New Policy information – Outside Employment and Volunteer Activities policy
King County released the Outside Employment and Volunteer Activities policy for employees in executive branch departments, offices, divisions, and agencies, including the Assessor’s Office and King County Elections.
We are a large, diverse organization with employees who generously support their communities and organizations through volunteerism. We also recognize that there are employees who have outside employment. We acknowledge that employees and the County can benefit from employee involvement with outside organizations.
The Outside Employment and Volunteer Activities policy reminds King County employees that they are responsible for meeting the job expectations and work requirements of their King County positions. Read more.
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King County partners with Minority Veterans of America to open first-in-the-nation transitional housing for LGBTQ+ veterans
Crossposted from Cultivating Connections
Earlier this week King County Executive Dow Constantine and Minority Veterans of America celebrated the opening of Q’mmunity House today, the first transitional home in the country for LGBTQ+ veterans. Q’mmunity House will provide on-site holistic case management, connections to the veteran-serving community, and a safe, affirming, and supportive home for LGBTQ+ veterans experiencing homelessness in King County.
The program fosters long-term stability and community connection by addressing the unique challenges faced by LGBTQ+ veterans who often experience higher rates of homelessness, discrimination, and other obstacles when accessing critical resources.
“This new, first-in-the-nation transitional housing for LGBTQ+ veterans will provide a historically underserved population with access to temporary housing and on-site support services,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “We are grateful to partner with Minority Veterans of America to fill a critical gap in services for those who have served our nation. This program ensures LGBTQ+ veterans have a safe place to build long-term stability and community here in King County.” Read more.
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Public Health employee receives national recognition
Tony Gomez, Manager of Violence and Injury Prevention in the Health Sciences Division of Public Health - Seattle & King County, received the Alex Kelter Vision Award at the national Safe States Alliance Annual Meeting. This award, the highest honor given by the SAFE States Alliance – the largest national non-profit dedicated to violence and injury prevention – recognizes Tony’s unparalleled contributions to public health in King County and Seattle.
Over a distinguished 40-year career, Tony has been a pillar of strength and innovation, relentlessly pursuing equity and excellence to improve the health and well-being of the community. His lifetime achievement award highlights his dedication and impact on public health.
Pictured: From left to right, Lisa Roth, President of Safe States Alliance and member of the Iowa Injury Prevention and Research Center; Tony Gomez; Rich Hamburg, Executive Director of Safe States Alliance.
Test of KCInform employee alert and warning system on Oct. 17
King County will conduct a test of KCInform, King County’s employee alert and warning system, on Thursday, Oct. 17 between 9 and 10 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), 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 and watch this short video to learn more.
And remember, at 10:17 a.m. on Oct. 17, Drop, Cover, and Hold On as if there were a major earthquake occurring at that very moment, and stay in this position for at least 60 seconds as part of the Great Washington ShakeOut drill. Read more.
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Indigenous Peoples' Day is Monday, Oct. 14
King County government observes Indigenous Peoples’ Day as an annual paid holiday on the second Monday in October, which falls on Oct. 14 in 2024.
This holiday provides an opportunity for us to deepen our knowledge about our nation’s history and the institutionalized practices and policies that continue to harm Indigenous people today. It will also help us further our understanding of Indigenous heritage and culture, and the many ongoing contributions of Indigenous people in our region.
Most County operations will close on Oct. 14, but some will continue, including some court operations. All offices will return to normal operations Tuesday, Oct. 15. On Oct. 14, most Metro Transit buses will operate on weekday schedules. If you have questions about your holiday schedule, please speak to your supervisor.
2024 Annual Giving Drive Non-Profit Expo series
The Employee Giving Program’s Non-Profit Expo series begins on Oct. 15 at the Chinook Building. Join us as we meet the non-profits that make our Annual Giving Drive possible.
Expos are a great chance for King County employees to connect with different non-profit organizations, ask questions, and form connections. Come curious, as we have a unique opportunity to share resources, connect with new people, and create long-lasting connections.
- Oct. 15 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Chinook Building, 13th floor
- Oct. 17 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the King Street Center, 8th floor Conference Center
- Oct. 24 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent, 3rd floor rotunda
We can’t wait to see you there. Learn more.
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Nonprofits responding to recent hurricanes
When disasters happen, employees want to help. During the Annual Giving Drive we have all of our employee giving tools available to make it easier for employees to support disaster recovery and preparedness year-round.
Relief and recovery efforts continue in the Southeast from Hurricane Helene and are beginning as the aftermath of Hurricane Milton is being assessed in Florida. Supporting disaster and emergency relief organizations provide critical services such as emergency shelter, food, medical care, and infrastructure repair to people in urgent need. Additionally, support not only addresses immediate needs but also fosters long-term recovery to rebuild resilient communities.
We have listed Employee Giving Program nonprofits that have shared with the program that they are prepared to assist in relief efforts for Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton, and future natural disasters and crises. Learn more on how you can support.
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Reminder: Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) outage, from Oct. 11 to 14
To allow for system maintenance, the Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) applications will not be available from Friday, Oct. 11 at noon, and are scheduled to be completed by Monday, Oct. 14 at 5 p.m. During this planned outage, the Business Resource Center (BRC) will be migrating from outdated technical infrastructure to modern Oracle cloud infrastructure. The Oracle EBS 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 Oracle EBS users, BI Insights, BI Publisher, and Blitz users, and we appreciate your understanding and support. During this time, Financial Procurement Cloud (FPC) will be available.
What is changing and how may employees be impacted
Impacts to Oracle EBS users and new EBS login link:
On Oct. 15, the website link to log in to Oracle EBS will be updated by the BRC and can be accessed through https://kc1.sharepoint.com/sites/DES/BRC/Pages/brc-home.aspx. Importantly, if the old link to Oracle EBS is saved as a favorite in your web browser, you will need to update it with the new Oracle EBS Login link.
