History matters. Listen to this short NPR podcast about the history behind Juneteenth and what it means at this moment. (Click the link or listen below.)
Read, listen and watch more in the D&I Digest.
The San Diego County Administration Center was lit purple Tuesday night to mark World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. The County stands with San Diego seniors and their families to help them be on the lookout for any signs of abuse.
County employees were thanks for the COVID-19 response at the County Operations Center on Tuesday, June 15.
Message from Helen Robbins-Meyer, Chief Administrative Officer:
We arrived at a huge milestone today: the end of the state’s blueprint system and of most restrictions put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
As part of that, we at the County are back open for business. We’ve opened the doors at all of our public facilities and are welcoming our customers back. It’s a thrilling moment.
I want to welcome all of you back as well. I know not everything is the way it used to be. Many of you still telework, and that is going to continue to be a large part of how we operate. Maybe it’s more like, welcome to this new chapter of ours.
I don’t know anyone who imagined last March it would take so long to get to this point. It’s been a trying 15 months. They’ve been filled with a lot of sacrifice, frustration and suffering. You’ve shown tremendous flexibility and resilience, and I thank you with all my heart.
I also want to acknowledge that while this is a big step forward, we are still very hard at work on the pandemic and recovering from its impacts. The threat has been greatly diminished but hasn’t gone away. We’ll be monitoring the virus in our community closely and taking prevention measures as needed. You’re probably aware that for now, employees in the workplace, vaccinated or not, need to continue to wear masks and maintain social distancing. We expect additional guidance on that by later this week, and we’ll let you know if anything changes.
I’ll note as well that we are now in a very different world than we were in March 2020, and we’re not just picking up where we left off. We’ve centered efforts to examine our organization for bias and ensure equity in all the ways we serve our residents. We have a new board charting new directions for us. As chance would have it, this reopening falls between two days of public hearings on a budget that is fundamentally restructuring our operations.
So it’s an exciting moment in more ways than one. And today really is cause to celebrate several things. The easing of restrictions that affect us personally. The ability to bring the public back to their public spaces. And the achievements of the County in guiding our residents through a health crisis. Again, it’s not over. But it’s been a monumental undertaking getting us to the current situation, where we feel we can safely reopen. I commend the work of everyone who helped move us to this day, and I hope you share in the pride I take in everything you’ve done.
Welcome back. Welcome forward.
The County of San Diego Filipino American Employees Association (CSDFEA) and Asian Pacific Alliance of County Employees (APACE) will host a second virtual panel of Amplify AAPI Voices on Wednesday, June 30, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Listen to AAPI leaders from the local community as they discuss a wide range of topics such as culture, heritage, customs, and traditions; what it means to be AAPI; and current issues surrounding the AAPI community.
On Tuesday, June 15, the County is reopening its public facilities, and many employees will be returning to worksites to serve our customers in person.
While a lot has changed during the course of the last 15 months, one thing that has not wavered is our commitment to the health and safety of our workforce. As we welcome you back, you will continue to see enhanced cleaning protocols, social distancing and facial coverings in accordance with the latest state regulations to keep you safe in the workplace. We realize you may have questions and have updated our Frequently Asked Questions to help you navigate your return.
The COVID-19 vaccine continues to be one of the best ways to protect yourself from getting the virus. Everyone 12 years and older can get a vaccine at no cost. You do not need an appointment, but can schedule one if you choose. View the COVID-19 vaccination site schedule.
Welcome back!
Message from Helen Robbins-Meyer, Chief Administrative Officer:
Attempts to break through our online security have become relentless. This morning, over 2,000 of our colleagues were targeted by yet another phishing scam. Those are emails with links or attachments that could potentially do grave harm to us. In today’s attack, our users were asked to supply a password to open an attachment.
In this case, safety protocols blocked the actions from going any further. Kudos to all our IT staff who work tirelessly at creating, and constantly updating, these safeguards. They stop a lot of these attempts before they even get to your inbox.
But even the best goalie can’t block every shot. They need all of us – I mean anyone who uses County email or a County computer system – to be on guard against these attacks.
I hope it’s clear to everyone the risk we’re running in an online breach. We hold vast amounts of private information, and the public trusts us to protect it. Those trying to pry open a digital door are getting sneakier all the time. We need to up our awareness and vigilance to keep pace.
You’ve probably heard these tips before, but today’s incident indicates we need constant reminders.
Don’t open, or click on links or attachments in, a suspicious email. Scammers are able to “spoof” the sender so it appears they come from within the County. But if you suddenly get an email from someone who wouldn’t typically email you, there’s a red flag. If it includes an attachment, say, to a voice mail file – big red flag.
If anyone asks for your County password, in any context via any email, regardless of how official it looks – don’t do it! You will never be asked to share a password or input a password via an email link. Huge red flag.
Anything that looks strange in any way, don’t open or click on anything.
In Outlook, there’s a button now that says Phish Alert. Depending on what you’re using for your email, it might be in top menu on the right or within the message options. With any questionable mail, click on that.
It’s frustrating that we need to keep this constantly in mind as we rush through the countless emails and online work that we do each day. But it’s essential to our mission of protecting the public that we stay alert to this growing threat.
Thanks for your cooperation and vigilance.
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The benefits of travel are amazing and diverse. As you travel, you're exposed to new people, cultures and lifestyles. Don’t miss these four short tours. Have a listen to the travel series now:
Bon voyage!
