In light of the earthquake disaster in Haiti, King County Executive Dow Constantine signed an Executive Order on Jan. 15 allowing employees of King County government to donate accrued vacation time to Global Impact, a federation of 55 international aid organizations – many of which are already on the ground providing assistance in Haiti.

“I was stunned and saddened to see the complete destruction caused by the earthquake in Haiti, and the lack of resources available to assist with recovery,” said Constantine. “Like many of you, I want to help in any way I can. This action empowers county employees to help.”

Under the Executive Order, county employees will be allowed to convert up to 40 hours of vacation hours or compensatory time into a cash donation to provide relief for earthquake victims. Employees will have 45 days to complete a form and have their contribution deducted through their payroll system. King County currently employs about 13,700 people.

Similar action was been taken by King County government after the Southeast Asia Tsunami in 2004, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and most recently the destructive flooding in Washington State in 2007. King County employees contributed more than $182,000 toward relief efforts after the tsunami.

Roughly 700 King County residents share Haitian ancestry, and of those as many as 500 were born in Haiti.

“My thoughts are with the victims, friends and family members who have been touched by this disaster,” added Constantine. “By contributing to relief organizations, we can provide the victims with some desperately needed resources.”