Michigan First Credit Union under fire for telling customers not to wear masks so they can ‘see your smiling face’

click to enlarge

Steve Neavilng

Michigan First Credit Union wants to see its members "smile" and asks them not to wear masks inside its branches.

While most businesses are fighting to get customers to keep their masks on amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a local credit union has decided it wants your mask to be off.

Michigan First Credit Union sent notice to its members last month that they “would love to see your smiling face” and are requesting that members not wear any sort of facial coverings while inside their standalone branches. The credit union stated the now strange request is for the protection and security of its members and staff.

While the credit union has established this rule inside of its standalone branches, it is not enforcing it at remote locations such as the ones inside Kroger and Walmart stores.

However grocery stores and standalone branches aren’t the only place Michigan First Credit Union operates. The credit union has a location inside the Maccabees Building, 5057 Woodward Ave., which is owned by Wayne State University and houses some of the university’s administrative and departmental offices.

Twitter users voiced some concerns and confusion about the credit union’s rule as the university not only requires masks on its campus, it became the eighth Michigan university to require vaccinations for students returning to campus this fall.

Twitter user @mttjngs shared a photo of the sign at the campus location and tweeted “Face masks are mandatory on campus @waynestate but @MichiganFirstCU in 5057 Woodward (Maccabees) seems to be doing their own thing. The sign says it's for security but I still don't feel comfortable with this on campus at @waynestate. #detroit”

Face masks are mandatory on campus @waynestate but @MichiganFirstCU in 5057 Woodward (Maccabees) seems to be doing their own thing. The sign says it's for security but I still don't feel comfortable with this on campus at @waynestate. #detroit pic.twitter.com/1TRHT5GkFm

— M.B. Jennings (@Mttjngs) August 13, 2021

An official account for the university responded to the tweet implying that the university was unaware of Michigan First’s new rule, and tweeted it would pass the information along to the Campus Health Committee.

Thank you for alerting us about this. We're passing this along to the Campus Health Committee for follow-up.

— Wayne State University (@waynestate) August 13, 2021

Michigan First Credit Union suggests the drive-thru and mobile banking as alternatives for members who are not comfortable with the new requirement.