MANAGE STAFF AND TECHNOLOGY

The following is CDC guidance, however community banks are encouraged to follow any state or local requirements which may supersede CDC guidance:

In most cases, you do not need to shut down your facility. But do close off any areas used for prolonged periods of time by the sick person:

• Wait 24 hours before cleaning and disinfecting to minimize potential for other employees being exposed to respiratory droplets. If waiting 24 hours is not feasible, wait as long as possible.
• During this waiting period, open outside doors and windows to increase air circulation in these areas.

Follow the CDC cleaning and disinfection recommendations:

• Clean dirty surfaces with soap and water before disinfecting them.
• To disinfect surfaces, use products that meet EPA criteria for use against SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and are appropriate for the surface.
• Always wear gloves and gowns appropriate for the chemicals being used when you are cleaning and disinfecting.
• You may need to wear additional personal protective equipment (PPE) depending on the setting and disinfectant product you are using.

In addition to cleaning and disinfecting, employers should determine which employees may have been exposed to the virus and need to take additional precautions:

• Most workplaces should follow the Public Health Recommendations for Community-Related Exposure.
• Critical infrastructure workplaces should follow the guidance Implementing Safety Practices for Critical Infrastructure Workers Who May Have Had Exposure to a Person with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19.

Sick employees should follow CDC-recommended steps. Employees should not return to work until they have met the criteria to discontinue home isolation and have consulted with a healthcare provider and state or local health department.

If an employee is confirmed to have COVID-19, employers should inform fellow employees of their possible exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace but maintain confidentiality as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The CDC has offered new guidance encouraging customers to use touchless payment options when available and to minimize handling cash where possible. When exchanging paper and coin money, have both customer and employee place cash on the counter rather than directly into the hands of the recipient.

Yes. The Department of Homeland Security issued guidance on essential workforce which includes the following financial services employees:

• Workers who are needed to provide, process and maintain systems for processing, verification, and recording of financial transactions and services, including payment, clearing, and settlement; wholesale funding; insurance services; consumer and commercial lending; and capital markets activities).
• Workers who are needed to maintain orderly market operations to ensure the continuity of financial transactions and services.
• Workers who are needed to provide business, commercial, and consumer access to bank and non-bank financial services and lending services, including ATMs, lending and money transmission, and to move currency, checks, securities, and payments (e.g., armored cash carriers).
• Workers who support financial operations and those staffing call centers, such as those staffing data and security operations centers, managing physical security, or providing accounting services.
• Workers supporting production and distribution of debit and credit cards.
• Workers providing electronic point of sale support personnel for essential businesses and workers.

ICBA has posted this guidance, along with a letter from Treasury Secretary Mnuchin and a template letter banks can use to provide local authorities with details describing the essential nature of their business, on its Crisis Preparedness webpage. Bank employees are encouraged to carry all three documents when traveling to and from work.