October is Disability Awareness Month
This section has been updated with a new web link.
King County will be celebrating the 31st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Disability Awareness Month in October. This year we have some exciting events planned to include lunch and learns, our second annual employee-led panel discussion, a new addition to our interactive storymap, and weekly articles.
Kicking off the events will be a presentation on Universal Design. Blayne Amson, City of Bellevue Americans with Disabilities Act and Title VI Program Administrator, will discuss his work applying the principles of Universal Design to meetings, trainings, and events.
Click here for a list of additional events, and be on the lookout for information in coming Employee News issues about more Disability Awareness Month activities.
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Oct. 4 is the last date to get vaccinated to meet the Oct. 18 deadline
All King County Executive branch employees must be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18, 2021. Monday, Oct. 4 is the last opportunity to get vaccinated to meet the deadline.
Click here for details or watch this video more information.
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Executive Constantine meets with crews enhancing King County parks, a part of new COVID-19 recovery program
A new COVID-19 recovery program created by King County Executive Dow Constantine is connecting people experiencing homelessness to jobs and housing support, starting with crews that are restoring and enhancing regional parks and trails.
Read the full story here.
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Cross-posted from Public Health Insider
As deadlines near for COVID-19 vaccination mandates, you or someone you know may have questions about the vaccines. There’s plenty of mis-information available. For reliable answers, local health specialists from Public Health—Seattle & King County have been answering many key questions.
We have a few of the common ones here — and many more answers on our FAQ webpage and our Fact-checking webpage.
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COVID-19 Facts: Children and COVID-19
- As of Sept. 16, over 5.5 million children have tested positive for COVID-19.
- Child cases have increased exponentially, with over 925,000 cases in the past four weeks
- COVID-19 is associated with a serious illness, Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children (MIS-C)
Sources: American Academy of Pediatrics, Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
Ceclia Hayes recipient of Executive's Individual Contributor Award
The Leadership Excellence Awards honor King County leaders who embody our Executive Branch values and who strive to reach our True North: Making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. The Individual Contributor Award honors an employee who does not directly manage staff, but who makes significant and tangible leadership contributions.
The 2020 honoree for the Individual Contributor Award is Cecelia Hayes, a Senior Practitioner in Equity, Social Justice and Engagement for the Department of Executive Services. Read the full story and watch the video presentation here.
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Today is the Third payday for September
Almost all King County employees get paid on a biweekly basis, every-other-Thursday, resulting in 26 pay periods per year. You usually receive two paychecks per month, but Sept. 30 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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King County cultural organizations can apply for three grants with a single application
King County cultural organizations can now apply to 4Culture for three grant opportunities through just one application.
Grants are for organizations who have suffered losses due to the pandemic or are seeking unrestricted funding to support their mission goals. 4Culture will consider organizations with pre-pandemic revenues of $1 million or below for Recovery Funds.
For organization with pre-pandemic revenue of more than $1 million, please refer to King County's Revive and Thrive Together program for federal COVID relief funds.
The deadline to apply is Friday, Nov. 5, 2021. Visit 4culture.org for more information, workshop dates, and to apply.
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Love your King County employee benefits?
Want to help spread the word about the great employee benefits King County provides? The Benefits Team is looking for Benefit Champions! These are employees who utilize and love their employee benefits. If this is you, and you’d like to find out even more and help your coworkers learn about their benefit choices during Open Enrollment, Nov. 1–15, let us know!
As a Benefit Champion, you’ll be provided with virtual training and materials, so that you can encourage participation in Open Enrollment, answer questions, and offer support to the people you work with.
Participation is strictly voluntary, on your own time, and non-work related. For more information, contact Matt Munson, King County Benefits Navigator, at mmunson@kingcounty.gov or 206-263-1277.
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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.
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Tech Tip: Free virtual accessibility training events with Microsoft experts
KCIT and Microsoft are hosting a series of live, online sessions exclusively for King County employees to discuss Accessibility Best Practices and Tools currently available in Office, Outlook, and Teams. All King County employees are invited to join in these free training sessions to learn quick, easy tips that anyone can use to improve communication and better serve our communities.
Training Spotlight:
Leader Mindset – Online – Leading a team starts with understanding yourself and your responsibility to create a team culture of belonging where all employees can thrive. Using engaging activities, small group discussions, and action planning, participants will learn key strengths in leadership. Please note that this course is a core foundational training in the Leading the Way leadership development series and it is recommended to take the others: Staying Steady, Equity and Leadership. Sessions are free and are offered monthly. The next session will be:
Communication and Problem Solving Skills – Online – Join instructor Lenny Borer for this two-day training. He will address communication and problem-solving skills with the public and with co-workers. This class covers skills for effective listening, speaking, dealing with conflicts, and with defensive behavior. This class will takes place:
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Tuesday, Oct. 5 and Wednesday, Oct. 6 from 8:30 a.m. to noon, both days.
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Register here. Fee is $65. Attendance at both days is required for completion of the class.
Please visit our King County Eventbrite website and our Learning and Development website for more learning opportunities. For more information, contact the Learning and Development Team at KCTraining@kingcounty.gov or visit Learning and Development at www.kingcounty.gov/learning.
Pet of the Week: Hektor
Hi, I'm Hektor and I'm available for adoption. I'm a two year-old male domestic shorthair who would be thrilled to cuddle up with you at home! My only dislike in the world is going to the vet. I am super sweet and love humans and other cats, so I would make a great companion for any family!
You can find out more about me and my other friends on our website at www.kingcounty.gov/adoptapet. Note that RASKC has moved to adoptions by appointment only. If you have more questions, you can contact RASKC via phone at 206-296-787 (PETS) or email pets@kingcounty.gov.
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Featured Job: Project Control Engineer II
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King County Headlines
“The anchor of community connections:” Help Me Grow King County - Cross-posted from Best Starts for Kids
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