450 King County Employees Face Firing Over Vaccine Mandate

KING COUNTY, WA — Approximately 450 King County employees face termination this week after failing to comply with the vaccination mandate, officials announced Tuesday night. The county-level order applied to more than 14,000 workers, and nearly 97 percent complied.

That figure includes 92 percent — or 13,191 employees — who were fully vaccinated and about 5 percent — or 639 employees — that secured religious or medical exemptions. The latter group is still waiting to see whether their positions can be accommodated.

The remaining three percent will receive termination letters this week, the county said. King County's trends align closely with the state's, which also let go of approximately 3 percent of its workforce for noncompliance Tuesday.

The King County Executive's Office said it expected some employees would confirm their vaccination status during the separation process, which would allow them to continue on in their roles. The county said another 396 employees were on extended leave and will need to comply with the order before returning to work.

While detailed figures for all county departments were not available Tuesday, the executive's office did release breakdowns for the King County Sheriff's Office and King County Metro, citing the level of interest:

King County Sheriff’s Office (Sworn)

• 623 total employees.
  • 71 requested exemptions, now in the accommodation process.
  • 12 did not comply with the mandate.

Metro Transit Operators

• 2,614 total employees.
  • 119 requested exemptions, now in the accommodation process.
  • 96 did not comply with the mandate.

King County Executive Dow Constantine send a letter to employees Tuesday evening, thanking them for their widespread compliance with the vaccination rules.

His letter reads in part:

"As public servants, we have an obligation to do everything we can to protect the health and safety of the people we serve and the people we work alongside. We have an obligation to lead by example, and I am grateful that, once again, you have shown your commitment to this region through your actions. By having as many people as possible fully vaccinated in our workforce, we can ensure we continue to be there for our community.

We are working through complex issues related to employee requests for accommodation and the processes associated with employees who chose not to vaccinate. I thank you for respecting the privacy of all employees."