It’s Election Day!

It’s Election Day and your voice matters! Ballots must be postmarked by today or returned to a ballot drop box by 8 p.m. for the General Election.

If you need assistance with anything, give King County Elections a call at 206-296-VOTE. You’ll find a list of Vote Center locations and hours at kce.wiki/VoteCenter.

For more information, visit kingcounty.gov/elections.

Add pronouns and preferred first name/nickname to PeopleSoft and Microsoft Teams

Employees can now add pronouns and preferred first name/nickname in PeopleSoft and Microsoft Teams, making them visible to other King County employees, but the option for adding to Microsoft Outlook is currently unavailable.

Here’s how to make changes:

Pronouns

• In PeopleSoft Self-Service, go to Personal Details and select Gender Identity from the menu. You will see your Federal Reporting Sex listed here. Select the arrow to the right, select the magnifying glass in the Pronoun field, and select one of the options. Check the I agree to self identify box and hit save. Watch this video for step-by-step instructions.

• In Microsoft Teams, select your profile picture in the upper right corner, then select your name/email address. On the profile card, you can select + Pronouns or the pronouns listed below your name. Pronouns will be displayed alongside your name. See detailed instructions here or watch this video. The option to add pronouns to Outlook is currently unavailable.

Preferred first names or nicknames

• For existing employees: You can add a preferred first name or nickname in PeopleSoft Self-Service under the Name menu option. In the box select the arrow and find the Preferred First Name Add an effective date and select save. Watch this video for step-by-step instructions. Once this has been added, please submit a KCIT Helpdesk Ticket for the change to be made in Microsoft applications.

• For new employees: HR or administrative staff will ask new hires if they have a preferred first name or nickname that they would want to use in King County applications. These will be added to PeopleSoft and Microsoft applications.

Sharing this information with other King County employees is a personal choice and completely optional. Once entered, this information may be subject to public disclosure​ requests. For assistance with either of these processes, please submit a KCIT Helpdesk Ticket.

Tips and resources for coping with election stress 

By Whitney Abrams, Chief People Officer

Tuesday, Nov. 5, is Election Day and many Americans are waiting anxiously for the results. According to a recent survey by the American Psychological Association (APA), more than two-thirds of U.S. adults say the 2024 U.S. presidential election is a significant source of stress in their life.

This can be a time with a lot of uncertainty, stress, and anxiety and it is important that we take care of our emotional and mental well-being. King County offers a range of benefits and services that are there for employees and their families. Read more. 

We're halfway through the Annual Giving Drive

We're at mid-way point of our Employee Giving Program’s Annual Giving Drive, and the impact we have not only when we give together, but when we work together is immense. 

Hundreds of employees have already participated in special events, volunteered, and pledged. Your contributions make a tangible difference, whether helping animals find furever families, protecting water quality and wildlife habitat, or supporting communities in the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton earlier this fall. You still have time to participate!

The Annual Giving Drive runs through Nov. 22, and there are various ways to support causes that matter to you – online or with a paper form.

King County Metro Community Liaisons connect to all our riders

Crossposted by Metro Matters

Metro is proud to introduce our new Community Liaison pilot program. The program features the voices and perspectives of staff who work to strengthen our relationships with our varied communities through their unique voices and perspectives. Spanish speaking riders? We’ve got you. Swahili? Yes indeed—there’s a liaison for you!

The team helps ensure that the people most in need of transit can weigh in our plans, policies and decisions. That’s important, because ensuring Metro’s services are welcoming and accessible to all is how we succeed. Read more. 

Balanced You Self-care Webinar: Taking Time to Give Yourself Grace During the Holidays 

The frenzy of the holidays comes each year and with it, anxiety and stress for many people. Join Balanced You for a discussion on how to give yourself grace during the holiday season. This is an interactive webinar where we will invite you to take time to reflect, give you tips on dealing with stress, ways to do self-care, and take time to breathe.

• Thursday, Nov. 14, noon to 12:50 p.m. Register here. 

Tech Tip: Practice good IT “hygiene” – restart your computer regularly

Did you know your computer’s operating system is updated several times a year? This update happens behind the scenes, but requires you to restart your computer. This restart can take several minutes. Your computer may offer to reschedule this required restart until later, but will only allow you to postpone once or twice – you can’t delay the update forever! Most updates include important features such as new virus protections that are critical for the safety of King County’s systems.

Please practice good IT “hygiene” and restart your computer regularly! Be sure your computer is connected to the internet at home or at the office, and is plugged into a power source. To avoid impacts to your daily work, KCIT recommends restarting your computer on a regular basis at a time that’s not impactful to your work (such as when you’re ready to log off for the day).