King County celebrates Women in Technology Day

In recognition of Women’s History Month, King County Executive Dow Constantine has issued a proclamation celebrating Women In Technology Day on March 26, 2022.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only about 25% of jobs in the tech industry are held by women – this is the lowest percentage of women in technology since before 1980. Hispanic and African American women are the most under-represented groups, making up only 4% of the computing workforce, and almost no senior leadership roles.

Learn more and read the full proclamation here.

Required trainings due in one week

King County Executive branch employees are required to complete three mandatory trainings by the beginning of April: Harassment Prevention, Cybersecurity Awareness, and Immigration and Refugee Ordinance.

Click here for more information.

Last chance to take the 2022 Employee Survey

There are only four days left to join the more than 6,700 employees who have had their say in the 2022 Employee Engagement Survey and help make King County work better for you.

The survey — which can be taken on your work computer or a mobile device — ends on Friday, March 25, so please take 15 minutes to have your say. The survey can be done during work time. Your responses are 100% anonymous and cannot be traced back to you. The survey is available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Amharic and Somali.

Please look in your King County inbox for an email from KC Employee Survey (kcemployeesurvey@us.confirmit.com) with the subject line “Welcome to the King County 2022 Employee Survey.” Click here for more information.

Donation campaign to support people in Ukraine ends Monday, March 28

The King County Employee Giving Program has set up a special campaign to support the people affected by the war in Ukraine.

Between now and 5 p.m. March 28, King County employees can convert accrued vacation leave and/or earned compensatory time – a minimum of four hours to a maximum of 40 hours – into cash donations to one or all of these organizations:

• Global Impact - Ukraine Response Fund #3500
• Médecins Sans Frontieres / Doctors Without Borders #4172
• Ukrainian Community Center of Washington #9385

In addition to leave and compensatory time, one-time payroll donations, e-check, or credit card are also accepted. Prosecuting Attorney's Office employees can donate by one-time payroll donations, e-check or credit card, but may not donate leave or compensatory time.

This special campaign will be open through 5 p.m. March 28. Please use this form to contribute and find answers to your questions here.

PeopleSoft outage begins 3 p.m. Friday, March 25 

To allow for system maintenance, the PeopleSoft system will not be available the weekend of March 25 through March 27.

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

This work will begin on Friday, March 25 at 3 p.m. and is scheduled to be completed on Monday, March 28 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.

Superior Court Women's History Month event March 30

The Courts and Community Committee presents a special Women's History Month event entitled Black Women Judges: Trailblazers and Contemporaries. This is a retrospective of Black women on the bench and the implications for today's judiciary. 

The guest speaker is the Honorable Angela C. Robinson, retired Connecticut Superior Court Judge and author of First Black Women Judges: The Story of Three Black Women Judges in the United States. 

• Wednesday, March 30 from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. Access the event on Zoom. 

Secondary trauma in the workplace Balanced You webinar March 31

Secondary trauma in the workplace is a common occurrence that can happen when employees are exposed to traumatic events or to individuals coping with their own reactions to trauma. The effects of secondary trauma can include emotional exhaustion, a lack of energy, and feeling that one’s emotional resources are depleted.

Join Karla Clark, Balanced You Employee Health Specialist, Tierra Lovelace, Employee Assistance Program Counselor, and Megan Jourdan, Balanced You Project Manager for a one-hour conversation on how secondary trauma affects us and how we can heal.

• Thursday, March 31 from 1 to 2 p.m. Register here.

Update: View your W-2 online from any device

You can now view your W-2 forms in PeopleSoft from any device, including your personal smart phone or home computer, using the usual two-step sign-on process.

To view or print your W-2, log in to PeopleSoft, choose the Payroll tile, then go to View W-2/W-2c Forms.

You can also access W-2 forms from any device by registering at the ADP website using these instructions: Access W-2s through ADP. ADP also mailed a paper copy of your W-2 form in January to the address you had listed in PeopleSoft on Dec. 31, 2021.

For questions about the information on your W-2, please see W-2 Form Guide or contact Benefits, Payroll and Retirement Operations at 206-684-1556 or KC.Benefits. Information is also available on the IRS website. If you need help with PeopleSoft, call the IT Service Center at 206-263-4357.

Dig into National Nutrition Month with WW (Weight Watchers Reimagined)

March is National Nutrition Month. To celebrate, try incorporating quinoa!. Check out this video of WW Coach Tess cooking this power protein for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Quinoa never tasted so good.

Access over 10,500 delicious recipes like this when you become a WW member. For even more personalization, WW for Diabetes offers you all the benefits of WW, plus unlimited guidance from a Certified Diabetes Educator who will customize your food plan to meet your individual needs.

For more information on WW for Diabetes, check out this Balanced You blogpost.

Tech Tip: New Outlook feature – Vote on your preferred meeting time

Planning a meeting? The new “FindTime” feature in Outlook can help you find the best time to meet with colleagues. FindTime suggests when your team is available, allows the group to vote on proposed times, and can even send out a meeting invitations once everyone has come to a consensus.

Watch the five-minute video: FindTime to Coordinate Meeting Schedules. If you need help, Executive branch employees can LiveChat with the KCIT Helpdesk. Employees in separately-elected agencies should contact your department IT support.

Pet of the Week: Blair

Hi, I'm Blair, a one-and-a-half year-old female who is ready for adoption! I'm calm and shy, and genuinely love affection, but I can get overstimulated. I'd do best in a house without small children. 

 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.

Featured Job: Senior Applications Developer