Environmental, Social and Governance > COVID-19 Response

Supporting Our Employees

At Independent Bank we have a well-established risk management discipline which served us well as we faced the challenges of COVID-19. We rose to the occasion with a multi-faceted Business Continuity Plan (BCP) and strong CARES Act participation. Our BCP command team has met regularly to monitor the complex and changing environment in which we operate. We closely review guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Institute of Health, Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), as well as state and local authorities. Based on these guidelines, we've published a variety of communications to inform, direct, and advise our employees and developed new safety and training procedures. We continuously fine-tune our plans as conditions change and new developments occur in our markets.

business owners image
Key components of our Plan including the following:
  • Creation, communication, and maintenance of our Safe Work Playbook with Frequently Asked Questions.
  • Development and update of our COVID-19 Landing Page on our intranet site which provides links to all of our communications, tools and resources for access by all employees.
  • Establishment of our Everbridge Self-health daily screening procedures, maintaining important records for contract tracing.
  • Provide resources from our Employee Assistance Program partners to include how to remain mentally and emotionally healthy during a crisis as well as remote work tips for employees regarding how to remain productive and engaged.
code
In addition to our safety protocols and communication, we gave our retail branch (frontline) employees:
  • Additional paid time off to use as needed for their own sickness, exposure, quarantine, or care of loved ones.
  • Delivered lunches periodically.
  • Monetary bonus as well as an additional 40 hours of vacation time.
  • Training on Best practices for Flu Prevention and Preparing for a Pandemic.
  • Contract tracing system for all employees. Emergency contact updates.

Safe Work Playbooks as well as training on the contents of was provided for all employees.

The Playbook Includes:
  • Identification of Location Response Teams
  • Reopening Readiness Assessment Process
  • Reopening of Branch Lobbies and Returning Employees to the Office Process
  • Client and Vendor Interaction guidelines
  • Supplies and Inventory lists
  • Personal Hygiene and Workplace Cleaning procedures
  • Disinfection procedures
  • Health Screening procedures
  • Workplace Social Distancing and Code of Conduct guidelines
  • Guidelines for When an Employee Becomes Ill at Work
  • Guidance for Self-Quarantining
  • Returning to Work After Self-Quarantine guidelines
  • Inbound Mail/Materials/Packages procedures
  • Resources
  • References

Community

  • Throughout the pandemic, our branches remained committed to serving our clients with either full lobby service or service by appointment as well as drive thru.
  • Independent Bank employees purchased and delivered lunches for essential workers in our communities to show our appreciation for all of their support.
  • Branches artistically decorated their windows with colorful hearts and pictures to bring some light and positivity to our communities during the uncertainty of the pandemic.
  • As part of the Bank’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and anticipated economic hardship, we started offering payment forbearances to certain loan customers in mid-March. Through the end of 2020, we had processed payment forbearances on over 2,200 loans totaling $450 million for our customers who were experiencing financial difficulty due the pandemic.

Business Owners

Pro-actively reaching out to our business customers to understand needs.

  • Supporting local businesses.
  • Closed over $250 million in SBA Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loans in 2020.
  • Working with business and consumer customers on temporary payment relief.
business owners image
business owners image business owners image business owners image