday, Oct. 4

Please report your vaccination status immediately after receiving your final dose to avoid receiving notices of the job separation process.

Click here to learn more.


Vaccine male nurse female patient

Four worksite clinics this week for COVID-19 vaccine

All King County Executive branch employees are required to be fully vaccinated under Executive Constantine’s COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement - Executive Order and submit proof of vaccination for verification.

King County is hosting four COVID-19 worksite vaccination clinics this week open to all employees and their families. All three vaccines are available by appointment, and walk-ins are welcome.

Click here for details or to schedule an appointment.


Byron Williams

"It just seemed like a lot of hubbub over nothing."

At first, King County Finance Manager Byron Williams didn't think the COVID-19 vaccine was necessary. Check out this video to hear why he made the decision to go ahead and get it done. 

For more information on how you can get vaccinated, visit kingcounty.gov/vaccine.


vax card replacement

What if I didn’t get a Vax Card, or if I lost or damaged it?

Cross-posted from the Washington State Department of Health

If you never received a Vaccination Card, or if you lost or damaged it, you can still get official proof of your vaccination. Proof of vaccination may still be obtained through your health care provider, from the location where you received your vaccine, or by setting up an account at www.MyIRMobile.com, a partner of the Washington State Department of Health.

Learn more about accessing your vaccine records through MyIR. If you need help getting your records, don’t have access to the internet, or if you need language assistance, call 1–800–525–0127, then press #.


COVID-19 Facts: Who’s vaccinated?

  • Every living U.S. President
  • Governors of every U.S. State – Republican and Democrat
  • About 81% of the members of Congress (House and Senate)
  • About 96% of U.S. physicians

Source:  USA Today


Employee Spotlights

Interns

Road Services 2021 Summer Intern program

from Local Services blog

One of the highlights of summer 2021 was the restart of the King County Road Services Summer Internship Program that was put on hold in 2020 due to the economic downturn.

This year, we welcomed six local undergraduate and graduate students pursuing careers in Engineering and Public Administration into our paid internship program.

The 13-week program places interns in the field and in the office. In the field, they worked and learned alongside engineers from every part of Road Services: bridge and structures, traffic, drainage environmental; and project delivery team. Others worked remotely supporting project work, reviewing road designs, checking plans, and supporting teams.

Read the full story here.


Announcements

SeaMar Virtual Museum Tour

KCLx hosts virtual tour of Sea Mar Museum of Chicano/a/Latino/a Culture with Dr. Jerry Garcia, Sept. 30

Celebrate Latinx Heritage Month with the King County Latinx Affinity Group (KCLx) by attending a virtual tour of the Sea Mar Museum of Chicano/a/Latino/a Culture. Opened in October 2019 in the South Park neighborhood of Seattle, the museum showcases the rich history of Chicano/as and Latino/as from the 1940s to present time.

Dr. Jerry Garcia, Vice President of Educational Services for Sea Mar, will lead the tour.

For more information, contact KCLx Events Co-Chairs, Margarita Aguado at maguado@kingcounty.gov or Sabrina Torres at satorres@kingcounty.gov.


clock time

Consider donating to the Emergency Leave Program 

The Emergency Leave Donation Program was developed so that King County employees who have been affected by COVID-19 can request donated leave. When the program debuted, many employees generously donated personal leave to support their colleagues. 

Now, the program is asking employees to again consider donating personal leave to the program, as the paid leave available is running low. 

Click here to learn how you can help. 


Transgender West KC Courts

Crossing Boundaries: Portraits of a Transgender West

Our knowledge of the complexity and diversity of human sexuality, gender identity, and gender expression has evolved gradually over time.

Professor Peter Boag from Washington State University, explores the experiences, identities, and some of the legal difficulties of a variety of individuals who crossed gender boundaries in the American West between 1860 and 1940. 

This event is presented by the Courts & Community Committee of the King County Superior Court and the QLaw Association of Washington. All are welcome to attend this no-cost virtual program. WA CJE credit approved / WSBA CLE credit pending. Registration required.

Livestream option will be available via KCTV.


