Required Nondiscrimination and Anti-Harassment Training coming soon

As part of our ongoing effort to build a safe, welcoming, and supportive workplace for every King County employee, this fall we are offering training for all King County employees, which includes a short video and an online course, on reporting processes, roles, and responsibilities under the County's Nondiscrimination, Anti-Harassment & Inappropriate Conduct Policy, Procedures and Responsibilities.

As a member of our organization, you have a defined role in the Nondiscrimination, Anti-Harassment & Inappropriate Conduct Policy to prevent, report, and act on behavior that is not in line with our expectations of employees. The policy applies to all employees in Executive Branch departments, offices, divisions, and agencies, including the Assessor’s Office, Elections, and the Sheriff’s Office.

Click here for more information about this training. 

Test of KCInform employee alert and warning system on Oct. 21 at 9:30 a.m.

King County will conduct a test of KCInform, King County’s employee alert and warning system, on Thursday, Oct. 21 at 9:30 a.m. as part of the annual Great Washington ShakeOut test for 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.

Great Washington Shakeout Oct. 21 - enter to win!

Take part in the Great Washington Shakeout drill testing earthquake preparedness on Oct. 21 at 10:21 a.m. and you can enter yourself into a drawing for prizes!

Submit a selfie or video of yourself or coworkers participating in the drill to enter into a random drawing for prizes, like a multi-purpose tool on a Sasquatch keychain or a Make It Through emergency pouch.

You can also enter the drawing by submitting a screenshot of your updated KCInform information (with personal information blacked out). 

Five King County employees who submit their selfie or KCInform information will be selected from a random drawing on Oct. 26 to determine the winners. Submissions and questions should be emailed to kcoempubed@kingcounty.gov. 

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 are committed to environmental issues like local ecosystems, childhood education, and international support services. 

• Wednesday, Oct. 20 from 11 a.m. to noon. Register here.

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

Join our Team: DAJD Recruiters make a pitch

King County’s Department of Adult & Juvenile Detention (DAJD), like other corrections agencies near and far, has been competing to recruit and retain new employees.

The DAJD recenlty participated in a career fair at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in an effort to reach candidates. For Corrections Officer Edward Duenas, this career fair was on familiar ground. Duenas retired from an Army career out of JBLM and was there to share his personal experience both as a veteran and his eight-year career with King County.

To read more of this story and how DAJD is making extra efforts to recruit the best new hires, click here. 

Look for Open Enrollment information in the mail

Check your home mailbox for important benefits and Open Enrollment information mailed recently to the address you have listed in PeopleSoft. Open Enrollment takes place Nov. 1 – 15.

To learn more about what’s changing for your benefit group, go to 2022 Key Benefit Changes, watch the Open Enrollment Overview video, or attend an information session held by your Benefits Team on a variety of days and times to accommodate your schedule.

Ableism in Healthcare

Hosted by: King County Disability Consortium

Join us for the 10th edition of the Understanding Ableism Series to discuss ableism in healthcare. Disabled and deaf people experience numerous barriers to healthcare, including ableist attitudes and policies, inaccessible exam rooms and equipment, inadequate interpreter services, and more.

In this presentation, panelists with disabilities will be discussing their experiences in the healthcare system and what changes they believe will reduce ableism in healthcare and improve the system for all.

• Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021 4:30 to 6 p.m. Register here.

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.

• Wednesday, Oct. 20, from noon to 1 p.m.  Register here. 

Updated flu shot schedule is live

Updates to the on-site flu shot schedule have been made and are now live on the Balanced You blog. Due to nursing shortages, the on-site flu shot schedule is subject to last minute changes.

Please make an appointment ahead of time and we will communicate with you if there are any changes. If you cannot attend an on-site flu shot clinic, you can learn more about receiving your flu shot from a pharmacy or primary care physician here.

Meet your Employee Assistance Program counselors

King County Department of Human Resources is excited to announce the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) has expanded! EAP supports employees by providing free, confidential counseling on work-related issues.

We all experience stress at some point and having someone to talk to can be a helpful outlet to process emotions, navigate challenging situations or provide tangible recommendations on actions to take. EAP can help with:

• Workplace stress
• Counseling, coaching, and consulting
• Conflict with co-workers
• Support for Supervisors and Human Resources
• Mental health

Meet your EAP Counselors and learn more about what they like to do for self-care, and why they love working with King County employees.

Register now for November and December 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.

Medicare 101. Join this 90-minute class if you are reaching Medicare age and want to learn more about Medicare and your options as a King County employee. Guest speaker Jean Cormier will discuss Medicare basics. In addition, Jenny Stark from Regence BlueShield and Hannah Bachelder from Kaiser Permanente will discuss their Medicare Advantage plan options.

• Wednesday, Nov. 3 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Register for Medicare 101.

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.

• Tuesday, Nov. 30 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. and Tuesday, Dec. 14 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Register here for Road to 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.

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.

Veterans and Military Affinity Group meeting Oct. 20

The King County Veterans and Military Affinity Group (V-MAG) is open to all employees who are currently serving or are former members of the military. They will hold their monthly meeting on: 

• Wednesday, Oct. 20 at noon. If you’re not already receiving the monthly V-MAG meeting invites on Teams contact: vet.milag@kingcounty.gov to be added to the meeting invite.”

This month’s meeting will feature a presentation by Friends of Fisher House Puget Sound as well as a Pet Halloween Costume Contest.

To enter the Pet Costume Contest make a $5 donation here to Friends of Fisher House Puget Sound (Employee Giving Program #9504), then send proof of donation along with pet photo to Jennifer Broadus no later than 11 a.m. on Oct. 20.

You’re invited to the next Anti-Racist White Action Group meeting

This message is intended for White-identifying employees.

Join us for the monthly Anti-Racist White Action Group (ARWAG) meeting. ARWAG, one of the county’s Affinity Groups (also called Employee Resource Groups), addresses racism and other forms of oppression to advance the county’s equity and social justice goals.

• Tuesday, Oct. 26 from noon – 1:30 p.m. Join Zoom meeting https://kingcounty.zoom.us/j/99393466862

Email arwag@kingcounty.gov to join this group, get the meeting notices or for any questions.