Impacts to BI Publisher, BI Insights, and Blitz Reporting users:
- Oct. 11 to 14: Blitz will not be available. No new data will be available in BI Insights and BI Publisher.
- Oct. 15: Blitz will be available. BI Insights and BI Publisher will have EBS and PeopleSoft data through Oct. 10.
- Oct. 18 to 20: Blitz will be available. BI Insights and BI Publisher will not be available to migrate BI to OCI.
- Oct. 21: Blitz will be available. BI Insights and BI Publisher will be available complete with EBS and PeopleSoft data.
Please direct questions, issues, or concerns through a Cherwell Help Ticket. We realize that this outage impacts all EBS users, and we appreciate your understanding and support.
VMAG monthly meeting, Oct. 16
The King County Veterans and Military Affinity Group (VMAG) will hold their monthly meeting Oct. 16. At the meeting, King County Elections will discuss what we as employees and residents can do to help keep election workers safe and participate in administering a free and fair election here in King County.
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Wednesday, Oct. 16 at noon. The meeting will be held on Teams and is open to all King County employees.
To be added to the meeting invite send an email to: vet.milag@kingcounty.gov. For more information about VMAG and other King County Affinity Groups, visit kingcounty.gov/AffinityGroups.
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Save the Date: Neurodiversity Training: Executive Functioning Strategies for Employees, Managers and Allies, Oct. 24
The How Skills team will be facilitating another webinar this year designed for anyone who is interested in learning actionable strategies for executive functioning in the workplace. This webinar will be an opportunity to ask questions and learn strategies to immediately put into action to make a difference for you and your team, whether you are an employee, manager, or ally.
The recording of the webinar will be available for 30 days after the event. For more information on the training or to request disability accommodations to participate, please contact DisabilityServices@kingcounty.gov.
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Mindfulness classes this fall
The new Mindfulness fall schedule is here! Balanced You is excited to announce the new offerings from our partners with mindfulness providers CuriosityBased, SolJoy, and Mindfulness Northwest. CuriosityBased and SolJoy are pictured on the left.
Supervisors: Here is a printer-friendly PDF with the Mindfulness fall 2024 schedule to post at your worksites for employees who do not have access to email.
Mindfulness with Unconscious Bias for Front Line Employees, Oct. 15
This workshop introduces the concept of unconscious bias, its impact on decision-making, and behavior in high-pressure environments. Participants will explore how biases form and learn practical strategies to identify and mitigate them in daily interactions to foster a more inclusive workplace.
Focusing the Mind: Calm the Chatter, Quiet the Noise, and Breathe Deep, Oct. 29
Bypass your thoughts and emotions to through energy that allows deeper breathing. Learn the ancient practice of “jigam” meditation, a state of no thoughts and emotions, to work with silence that will help calm the mind and focus with relaxed concentration.
Please note, class registration will close two business days before each event.
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Training Spotlight:
Leader Learning Lab: Leading Boldly A Commitment to Racial Justice – Online – Leader Learning Labs are facilitated forums for County leaders to practice skills and dive deeper into Leadership Development and Equity, Racial and Social Justice topics with their peers. Each session will cover a different leader skill, while highlighting County Values. The October session will highlight the We are Racially Just and We Lead the Way Values. Please note that completion of Equity and Leadership is required prior to enrolling in any Leader Learning Lab.
Please visit our Learning and Development training website and our Career Support Services website for more learning opportunities. Also, for discounted college and continuing education opportunities, visit our Discounts webpage and expand the Higher Education menu. For more information, contact the Learning and Development Team at KCTraining@kingcounty.gov or visit www.kingcounty.gov/learning.
Pet of the Week: Shiso
I am a five-year-old, male dog, German Shepherd mix, ID #A714896. At 55 lbs I am considered a large breed dog. I am good on a leash and motivated by many things like toys, treats, and people. I will happily "sit" and "shake" for all of them. I am an affectionate lovebug who would be thrilled to cuddle up with you at home. I am a spirited dog 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.
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.
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Featured Job: Industrial Maintenance Electrician - South Plant
Salary: $41.93 - $53.16 Hourly
Location: Renton, WA
Job Type: Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week
Job Number: 2024-22673
Department: DNRP-Natural Resources & Parks
Division: Wastewater Treatment
Opening Date: 10/09/2024
Closing Date: 10/25/2024 11:59 p.m.
FLSA: Non-Exempt
Bargaining Unit: A2 : SEIU L925-Wastewater
Full- or Part-Time: Full Time
The King County Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) has a staffing need for experienced and technically proficient Industrial Maintenance Electrician at our South Treatment Plant. If you are looking for the ability to grow in the electrical field, this opportunity will utilize and expand your electrical maintenance skills working on a large variety of systems and projects. As a mission critical employee our efforts directly support operations as we collaborate with other plant crafts to resolve issues and achieve common goals. This position performs a variety of highly skilled journey-level work by constructing, troubleshooting, maintaining, and wiring a wide variety of equipment and conducts preventive maintenance programs at a wastewater collection and treatment facility, including pumping and regulating stations. This role will work both independently and in collaboration with other electricians, other skilled trades and industrial plant operations staff. To ensure a safe work environment, this role will use appropriate PPE and proper Lock-Out Tag Out procedures around electrical, mechanical, and environmental hazards, including working in Permit-Required Confined Spaces.
Learn more about this position or view all available positions.
King County Headlines
King County Local: Participatory Budgeting: Communities’ chance to vote for public projects for their areas is here!
Metro Matters: Construction begins on RapidRide J Line project from University District to Downtown Seattle
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