Employee News - Oct. 14

A service of the King County Department of Human Resources

King County Employee News

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Highlights

WA state logo

Want to opt out of Washington’s long-term care program?

The state of Washington has opened their online opt-out procedure for those who want to apply for an exemption to the new state-mandated long-term care program, called the WA Cares Fund, and associated payroll deduction that begins in January 2022.

If you have private long-term care insurance in place by Nov. 1, 2021, and you wish to opt out of the state program, you can apply to the Employment Security Department for a permanent exemption. Those applications will be accepted through Dec. 31, 2022.

Click here for more information and steps for opting out.


COVID card

The deadline to verify vaccination status is Monday, Oct. 18

The Oct. 18 deadline for getting your vaccination status verified is approaching fast, so make sure you’ve submitted your proof of vaccination before the deadline.

There are a couple of ways to provide proof of vaccination. Click here to find out how.


Employee Spotlights

John Diaz

Fred Jarrett Leadership Excellence Award presented to John Diaz

The final honoree of the 2020 King County Leadership Excellence Awards, receiving the Fred Jarrett Award, is John Diaz, Director of the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD).

The Fred Jarrett Award honors a department or division leader who is outstanding in their work and embodies the Executive Branch values, striving to reach our True North: Making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive.

Click here to read the entire story and watch the video presentation


Vaccine Clinic

Employee vaccination clinics provide over 1,800 COVID-19 vaccine doses

As the COVID-19 vaccine became more widely available, it became clear that to best support essential workers who have complex schedules and shifts, King County would need to bring the vaccines to worksites.

Through a collaborative partnership with Public Health – Seattle and King County, their vaccine partners, and King County labor unions, onsite clinics provided 1,877 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to County employees and their loved ones between April 9, 2021 and Oct. 2, 2021.

Read the full story here


Announcements

egp Hope logo

Employee Giving Drive: Environment Expo on Oct. 20

King County Employee Giving Program’s 2021 Annual Giving Drive is underway and hundreds of nonprofits are participating in this year’s Annual Giving Drive. To find out about nonprofits whose work supports people with disabilities, click here

Online Nonprofit Expo: Environment

The next session in the series of expos focuses on agencies that focus on environmental issues like local ecosystems, childhood education, and international support services. 

Click here to view previous expo events. For more information, visit the Employee Giving Program at www.kingcounty.gov/giving


afghan refugees

How you can help Afghan refugees

Washington State is preparing to welcome over 1600 Afghan evacuees in the next few months, according to the Seattle Times. They will join the thousands of Afghan migrants who arrived in the last decade and are contributing to the Washington economy. 

King County will be home to the largest group of Afghan SIV holders. Yet, even with an established community, affordable housing is going to be a challenge for many of the families. Click here to read more and find out how you might help. 


disability park access

Considering Accessibility on Capital Improvement Projects 

King County is celebrating the 31st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and National Disability  Employment Awareness Month in October with a series of educational webinars.

Join our next event to learn about accessibility on capital improvement projects: 

King County carries out major capital projects to build roads, stormwater and wastewater utilities, transportation facilities, and more. How can we consider accessibility in our projects to support project teams and our communities? Hear some ideas from King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division, and share some of your own.

ASL interpretation and auto transcription services will be provided.


filipino heritage month

Filipino American History Month: Connecting to our Past in Old Ways

Join King County’s API Affinity Group in an interactive and educational hour to celebrate Filipino American History Month. A new generation of Filipino Americans are honoring their heritage, culture, and ancestry through the renewal of traditional Filipino tattooing in the U.S.

Tatak Ng Apat Na Alon is an international organization with the purpose of reviving traditional Filipino tattoo culture. Join the founder, Elle Festin, who popularized the revival of this ancient artform. 

To get an outlook calendar invite, please contact Phoebe Naguit at  phoebe.naguit@kingcounty.gov.


latinx art

King County Latinx Art Showcase, Oct. 19

Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month may be over, but celebrating and empowering our Latinx Communities never stops!

The King County Latinx Affinity Group invites employees to join Milvia Pacheco from Movimiento Afrolatino Seattle and Maria Guillen-Valdovinos, also known as Poesia MariaArte, as they have a conversation on Identity, Heritage, and the impacts Covid-19 has had on these two artists. Their own pieces will be showcased as well. 

For more information please contact KCLx Co-Chairs Sabrina Torres at SaTorres@kingcounty.gov or Margarita Aguado at MAguado@kingcounty.gov.


