MILWAUKEE, Wis.–One corporate credit union is detailing how planning ahead has greatly assisted its work-from-home efforts, while credit unions, vendors and state governments have made a number of other announcements related to the coronavirus pandemic.
CUToday.info is providing ongoing coverage of related developments and has extensive reporting on what individual credit unions are doing here.
In Wisconsin, Corporate Central Credit Union and its affiliates, Emergifi, InterLutions and QuantyPhi, are reporting they began enabling work from home with planning for digital transformation and a migration to the cloud in 2017. At the time the stated goal was to achieve an “anywhere, anytime, on any device” goal in business resiliency efforts, Corporate Central said.
“This meant all staff would have the ability to work from home, which is paying off during this time. The transition to working from home during the pandemic was seamless and there have been no service disruptions for members or clients,” according to the company.
Corporate Central said all employees have laptops and all applications and tools are in the cloud.
“By using Microsoft 365 Business Premium, all digital documents and files are in the secure cloud-based OneDrive and SharePoint,” Corporate Central said. “Microsoft Teams is used for company-wide communications and collaboration. Groups, teams, and individuals use Team’s chat channels for daily operations. A cloud-based phone system allows for voice, video, conferencing, and web meetings, which means ‘phones’ follow employees everywhere by using a softphone and headset.”
“When the virus started becoming a more serious concern, it was comforting to be able to have all staff work from home, which we have been doing since March 16,” said Chris Felton, president/CEO of Corporate Central. “We always considered business resiliency important to be able to provide uninterrupted services for our members. I never really thought about the peace of mind aspect when faced with a pandemic and being able to immediately have all staff working from the safety of their homes.”
Additional Steps
Corporate Central said it has also taken additional steps to ensure employee efficiency, comfort, and security include equipping employees with large monitors and keyboards to improve the home-work environment. The company reported staff received care boxes filled with treats, similar to those found in the breakroom. IT performed external vulnerability scans on employees’ home networks to ensure networks did not include any open ports or vulnerabilities in routers, modems, or firewalls.
“Digital transformation and cloud adoption continue and it’s easy now to see the benefits,” said Gregg Tushaus, president of Emergifi. “We enable anywhere, anytime, any device work. Many clients are already using Microsoft 365 for secure email, file sharing, storage, online meetings, and chat. These services are bundled into Office 365 along with best-in-class productivity apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and enterprise-grade security. With Office 365, you can work from anywhere, on any device.”
CUNA Releases Webinar on Paid Leave Requirements
CUNA has made available a free recorded webinar that covers how to apply the new paid leave requirements established in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The recorded webinar, “COVID-19 Paid Leave Requirements,” is available now.
According to CUNA, the webinar offers info on how to:
- Identify whether your credit union is subject to the new paid leave requirements
- Determine which employees are eligible for paid leave
- Calculate benefits for full-time, part-time and teleworking employees
- Obtain a government refund for COVID-19 related paid leave claims
More on the free webinar here.
Surge in Applications
The Iowa Credit Union Foundation is reporting it has received more than 11,000 applications for the $500 grants it has available. As CUToday.info just reported here, the Foundation is offering the grants to CU members, both individuals and small business owners, who are experiencing hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic.
First Florida CU Joins #LocalStrong Initiative
In Jacksonville, Fla., First Florida Credit Union is taking steps to catalyze support for local businesses during the COVID-19 crisis by joining the #LocalStrong initiative. First Florida is distributing $5,000 among its 198 employees across the state to spend with local businesses starting in April.
First Florida Credit Union said it joined #LocalStrong when challenged by another credit union last week. As CUToday.info reported here, First Commerce CU in Tallahassee, Fla. had earlier reported it would be participating.
“Our team is committed to enriching people every day,” said First Florida Credit Union CEO Brent Lister. “There is no better time to put our money where our motto is and support #LocalStrong. We understand what these small businesses are up against and hope that our spark will ignite a larger movement across the region and beyond.”
As part of #LocalStrong, First Florida Credit Union said its employees will use $25 Visa gift cards to make a difference with acts of kindness ranging from donating to a local food bank or charity to buying groceries for an elderly neighbor. They can also purchase goods, services, or gift cards from their favorite local businesses as well as subscriptions to support community-based publications and journalists, the credit union said.
Employees are also being asked to make their purchases or donations following CDC guidelines for social distancing and current municipal orders.
Emergency Child Care Assistance for Employees of ‘Essential’ Biz in NJ
In the Garden State, the New Jersey Departments of Children and Families (DCF) and Human Services (DHS) has issued guidance for the Emergency Child Care Assistance Program for children of workers designated as “essential” under COVID-19 related Executive and Administrative Orders. Credit unions are among the businesses identified as being essential.
“Under this program, the state will help support child-care costs for essential workers,” the CrossState Credit Union Association reported. “In order to participate, essential employees who wish to utilize emergency care services must complete an online registration form available at www.childcarenj.gov/emergency. The state-supported, county-based Child Care Resource and Referral agencies will reach out to those who register to assist with enrollment and placement.”
The CSCUA noted Executive Order 110 directed the closure of all childcare centers except for those on federal property or military bases, family-based centers caring for five or fewer children, and any centers that register to exclusively provide emergency child-care services to essential personnel. Following a registration process, nearly 600 childcare agencies statewide have been certified by DCF to provide emergency child-care services.
Under the New Jersey program, for April the state’s full-time weekly rate per child for emergency child-care will be as follows: infant: $450.35; toddler: $415.70; preschooler: $415.70; school-age: $336.00.
Rhode Island Latest To OK Online Notarization
Rhode Island has become the most recent state to authorize online notarization as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. But it is a temporary authority effective April 3, 2020 until the termination of the COVID-19 state of emergency, according to the Cooperative Credit Union Association.
In general, under the new rules, the following is required to perform the authority:
* Possess or apply for a valid notary commission
* Declare an intent to use the authority
* An approved notary provider must be used
A notary public may perform electronic notarizations with software approved by the Rhode Island Department of State. The notary must register and provide a sample of the notary’s signature and official electronic stamp in addition to the eNotary capability they intend to use with the Rhode Island Department of State before performing any notary act.
As CUToday.info reported here, a credit union in Iowa recently became the first in the state to use online notarization to close a mortgage.
CSI Provides Resources for PPP
In Paducah, Ky., Computer Sciences, Inc. (CSI) said it has expanded its digital commercial loan services to provide institutions with a streamlined, expedited origination process for the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
CSI said its core banking system fully supports SBA origination and servicing, and through its partnership with RC Giltner Services, CSI institutions can provide an end-to-end integrated digital lending solution for PPP loans to SBA-certified customers. The services include automated applications and e-sign documents, along with a unique website allowing each community bank’s customers to complete the loan process online, the company said.