MADISON, Wis.–Members of the CUNA CEO Council focused on branch reopening strategies and safety measures, staff reintroductions, and loan/net interest income issues during a virtual chat, according to CUNA.
Linda White, president/CEO of $80-million Upward Credit Union in Burlingame, Calif., and CUNA CEO Council Executive Committee member, moderated the session, which drew several hundred participants, CUNA reported.
Upward Credit Union, which serves healthcare providers, never closed its main branch, White says. “We want to be open for our members.”
As CUs look to reopen branches, some of the measures being taken to protect members and employees discussed by the CEOs include:
- Installing germ shields at teller windows and member service desks
- Requiring staff to wear facial masks while conducting transactions. Most participants said they would allow members to wear masks but wouldn’t require it
- Maintaining social distancing measures
- Limiting member capacity inside branches as defined by state guidelines
- Removing complimentary coffee and food from lobbies to discourage members from spending time in the branches
- Providing routine cleaning and sanitizing regularly at shared member spaces
While some credit unions plan to take employees’ temperatures daily, others are reluctant to do so. “I’m not a doctor,” CUNA quoted one participant as saying.
Other Issues Addressed
According to CUNA, other issues CEOs addressed:
- Member identification. Some credit unions will ask members to pull down their masks briefly for identification, while others appoint a staff person to identify members as they enter the branch. “We’ll have a remote panic button in case we need it,” one participant said, according to CUNA
One credit union created several “out of the box” questions to identify members based on their account activity.
- Loan delinquencies. CEOs are creating “what-if” scenarios to determine how to respond to late payments and loan losses. “We’re giving people 90-day extensions on their loan payments,” White said. “What if they’re not back to work in 90 days?”
- Long-term staff and facility changes. Some positions may transition to remote work permanently, and credit unions may reduce branch hours. Facilities may also be smaller in the future, and the use of interactive teller machines likely will increase, CUNA quoted participants as saying.