PeopleSoft HCM Outage starting at 3 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 22

To allow for system maintenance, the PeopleSoft system will not be available the weekend of Oct. 22 - 24.

During this planned outage, the Business Resource Center (BRC) will apply vendor updates and maintenance.

This work will begin on Friday, Oct. 22 at 3 p.m. and is scheduled to be completed on Monday, Oct. 25 by 6:30 a.m.

The system will not be available for access by any County staff during this outage window. There will be a communication sent out to all County staff when the system becomes available.

We realize that this outage impacts all PeopleSoft users and we appreciate your understanding and support.

Disability Awareness Month: Reasonable Accommodations in King County Superior Court

Access to justice is a fundamental right of all people; however, for individuals with a sensory, cognitive, or physical disability, seeking access can be filled with challenges. Implemented in 2007, Washington State General Court Rule 33 (GR 33) was designed to assure that people with disabilities have equal and meaningful access to the judicial system.

Recognizing the important role that accommodations play in providing access to justice for individuals with disabilities, King County Superior Court hired Ronda Bliey to fill the newly created role of Public Access Specialist.

Click here to read more about Ronda's background and how this position fufills the requirements put forth by Washington state. 

“Quick Exit” button protects people seeking domestic violence support online

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and King County has several online resources to support survivors.

To better protect domestic violence victims while they search online, KCIT developed a Quick Exit button that instantly takes users to a Parks page if the person's abuser walks into the room.

Click here to check out these resources. 

Disaster Relief Expo on Oct. 27

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. 

Disaster relief is a growing issue worldwide. To find out about nonprofits whose work is committed to disaster relief issues, click here. 

Online nonprofit expo: Disaster Relief

The next session in the series of expos focuses on agencies that are committed to disaster relief issues such as health services, women's and children's safety, and coordinated response units. 

• Wednesday, Oct. 27 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. 

Introducing the Disability Affinity Group, Oct. 25

In response to the need for a space that provides more disability equity for King County employees with disabilities, we're happy to announce the Disability Affinity Group.

Sponsored by Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer Anita Whitfield and Leo Flor, Director of the Department of Community and Human Services, King County’s newest affinity group is designed to be a place for employees with disabilities to:

• Create opportunities for peer-to-peer support and resource sharing
• Advance the inclusion of persons with disabilities at work and in the community
• Address ableism and removing barriers in the workplace
• Address intersectionality with Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) and other marginalized identities
• Inform policy and other decisions that impact persons with disabilities in King County.

We welcome all employees to attend this kickoff and learn more about the new affinity group.

• Monday, Oct. 25 at 1 p.m.  Click here to join the meeting.
• Call in (audio only): 425-653-6586, passcode 262 869 441#  

For additional information, please contact Karla Lynch at Karla.Lynch@kingcounty.gov or Lili Stansberry at Lili.Stansberry@kingcounty.gov.

So I disclosed my disability, what’s next? 

Join a live, virtual conversation that will feature employees with disabilities who will share their personal experiences of disability disclosure and perspective from a supervisor’s understanding.

A Disability Service representative will share resources available to support employees with disabilities and the process of navigating accommodations.

All King County employees are welcome to attend. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and auto transcription services will be provided. 

• Thursday, Oct. 28, from noon to 1 p.m. Register here.

Teams-based Debriefing Groups available for front line employees and employees involved in the COVID-19 response

Engaging in emergency response and working on the frontline during emergencies is inevitably stressful for King County employees.

Team-based Debriefing Groups are spaces to connect with colleagues and reflect on experiences, process stress, and share strategies for coping.

These groups are facilitated by mental health professionals trained in supporting employees during stressful situations. If you would like to start a group for your team, learn more on the Balanced You blog.

Coffee Connections: Halloween event Oct. 27

Are you ready for Halloween? Join Balanced You for Coffee Connections to share your best Halloween story or costume. Family members and pets in costume are welcome to join to have a spooky good time with us!

• Wednesday, Oct. 27 from 12:30 to 1 p.m. Register here.

Get your flu shot! 9 things to know about flu season

Cross-posted from Public Health Insider

It’s that time of year again, as fall rolls around and holiday gatherings approach, so does flu season. That means it’s time to think about another important vaccine you should get this year - your flu shot.

Click here for nine things to know about the flu shot and why it’s so crucial this year in particular.

BI Publisher financial reports are moving Oct. 22

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

On Friday, Oct. 22, 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.

Pet of the Week: Daisy

Hi, my name is Daisy and I’m a nine-year-old Manx kitty. I'm a very peaceful, relaxed cat who likes to be petted but does not like loud noises. Ideally, I'd like to be adopted by a quiet single person without kids or an elderly person who has time to pet me.

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.