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Credit Union Times

DECEMBER 9, 2020 | VOL. 31 | NO. 23 | CUTIMES.COM

Must Reads

STAFF MANAGEMENT

Empathizing With EmployeesFor many people, the holidayscan be challenging even in normal circumstances. Consideringthe current situation with COVID- 19 and other ongoing issues across the country, we findourselves in uncharted territorythis year. Many of these circumstances are out of our control,but that does not make themeasier to manage or relieve theanxiety employees may feel overwhat the holidays will look likethis season. Not only can the resulting stress impact employees’emotional and mental well-being, but it also has the potentialto spill over into the workplace.

It is important to rememberand acknowledge that this season will be different than most.Even for organizations with on-site employees, holiday partiesand gatherings likely are off thetable in 2020, further chippingaway at activities that build camaraderie this time of year. Thiscan especially impact thosewithout close friends or familynearby. Addressing these issueshead-on can help overcomethe stigma that sometimes surrounds the “holiday blues” andencourage individuals to reachout for assistance when needed.

Even with these extra challenges to consider, there areeffective ways to support employees’, clients’ and your ownmental health and well-being aseveryone works together to navigate this year’s unique holidayseason. Y16

FOCUSREPORT:CUS IN THE

COMMUNITY

This year, the need forfinancial support incommunities across the U.S. isgreater than ever. Learn themany ways CUs have beenflexing their giving muscles in

2020 in this Focus Report. Y6

Consumer
Advocates
Can’t Wait
for Biden
DAVID BAUMANN
dbaumann@cutimes.com

onsumer advocatesare champing at thebit to get their handson the CFPB.

Just weeks after Joe Biden wasdeclared the victor of the 2020presidential race – and in somecases even before that – advocates began releasing lists of policies they want reversed when theBiden Administration takes control of an agency they believe hasbeen far too friendly with the businesses it is supposed to regulate.

“President Trump has made itclear from the beginning that hedoes not believe in protecting financial consumers and that theCFPB should be neutered,” oneof those groups, Better Markets,said in a report issued beforeElection Day.

The group went on to say, “The
CFPB requires new leadership
and a complete reorientation
back to the reason it was created:
Protecting consumers.”
From payday lending to dis-
mantling the agency’s contro-
versial consumer financial law
task force, groups are calling for
changes that could affect the reg-
ulatory regime for credit unions.

There’s little question that President Trump slowed the Y18REGULATION

Caring forEmployeesRelationshipstake priority atwork. Y12

Rethinking

Giving

Now is the time
to strategize
better. Y7
hile COVID- 19
forced the can-
cellation of many
in-person con-
ferences, a few bold credit union
organizations held gatherings in
person anyway in recent months
despite the risk of the ubiquitous
deadly virus.
Fortunately, not a single report-
ed COVID- 19 case resulted from
any of these conferences. In addi-
tion to strictly complying with all
of the CDC-recommended guide-
lines, conference organizers said
they added layers of safety mea-
sures and enforced the guidelines
by reminding people to wear their
masks properly. They also imple-
mented other strategies to make
sure people socially distanced and
frequently sanitized their hands.

Matt Purvis, principal of Purvis
Management in Eugene, Ore., was
one of the featured speakers at
the National Credit
Union Manage-
ment Association
conference in late
September at the
Coeur d’Alene Re-
sort in Idaho.