Use the Leaving Employment Guide to guide you through the separation process and ensure all tasks are completed before your last working day. Some of the things you'll need to do:

• If you are resigning or have been terminated, notify your supervisor, Human Resources, and Payroll of your plans for separation using the Leaving Employment Form.
• Your final paycheck will be paid via direct deposit 2–4 weeks after your last day. Make sure your mailing address is correct in PeopleSoft to ensure delivery of your W-2.
• Prior to departure, review and manage records according to the Records Retention Policy.
• Turn in your ORCA pass/ID badge/keycard and other King County property.
• Decide whether to continue your King County medical, dental, and vision coverage through COBRA, and whether to continue your King County life and disability insurance (see details below).
• Decide how to handle your Deferred Compensation Plan. Learn about your options by contacting T. Rowe Price at 888-457-5770.
• Decide how to handle the value of your unused vacation time up to 480 hours (sick leave is not cashed out). The value is subject to normal taxes and a 22% federal supplemental wage tax. The value will be paid to you automatically, unless you opt to contribute the funds to your King County Deferred Compensation Plan using the Leave Contribution Form.
• Decide how to handle your state retirement plan. If you are not retiring, you can leave your contributions in your retirement plan, transfer the funds to a qualified tax-deferred retirement account, or withdraw your contributions, subject to penalties and taxes. For more information and resources, contact Washington State Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) at 800-547-6657 or recep@drs.wa.gov or go to Department of Retirement Systems. 

If you have King County health coverage on your last day of employment, your coverage continues through the last day of the month in which you leave.

When your King County active employee coverage ends, you can extend coverage for yourself and your family for up to 18 months by paying the premiums through COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) as long as your employment ends for reasons other than gross misconduct. Under COBRA, you may continue the medical, dental, and vision coverage you had at the time you left King County employment. You can also select a different King County employee medical plan.

Go to the Benefit Costs page for the COBRA rates associated with your benefit group.

Navia Benefit Solutions will notify you of your enrollment options. When COBRA coverage is elected within the required timeline (60 days) and all necessary payments are made, coverage is retroactive to your loss of coverage date. Any insurance claims incurred during the period between the date you lost coverage and your COBRA election date will be covered under your continuation coverage—as long as all required premiums are paid.

Deadline: You must elect continuation coverage within 60 days of the loss of coverage date or the date of Navia’s notification letter, whichever is later. You will have an additional 45 days from the date of the COBRA election to pay the first premium payment. If you want to expedite your enrollment, you can make your first premium payment at the same time you enroll.

Contact: Navia Benefit Solutions, 425-452-3490 or cobra@naviabenefits.com.

Other health insurance options: For help finding other affordable health insurance and health care options, you may contact the Community Health Access Program at 800-756-5437 or chap@kingcounty.gov.

If you were enrolled in a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) on your last day of employment, you have the following options for you and your covered family members.

Health Care FSAs

If you enrolled in a Health Care FSA this year, and you do not elect to continue participation under COBRA, your Health Care FSA participation ends on your last day of King County employment. You have 90 days following your termination date to submit reimbursement requests for eligible expenses incurred through the date you leave. Note: Your participation in the Health Care FSA ends on your last day of employment—this is usually different than the date your other benefits end.

You can elect to continue participation in the Health Care FSA under COBRA. Under COBRA, contributions are made on an after-tax basis plus a 2% administration fee. You have until March 31 of the following year to submit reimbursement requests for eligible expenses incurred during the calendar year while under COBRA. However, you cannot re-enroll or carry unused funds into the following year.

As a reminder, FSA funds cannot be used to pay health care premiums.

Day Care FSAs

If you elected a Day Care FSA this year, and you have a remaining balance on your last day of King County employment, you can seek reimbursement of eligible expenses incurred through the end of year. You have until March 31 of the following year to submit reimbursement requests for eligible expenses incurred during the calendar year in which termination occurs.

Contact: Navia Benefit Solutions at 425-452-3500 or 800-669-3539, or Shannon Dorr at 206-263-2495 or Shannon.Dorr@kingcounty.gov.

