Fifth Third Bank plans 1,000 new roles for COVID-19 jobless
Ohio-based Fifth Third Bank has announced the planned hiring of 1,000 positions in retail banking centres, mortgages, and operations.
Fifth Third has implemented some remote working protocols
According to the US bank, the roles provide “essential banking services” to customers and offer new career opportunities for those searching for employment during the “economic hardship” brought on by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our Fifth Third customers and communities need us more than ever during these uncertain times, and we will continue to be here for them,” says Greg Carmichael, chairman, president and CEO of Fifth Third Bancorp.
Open roles are available across Fifth Third Bank’s 10-state footprint and include 500 positions in retail, 350 mortgage sales and support positions and 100 positions in operations.
Like many financial institutions, Fifth Third has had to change its model in reaction to the coronavirus pandemic. It states that many of its roles have been transitioned to remote work locations.
“Many of the bank’s customer-facing employees continue to work on-site to meet the needs of customers with enhanced social distancing and protective measures in place,” the bank writes in a statement.
“Fifth Third is continuing to adhere to guidelines from health officials and the US Centers for Disease Control regarding social distancing and has enhanced cleaning measures to its sites to help safeguard employees and customers.”
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Fifth Third is currently under scrutiny from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), which filed a lawsuit in March claiming the institution opened accounts and activated lines of credit without customer knowledge.
Filed in federal court in the Northern District of Illinois, the lawsuit alleges that Fifth Third violated the CFPB’s prohibition against abusive business practices, the Truth in Lending Act and the Truth in Savings Act.
According to the filing Fifth Third’s misconduct stretches back to 2008, when it implemented a cross-selling strategy to increase the products it provided to its customers.
In a statement released following the CFPB’s accusations, the bank wrote that while it “respects and values the important role the CFPB plays in protecting customers” the lawsuit is “unnecessary and unwarranted.”
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