ALEXANDRIA, Va.–In the wake of risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic, NCUA is making a number of changes to protect the “health and safety” of its examiners.
In a memo to employees, this week the agency said it will begin phasing in a temporary offsite examination program “posture,” with the full offsite exam program posture going into effect no later than March 23.
NCUA said it will evaluate the offsite examination program weekly in two-week intervals.
Other changes announced by the agency include:
- NCUA field staff will perform examination and supervision procedures offsite, if that is their preference. “If a credit union does not want examiners onsite the week of March 16, 2020, examiners will not go onsite and will instead perform offsite work,” NCUA said in the memo. “If the credit union and examiner are both agreeable to performing onsite work, examiners may go onsite with SE concurrence the week of March 16, 2020.
- If examiners choose to work onsite the week of March 16, 2020, onsite work should only consist of finishing up work that must be conducted onsite for examinations in process.
- Effective no later than Monday, March 23, 2020, NCUA said all field staff will perform offsite examination and supervision work. “This offsite posture will remain in effect until at least March 27, 2020. Examiners should not plan to conduct onsite examinations until further notice,” NCUA said.
NCUA told staff additional details regarding offsite work and alternative worksites will be provided today. Staff were urged to remain “flexible” as the situation is fluid.