Learning and Development new monthly newsletter, Learning Compass, shares training opportunities

L&D Newsletter header

The Learning and Development Team, within King County's Department of Human Resources, has developed a monthly newsletter, Learning Compass, that highlights professional development opportunities available to all employees.

The first issue featured a welcome message from Learning and Development Manager, Ariana Basilias, and showcased a range of learning engagements offered in equity and social justice, leadership development, eLearning (in NEOGOV Learn), and through partnerships with Balanced You, Career Support Services, Seattle College, and more.

You can sign up for available trainings within the newsletter and keep an eye out for more learning and development opportunities by visiting www.kingcounty.gov/learning, or by searching the online course catalog through your NEOGOV Learn Dashboard at https://learn.neogov.com/learner/catalog. For more information, contact the Learning and Development Team at KCTraining@kingcounty.gov.


masked young asian woman

Let's Talk COVID-19: A Conversation on Trauma, Stigma, Grief and Growth

Rescheduled to Oct. 1

Due to technical issues, Balanced You has rescheduled the event Let’s Talk COVID-19: A Conversation on Trauma, Stigma, Grief and Growth. King County employees are invited to join community facilitators to hold space for our feelings and experiences related to COVID-19 and vaccination. This confidential event will:

  • Make time for conversation about COVID-19 impacted trauma, stigma, grief and growth, including space to discuss feelings surrounding the vaccine
  • Provide a safe space centered around BIPOC and those most impacted by COVID-19
  • Share resources and build community through shared experiences

Panelists include: Teri Rogers Kemp, Black Community Advocate; Amabel Narvaez, Life Coach and Mental Health Consultant; Silver Lee, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Consultant.

Friday, Oct. 1 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. For Zoom link and facilitator bios click here.


solitude jetty

Tools for Coping with a Loved One’s Suicide

As we continue to observe Suicide Awareness Prevention month, Balanced You wans to recognize the many people who have lost loved one’s to suicide, known as "suicide survivors." Whether you have been effected by suicide loss, or you want to support someone grieving a suicide loss, read through Suicide Grief: Coping with a Loved One's Suicide for tools to begin the healing process.


Senior African American female

Register now for October retirement classes

Check out the following educational opportunities to help you prepare for retirement. These online classes will be held on Zoom and are provided by your King County Retirement Team.

Introduction to Social Security: Join this 90-minute class if you are interested in learning more about Social Security. Guest speaker Kirk Larson from the Social Security Administration will discuss your options as a King County employee and answer your questions.

Road to Retirement: This 90-minute class is designed for employees who are planning to retire from King County in the next six months. It covers procedures, forms, medical coverage options, and pension plans—so you’ll be on a smooth road toward a happy retirement.

Registration is required. Use the registration links above, then select the date you’d like to attend. Before classes start, you’ll receive a Zoom meeting invitation at the email address you register with.

Please note, attendance at retirement classes is strictly voluntary, on your own time, and non-work related.

For additional information, visit the King County Retirement page, refer to the Retirement Guide, or contact Carmen Johnson, retirement navigator.


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Featured Job: General Inspector II

Salary: $38.88 - $49.29 Hourly

Location: Snoqualmie, WA

Job Type: Multiple job types-career service and/or temp

Department: DLS - Dept. of Local Services

Job Number: 2021TR13802

Division: Permitting

Open until filled

The person in this role will perform field inspections of single family, multi-family, commercial buildings and other structures to ensure compliance with State building code and other applicable codes and regulations. This position works independently by conducting field inspections that require prompt decision and technical judgment. The person also provides direct service to walk-in customers by conducting pre-application and construction consultation meetings, researching code requirements and permit histories. Performing building construction and site development reviews, final inspections and issuing certificates of occupancy approvals are also an essential element of this position.

Learn about this position or view all available positions.


King County Headlines

Health care organizations join in support of King County vaccine verification to help reduce hospitalizations and deaths

Seattle & King County expand vaccination services to provide COVID-19 boosters for eligible people

Metro: Updated travel options are available to help riders - 中文 (Chinese Traditional) – 한국어 (Korean) – Español (Spanish) – Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)

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.

Back issues of the newsletter

Click here for previous editions of the Employee News e-newsletter going back to 2019.