If you have life insurance on your last day of employment, coverage continues through the last day of the month you leave. You have the following options to continue coverage for you and your covered family members. 

Portability: If you leave employment and are not ill or injured and away from work on the date your coverage ends, your insurance is considered “portable.” This means you may continue the basic and supplemental life insurance you had on your last day of employment, up to $500,000, until age 99. You pay premiums for the continued coverage directly to Minnesota Life, an affiliate of the Securian Financial Group, and the age-specific group rates
may differ from the rates paid by active employees. 

If you continue coverage, you may also continue the supplemental group term life insurance you had on your last day of employment for your covered family members (up to $100,000 until age 99 for your spouse or domestic partner, and up to $5,000 until age 19 for dependent children).

Conversion: If you are not eligible for portability, you may convert your King County group life insurance to an individual policy.

Deadline: If you’re interested in continuing life insurance coverage, it is your responsibility to contact Minnesota Life/Securian within 31 days after your King County coverage ends to request and submit a portability or conversion application. 

If you have accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance on your last day of employment, coverage continues through the last day of the month you leave. AD&D insurance is not portable. You may be eligible to purchase AD&D conversion insurance through Minnesota Life, an affiliate of the Securian Financial Group.

Deadline: If you’re interested in converting your AD&D insurance coverage, it is your responsibility to contact Minnesota Life/Securian within 31 days after your King County coverage ends to request and submit a conversion application. 

If you have long-term disability (LTD) insurance on your last day of employment, coverage continues through the last day of the month you leave. LTD insurance is not portable. You may be eligible to purchase LTD conversion insurance without submitting evidence of insurability through The Standard.

Deadline: If you’re interested in converting your LTD insurance coverage, it is your responsibility to contact The Standard within 62 days after your King County coverage ends to request and submit an Application for LTD Conversion. 

If you’re leaving King County employment and your spouse or eligible domestic partner is also a King County employee, your spouse or domestic partner may add you to their benefits.

Deadline: Your spouse or eligible domestic partner must complete the Qualifying Life Event form within 30 days of your benefit end date. 

If you are facing a layoff, additional resources are available to support you during this difficult time. Go to the Layoff support resources page for information on programs that can help you find a new job, financial programs, and mental health and well-being resources, so you have the tools you need as you transition from King County employment.

If you are a career-service employee, you are eligible for Priority Placement Consideration into career service and temporary positions if one of the following occurs:

• You receive formal written notification that your position is being eliminated due to a layoff.
• You receive formal written notification that your full-time position is being reduced to part-time.

Priority Placement means your candidacy for a vacant position for which you qualify is evaluated before the rest of the candidate pool. The Priority Placement Consideration process cannot result in a promotion. You are eligible for priority placement for up to two years from your layoff.

For additional information and resources about this program, go to Priority Placement Program.

Career Support Services offers guidance, resources, and support to help King County employees transition to new opportunities. For information, go to Career Support Services, or contact them by email: CareerSupportServices@kingcounty.gov.

The Making Life Easier program is available to King County employees and their family members who are facing difficult situations. Services include counseling, financial advising, legal consultation, child care and elder care referrals, and more. The program is free for you and members of your household, and for anyone laid off from King County, the program is available for 90 days after your layoff goes into effect. Call 888-874-7290, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or go to Making Life Easier and use the username “King County.”

If you leave employment with King County for reasons other than retirement, you may qualify for unemployment benefits through the Washington State Employment Security Office. 

To learn more and apply, contact Washington State Employment Security at 855-829-9243. For more information and to apply online, go to Employment Security Department. For information by phone, call 833-572-8400, 7 a.m.–4 p.m. To apply by phone, call 800-318-6022, 7 a.m.–4 p.m. Mon.–Sat.

WorkSource Washington offers resources and referrals to help you find other employment. Program services include assessment, referral, training, career counseling, and job search assistance.

WorkSource offices statewide are currently closed for in-person services due to the COVID-19 outbreak. You can get help from WorkSource staff by calling your local WorkSource office or through the Live Chat on the WorkSource Washington website 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., or by calling 833-572-8400 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. All other features on the WorkSource website are available 24/7.