COVID-19

May 8, 2020

Dear Member:

I am excited to announce we are entering a new phase of operations starting Monday, May 11^th.  We will be reopening our lobbies for member transactions, loans and new accounts, albeit with some new safety precautions as required by the Governor’s ‘Stay Safe Ohio Order’.  Our number one priority is the safety of our employees, their family members, and you. With this in mind, we have adopted the following requirements for members wishing to conduct in-branch transactions:

• Masks – We will require you to wear a properly fitted mouth, nose and chin covering (aka Mask) upon entering our facilities.  If you have a valid reason that you cannot wear a mask, we simply ask you to call ahead to discuss your situation and we will schedule an appointment for your visit in a safer environment.  We are requiring all employees to wear a mask when proper social distancing guidelines cannot be followed.
• Identification – Please be ready to present your I.D. upon request.  You may also be asked to briefly remove your mask for a proper identification to be made.
• At-risk Population – We have designated each Wednesday 10am – 11am to serve those members most vulnerable to COVID-19.  Please honor this time slot for the safety of our at-risk members for their ability to perform their banking needs with limited lobby traffic.
• Social Distancing – We have placed floor clings throughout or facilities to assist you in keeping the required 6’ separation between our members.  Additionally, we have installed plexiglass germ shields at each teller station and loan officer desk as a physical barrier to assist in preventing the spread of the virus.
• Occupancy Limitations – Signs will be posted throughout our facilities advising you of the maximum occupancy per building, common areas and offices.  We ask that you please abide by the posted signs.
• Cleaning – It will be our policy to clean and sanitize all touched surfaces each hour on the hour throughout our facilities.  Additionally, a deep clean and sanitation process will be performed in each facility at the close of each business day.
• Posted Signs – We ask that you read and abide by all posted signs placed at the entrance of each of our buildings.  Specifically, we ask that you not enter our buildings if you are experiencing any of the known symptoms of COVID-19.
• Hand Sanitizer – Washing your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds is the best defense against the virus.  While this is not practical to wash upon entering our facilities, we have implemented a practice of offering hand sanitizer which meets the CDC’s guidelines for effectiveness against the virus.  We encourage you to use the hand sanitizer prior to performing your transaction in-branch.
• No Handshake Policy – Unfortunately, we find it necessary to request you honor our no handshake policy during the COVID-19 period.
• Lobby Waiting Area – You’ll notice our lobby waiting chairs will be spaced 6’ apart to observe the social distancing requirement.  Additionally, we have eliminated all reading materials, like magazines, from our lobby waiting areas to help prevent the potential spread of the virus.
• Lobby’s Closing 30 Minutes Early each Day – To ensure proper cleaning, we will close our lobbies 30 minutes early each day to allow our employees time to wrap up their day’s work and perform the required end-of-day deep clean and sanitation of the branch.  Our drive-up hours will remain the same.  Please check our website for up-to-date operating hours for each location.

Atomic has always prided itself for our branch network and its caring staff. Although new procedures are necessary in these times, we look forward to being able to serve you again in our lobbies and offices!

Sincerely,

Thomas D. Griffiths
President/Chief Executive Officer

Dear Member:

Moments ago, Governor DeWine issued another Executive Order extending the stay-at-home order originally set to expire on Monday April 6th through May 1, 2020 and left open the possibility of extending the stay-at-home order beyond May 1st.   As a result, I feel it is necessary to communicate what Atomic Credit Union’s position will be throughout this time period.  The governor’s order continues to allow ‘essential’ businesses to remain open, including banks and credit unions.  Atomic will remain open to our membership with the current limitations on lobby access while we continue to provide service through our drive-up’s, ATM’s, online and mobile banking solutions, debit and credit cards, online loans and online account opening.  Additionally, our Call Center agents stand ready to assist you during normal operating hours for any questions or concerns you may have about your accounts or loans.  We are going to do the Credit Union thing – Help People!

