August 29 is the third payday of the month

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; however, August 29 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.

In addition, please complete the following important tasks while you are in in PeopleSoft:

• Review your W-4 and make sure it’s up to date. You can update your W-4 by selecting the Payroll tile, then W-4 Tax Information.
• Check your personal information, as Open Enrollment mailings and year-end data processing are fast approaching, and it’s important that this information is correct. Go to the Personal Details tile, make sure all items are current—especially your mailing address and email—and save any changes.

For more information about your paycheck, go to Payroll or speak with your department Payroll representative or timekeeper.

Facilities Management streamlines customer service under new section  

Crossposted from the DES Express  

The Facilities Management Division welcomed the Customer Experience Section (CES) to their division last month. This new group oversees customer-facing services: the Customer Care Team (CCT), Print Shop, ID Access, Chinook 13 Program, and the Parking Program. From day one, CES has been dedicated to discovering ways they can improve the customer service their partners receive.

“What initially attracted me to this role was the opportunity to engage in process development within a new team structure that focuses on the experience of all those involved,” said Shannon Bradley, the new Customer Experience Section Manager. “As I’ve gotten to know my team and the customers we serve, I’m excited about what we can do here. I look forward to working with my team to establish efficient structures and processes to provide a positive and consistent experience for our customers.”

Read more.  

Call for photos to be featured in bus shelters across King County

Metro is partnering with the Photographic Center Northwest (PCNW) on an international call for photos to be featured at bus shelters across King County. Successful photos could remain in bus shelters for up to 10 years. This call is open to all County employees and their family members of all ages.

This year’s theme is “Show Us Your World” and intended to explore personal, cultural identity and connection. This can include, but is not limited to, photos that display:

• Culture, values, and traditions that have been passed down from previous generations.
• Shared bonds within a specific community.
• One’s history, identity, and bond to the past, present, and future.
• A visual representation or documentation of what is meaningful to you.

King County employees can submit up to five photos at no cost using the discount code 2024Discount.

To be considered, photos must be submitted by Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024, through the online application form. More information about the photo call, including specifications and submission instructions can be found on the application page. A panel of judges will select up to 100 photos to be printed and installed in Metro bus shelters starting in late 2024.

Join the next Anti-Racist White Action Group meeting, Aug. 27

Employees are invited to the monthly Anti-Racist White Action Group (ARWAG) meeting on Aug. 27, where the group will continue building anti-racist readiness. Attendees will spend time in workgroups (Education and Training, Partnerships and Community, and Human Resources and Data), and reflect/discuss the Black Women’s Experience Project.

Tuesday, Aug. 27:

• 11:40 a.m. New member “meet and greet." Join here via Teams. This is a different link than the general meeting.
• Noon to 1:30 p.m. General meeting. Join here via Teams. Note that we moved our meetings from Zoom to Teams starting this meeting.

ARWAG is one of King County’s Affinity Groups (also called Employee Resource Groups) that addresses racism and other forms of oppression to advance the county’s equity and social justice goals. In addition to learning and practicing anti-racist behaviors, members connect and build relationship. This deepens our ability to live our values and contribute to a more fair and just community. Email ARWAG to join this group, get the meeting notices or for any questions.

King County employee discount for 2024 Bumbershoot Arts and Music Festival 2-day ticket

As a thank you to King County employees and in line with Bumbershoot’s goal to keep ticket prices affordable, organizers have offered discounted admission to King County employees for a 2-day ticket. Use discount code KingCounty24 to purchase these tickets at a discounted rate. The discounted rate is only available for a 2-day ticket.

Bumbershoot takes place Labor Day Weekend, Aug. 31 to Sept. 1 at Seattle Center. Click here to purchase tickets.

See all available employee discounts on the Employee Discount webpage.

Tech Tip: USB Sticks (User Snare Bait)

Have you ever found a USB Stick/Thumb Drive, or a CD on the ground or in a parking lot? Hopefully you did not put this into your computer. While you may be tempted by curiosity to see what data is on there, or perhaps to identify the owner, Do Not insert any of these found objects into your computer.

You may think that it is your lucky day…‘Hey, Free USB Stick!’, but in fact it could turn out to put you in a hot seat with your IT department. This is a common tactic used by bad guys to infiltrate your network and steal information and to gain unauthorized access. Code can be executed simply by inserting these devices into your computer. By the time you can see what files are on it, the damage may have already been done.

The average cost of a cyber-attack such as this one on a small company is $200,000. The cost to a large public corporation can cost over $6,000,000 per day of downtime. If you have any questions, please contact KCIT.

Pet of the Week: Baloo

My name is Baloo and I am a one-year-old, male, Pitbull/Dutch Sheepdog dog mix, color Brindle, ID #A711922. At 78 lbs I am considered a large breed dog. I am also a very smart boy and also an affectionate lovebug. I have a very energetic side and love to play. I tend to calm down more when the people around me stay calm. I do best when I have lots of exercise and something to keep my mind busy. I have been known to resource guard, meaning that I am displaying behavior that is intended to convince other dogs or humans to stay away from a particular treasure or "resource." I tend to guard my toys the most. If you take me home, we will all benefit from in-home guidance to help manage and improve this behavior. Due to my high energy and excitability, I would do best in a home with older children who know and understand how strong I am. I am still working on my manners, and would do best with a family who is willing to work with me and help me become the best dog I can be.

As Pet of the Week, my adoption fee has been reduced. You can find out more about me and my other friends on our website at www.kingcounty.gov/adoptapet. If you have more questions, you can contact RASKC via phone at 206-296-7387 (PETS) or email pets@kingcounty.gov.