Latinx woman

Collective care tips and emotional well-being resources for the Latinx/Hispanic community

As Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month comes to a close, Balanced You would like to share resources to support emotional well-being for the Latinx community.

Because celebration and connection are an integral part of emotional well-being, Latinx employees are encouraged to join the King County Latinx Affinity Group, who provides a space of shared connection and community building. Read more self-care and collective care tips for the Latinx community on the Balanced You blog.


gift box

What if you receive a gift at work?

Cross-posted from Executive Services Express

It's not unimaginable that someone would be grateful for you helping them solve a problem as a part of your job. But would you know what to do if you received a gift at work?

The season of giving is nearly upon us. If a vendor, contractor or someone else gives you a gift at work, there are restrictions. Refer to the county’s Code of Ethics to ensure you make the right decision. Click here to read more.


Disability Employment Awareness Month: Advocating for accessible, equitable workplaces, Oct. 23

Recognizing October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month, Epiphanies of Equity and Town Hall Seattle present a panel of speakers who will provide information and insight about the current red-flag violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), along with the framework of Disability Justice and how it expands disability rights.

Participants will learn about the history of advocacy for virtual and hybrid workspaces in Disability Inclusion/Justice work over the past two decades, how to advocate for accessible and equitable workplaces, and how to effectively implement Disability Justice in the workplace during the pandemic and beyond.

This virtual event will have CART transcription and American Sign Language interpretation.


Disability-Inclusive Workplace Culture: Building it to Last

Disability-inclusive workplaces don't just happen. You need commitment and buy-in across all levels of an organization to ensure that your workplace is accessible to and inclusive of people with disabilities. Careful planning and ongoing support will help your organization attract and retain employees with disabilities.

Join this webinar hosted by the Employee Assistance and Resource Network and the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy to learn how leading organizations build and sustain disability-inclusive cultures and how your organization can apply these lessons to build a stronger, more inclusive workplace as we recover from the pandemic.


seismograph

Test of KCInform employee alert and warning system on Oct. 21

King County will conduct a test of KCInform, King County’s employee alert and warning system, on Thursday, Oct. 21 at 10:21 a.m.  as part of the annual Great Washington ShakeOut drill to test earthquake preparedness. 

KCInform is used to notify County employees of emergency situations, infrastructure disruptions, facility closures, changes in department business operations, and other critical impacts. Your King County desk phone and @kingcounty.gov email address are already in the KCInform system. However, please register your County provided cell phone (if applicable) and personal cell phone and email address to ensure you don’t miss important, time-sensitive messages. The service is free and your personal contact information is secure and protected.  

If you are not currently registered with KCInform, please contact kcinform@kingcounty.gov to request your unique registration link. Visit the KCInform website to learn more, or watch our short video.


BI Publisher Oracle

BI Publisher financial reports are moving Oct. 22

If you are an employee who uses BI Publisher Reports then this is important information.

On Oct. 22, 2021, BI Publisher will move from its own stand-alone URL with a GUEST login to BI Insights as a dashboard.

If you are an employee who already has access to BI Insights you do not need to do anything except login to BI Insights and navigate to the new BI Publisher dashboard. 

If you are an employee who uses BI Publisher and do not have access to BI Insights, you will need to request access as the GUEST login is no longer available, and you must now login with your network ID. To request access submit a Cherwell ticket.


POTW Gracie

Pet of the Week: Gracie

Hi, I"m Gracie, I am a spirited seven-year-old female with a fun-loving personality! I am still working on my manners, so I would do best with a family who is willing to work with me and help me become the best dog I can be!

I am a very smart dog! At the shelter I am practicing how to "sit", "stay", "come", "down" and "shake." My favorite is “shake” because I get lots and lots of treats and it is adorable!

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 206-296-7387 (PETS) or email pets@kingcounty.gov.


Featured Job

Water Quality Planner/Project Manager II - Oceanographer

Salary: $78,977.60 - $100,110.40 Annually

Location: Seattle - Regional area, WA

Job Type: Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week

Department: DNRP-Natural Resources & Parks

Job Number: 2021CR14420

Division: WLRD -Water & Land Resources

Closes: Oct 25 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time

The Marine Monitoring Program team is seeking a Water Quality Planner to assist in evaluating a variety of physical and chemical marine water data trends to continue growing an understanding of our local ecosystem and what impacts it.

Learn more about this position or view all available positions


King County Headlines

As rainy weather approaches, we are on the job 24/7

Jobs and Housing Program to provide opportunities at RASKC and Fleet

Are you ready for the rainy season and flooding?

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.

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