If you haven’t already done so, I implore you to download our mobile banking app and give it a try.  You’ll literally be able to transact nearly everything a teller can do in real-time! If you need assistance, our Call Center agents are trained to help you through the process. It is vitally important to our communities that each of us practice the social distancing expectations; observe the stay-at-home order; and only venture out when absolutely necessary.  By limiting office visits during this period, it allows us to appropriately staff the locations to a minimum for the welfare of our employees and their family members.  Your understanding and consideration during this unprecedented time is most appreciated.  In compliance with the new order, we will be required to monitor the total number of persons allowed within each location at a given time.  Each branch will be different due to square footage and building configurations.  We will continue to do our best to provide lobby access by appointment only throughout this time – please call ahead for an appointment.

While we hope it doesn’t come to this, I feel it is necessary to inform you that we have contingency plans in place in the event any of our branch employees tests positive for COVID-19.  If this becomes reality, we will temporarily be required to close the branch and perform extensive sanitation procedures before allowing employees or members to return to the location.  We will do our best to provide re-opening hours as soon as practical.  We believe the turnaround time to be within 24 – 48 hours. I know without a doubt you understand the precautions and disruptions we’re facing over the next few weeks, and I want to express my sincere gratitude for such a considerate and loyal membership!

As always, best of luck and keep safe!

Tom

Dear Member,

Credit Unions and banks are considered essential service providers and will remain open during Governor DeWine’s stay-at-home order. This order is effective tonight at 11:59pm and runs through April 6, 2020, in response to the evolving COVID-19 situation.  Atomic Credit Union reaffirms its commitment to its members to stay open throughout this unprecedented time.  The use of debit and credit cards, ATMs, digital banking and lending, electronic payments, call center operations, and drive-up centers continue to operate across our vast branch network.  The Governor’s executive order released yesterday does however further limit our face-to-face transaction capabilities. 

The well-being of our members, employees, and their family members remains the Credit Union’s number one priority.  I am impressed with our membership’s understanding and support during the most recent operational changes that we implemented to help combat the spread of the virus.  At this time, I am encouraging you to continue to show your support to the employees during these challenging times.

Effective Tuesday, March 24^th the Credit Union will put in place the following operational changes:

• Drive-up facilities will remain open for member transactions.
• For transactions that cannot be conducted via our drive-up, our lobbies will be available by appointment only.  We ask that you call ahead at 1-800-652-2328 to ensure an open appointment is available at the branch of your choice.
• Our digital and mobile banking solution is a safe, secure, and convenient way to perform nearly any transaction a teller or call center representative can conduct on your behalf.  I encourage you to download the app and give it a try.
• Contact us via our Call Center and an agent will direct you to one of our knowledgeable lending specialists.  We are still making all types of loans throughout this period!
• We will be permanently closing our Athens - Columbus Road office at the close of business today.  This is eight days prior to the planned closure, but we felt it was best to close now in order to better meet the demands of the Governor’s order.
• Our General Mills office remains temporarily closed during this period.
• Our Wheelersburg office and Lucasville office will be open for appointment only until 1pm each business day.  Please consider utilizing the ATMs at these locations for your cash needs.
• Our Chillicothe branch will only conduct drive-up transactions on Sundays.  Lobby services will be available by appointment throughout the remainder of the work week.
• We are establishing a specialized team of lenders to assist any member affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.  We encourage any member with concerns about their loan payments to reach out to us as we will be very flexible and creative in helping get through this challenging time.  Extension agreements and loan forbearance agreements are only a couple of the tools we have readily available to assist our members.

