2021 CSBS Community Bank Case Study Competition Journal

FIRST PLACE: The University of Tennessee at Martin on March 23, 2020, TriStar was formulating strategies to open to the public as soon as possible. TriStar already had a well designed pandemic policy in place, so no specific changes

TriStar wanted to set an example in the community by keeping its lobbies open to provide quality service to its customers during these times of confusion and “to maintain safety, soundness, and integrity” in its daily business actions. (“About TriStar,” Statement of Values).

were needed. Although its pandemic policy did not change, specific measures were taken to address the COVID-19 virus specifically as information about the pandemic evolved. TriStar wanted to set an example in the community by keeping its lobbies open to provide quality service to its customers during these times of confusion and “to maintain safety, soundness, and integrity” in its daily business actions (“About TriStar,” Statement of Values ). After closing its lobbies because of the pandemic, TriStar activated its Pandemic Response Team, which is made up of five members. This team remains updated about the COVID-19 pandemic, creates guidelines to protect employees and customers, and disseminates pertinent COVID-19 information to staff. The team created a flowchart for employees to follow so they would know what to do if they had been exposed to the COVID-19 virus or exhibited any symptoms of the virus. The team uses a contact tracing system to determine what actions to take and to decide whether employees need to get tested or quarantine at home. The response team ensured that TriStar personnel followed all recommended Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines during this time. To keep employees safe, Harvey Church, President of TriStar, proposed all five TriStar branches divide employees into two teams to lessen the amount of close contact between

employees. This decision was prompted by the unknown aspect of the spread and severity of COVID-19 in the early months of the pandemic (A. Murphy and B. Ragan, Zoom, March 22, 2021). The employees were split into two teams who each worked three 10-hour days expanding the Bank’s work week for customers. The Pandemic Response Team structured the hours worked, and then CEOWilliams approved an extra 10 hours’ worth of pay as a reward for all employees to make certain that employees were receiving a complete 40-hour work-week wage (A. Murphy & B. Ragan, E-mail, March 22, 2021). This employee work arrangement was an executive decision, and TriStar’s Board of Directors was updated on all actions. TriStar complied with the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)

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