We are all in a very fluid situation right now.  We are continuing to monitor the situation and making plans on top of back-up plans.  We’ll do our best to do the best by our members!  With that said, I feel it is important for you, the member, to understand how Atomic Credit Union is taking care of its employees – those who proudly serve you each and every day.  It’s one thing for a company to say they’re taking care of their employees, and it’s another thing when the employees are actually taken care of.  The Credit Union is committed, well into the future, to paying its full-time employees 100% of their regular salary with no reductions in any benefits! Our part-time employees, while most will not be scheduled to work during our limited operations phase, will be given the choice to complete numerous professional online credit union courses that will aid in furthering their career at the credit union.  They will be paid their hourly rate for all hours spent training during this period.  Additionally, the Credit Union will pay its hourly front-line employees (tellers and member service representatives) an additional 25% Hazard Pay.  All this combined with 12 paid sick days each year in addition to 14 paid coronavirus related sick days, and insurance policies for short-term and long-term disability claims; not to mention the protection afforded by the Family Medical Leave Act.  We truly believe we had our employees’ best interest at heart well before this coronavirus event!

In closing this letter, it would be remiss of me if I failed to address the latest fiasco with our online and mobile banking down-time days of Friday, March 20^th through Sunday, March 22^nd.  I cannot write an apology sincere enough to express my regret that you were not capable of conducting digital banking services during this already stressful time!  Most of our members were understanding and realize that technology seems to fail us when it is most desired, and some members were simply upset because it seems to be an occurrence too often repeated with our online banking product.  I absolutely agree! I have never been more thoroughly disgusted with a technology partner than I have been with our core and mobile provider.  Behind the scenes, we have been working feverishly for more than three years to get out of this contract and pursue better partners.  On the positive side, we have found a new state of the art core provider and home banking provider.  I respectfully ask for your patience while we work to convert over the next 6 – 12 months.  Ultimately, you will have a much better product, and a product you can count on being live when you need it most!  Again, I apologize for the inconveniences and look forward to providing you with an improved product soon.

Sincerely,

Thomas D. Griffiths

March 19, 2020

As a follow-up to my original coronavirus (COVID-19) communication, circumstances have rapidly evolved to require further bold actions be taken to meet the directives ordered by Governor DeWine as recent as yesterday afternoon. With the growing list of business industries in Ohio being forced to shutter their operations, along with employer mandated expectations such as social distancing, we find it necessary to adjust our operations to help protect the health and safety of our members, our employees, and the communities we serve in general. Although the credit union’s branch service capabilities are being somewhat limited, as I will discuss in more detail later, it is very reassuring to hear from the Governor’s task force on coronavirus that they do not have any intention of closing banks or credit unions in Ohio! However, they do report that it may only be feasible to remain open through limited services such as drive thru, ATM access, call centers, and on-line banking. The Governor has repeatedly emphasized the need to keep open the financial institutions, grocery stores and healthcare related facilities, if and when, a mass quarantine is issued in Ohio.

With this said, Atomic Credit Union is announcing its operational plan to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 which is consistent with the direction provided by the Governor’s office. Effective today, March 19, 2020, the Credit Union will be expanding its social distancing practice by modifying its operations until further notice. All branch walk-in lobbies will be temporarily unavailable for transactions except that appointments can be scheduled with one of our Member Service Representatives.  You may make an appointment by calling 800-652-2328. Atomic will be limiting all locations to drive-thru, night drops and ATM services. During this transition, we will have a personal greeter at each location entrance to provide guidance on how you can complete your financial transactions. We truly apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but please realize we are doing this for the sake of protecting our members, employees, their family members, and the community at-large. It is up to all of us to come together and make the necessary sacrifices needed to safely move beyond these unprecedented times. In the event your branch location does not have a drive-thru, please consider utilizing one of our many ATM’s or night drops for cash or deposit services. See our website for location specific capabilities. Also, you can do almost everything one of our tellers can do from our online and mobile banking apps – deposit a check with Remote Deposit Capture, transfer money between your accounts, check real-time balances, make loan payments, just to mention a few.

One of the conditions set forth within the Governor’s directives on COVID-19 establishes the expectation that employers should take and monitor its employees’ temperature before allowing them to enter the workplace. If he/she exhibits a temperature higher than 100.4 degrees, then that employee is to be sent home and quarantined at home. This expectation is the primary reason for strictly limiting our lobbies during the pandemic period. We ask that if you are experiencing any of the symptoms of COVID-19, please do not attempt to transact business at the Credit Union. With that said, we will have our call center staff beefed up with knowledgeable lenders to assist you with any loan requests you may have during this time. We love to make loans! If you have internet access, we can have you sign your loan documents via DocuSign, otherwise we will try to accommodate an office visit for the closing. We will be reaching out directly to our members that are in the process of a mortgage loan and provide them with updates regarding the status of their loans and how the closure of local courthouses may affect the mortgage lending process.

Some economists are predicting unemployment may surge to 20% during this period. I wish to assure our loan members that the Atomic Credit Union will do the right thing by you! We will continue to do the credit union thing – help people! As I said previously, our call center is fully staffed and ready to assist members in good times and bad times. The most important piece of advice I can give to anyone during bad times is to keep the line of communication open! We want to help you! We will be utilizing all tools, such as, loan extensions, modifications, consolidations, etc. to help get you through this unprecedented time. Again, I cannot stress enough – please stay in communication with us – it’s the best way we can help you!

As circumstances evolve, I will be sure to communicate any necessary issues as soon as practical. In the meanwhile, be safe and keep your distance 😊

Sincerely,

Thomas D. Griffiths

March 17, 2020

I would like to take this opportunity to assure the members of the Atomic Credit Union that your credit union is well-positioned to provide stability throughout this erratic stock market ride and pandemic situation that has caused many other banks to take a pause and reassess their positions. The Atomic Credit Union completely understands its position in the market-place and will continue to provide the same valuable and relevant services you’ve come to expect year over year. 

We know many of you may be concerned about the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The situation is changing rapidly, to say the least. We realize the gravity of the public health crisis confronting the world, and this is our part to play. Our top priority is to balance the safety and health of our members and employees, with our obligation to provide members with access to their money. Moments ago, I listened to Governor Mike DeWine’s coronavirus task force press conference, and I was relieved to hear it is the intent of the governor’s office to keep all life essential businesses, specifically mentioning the banking industry, open to the public throughout the pandemic period. I encourage each of you, as a precautionary step to help protect yourself and your family, please consider using one of our technology services for your banking needs in lieu of an office visit. For your convenience these services are available 24/7/365.

Digital and Mobile Banking- Convenient and secure access to your account and provides the same account information available at an Atomic Credit Union branch. If you are not currently enrolled in Digital and Mobile Banking or have forgotten your login information visit atomiccu.com. Atomic Credit Union Digital and Mobile Banking offers:

• Mobile Deposit- Through our Mobile App, you can take a picture of a check to make a deposit.
• Bill Pay- Safely send a payment.
• External Transfers- Securely transfer funds between your Atomic Credit Union account and your account at another bank.
• Pay A Person- Send money to anyone using their mobile phone number. 
• Make a Loan Payment – Transfer money from any account to make a loan payment.
• Check your Balance – Quickly view the balance of your accounts in real time.
• Direct Deposit – Quickly check to see if your direct deposit posted to your account.

ATMs- All of our branches are equipped with ATM’s which can be used for cash withdrawals, check deposits, balance inquiries and more. In addition, we are enrolled in two free nationwide networks: To find a Money Pass Surcharge free ATM click here. For Alliance One Surcharge free ATM click here. 

Our friendly Call Center staff is available at 800.652.2328 Monday through Friday between 8:30AM and 6:00PM, Saturday: 8:30AM to 4:00PM and Sunday: 10:00AM to 2:00PM. You may also Contact Us using our website. 

I have no doubt we will get through this together and come back better than ever. As always, thank you for being an Atomic Credit Union member and for doing your part by taking extra steps to stay healthy.

Sincerely,

Thomas D. Griffiths