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Internal communication

Good internal communication is important in achieving our business objectives as well as creating an open and inclusive work environment.

We have a range of communications channels to keep employees up to date with company news and enable them to give feedback. These include:

• myGSK, our global intranet site, provides news and updates and a Q&A section where employees can put questions directly to the CEO and other senior executives. Up to 100 questions are answered each month.
• Behind the News, a section of the GSK intranet, gives the company’s position on important issues linked to press stories about GSK.
• Spirit, our internal magazine, reaches around 50,000 employees throughout the company four times a year. In 2004 Spirit won a Gold Award for Best Internal Magazine of the Year from Communicators in Business Awards, Europe’s biggest and most prestigious awards programme for corporate communications.
• “Townhall” sessions for employees at all levels of the company, hosted by senior management including the CEO. Employees have the opportunity to discuss the progress of the business, raise questions and give feedback. There were 16 of these events in 2004.
• Employee surveys are carried out regularly throughout the organisation to enable staff to give feedback. A global survey of managers is carried out every two years. See Global Leadership Survey.
• A leadership conference for senior managers celebrated employee contributions, GSK’s future vision of success and the role leaders play in the company. Following the conference delegates debriefed their teams on the messages and outcome of the conference. 97% of managers who attended felt it was a worthwhile use of their time.
• Many of our sites and offices produce local newsletters that help keep employees up to date on local and company news.
• Confidential feedback mechanisms enable employees to raise concerns. These include our integrity helpline. See Standards of Ethical Conduct.
• In Europe our Works Councils and European Employee Consultation Forum provide regular opportunities for employees and company management to discuss issues. See Human Rights for more information.

We also keep employees informed about our corporate responsibility programmes. During 2005 all senior employees will receive a copy of our CR Overview. The Overview will also be included in Spirit, our internal magazine, which reaches around 50,000 employees.

We track the effectiveness of communications through questionnaires and employee surveys. Our Leadership Survey in 2004 found that:

• 61% of respondents believe our communications are open, honest and objective.
• 75% feel they have access to the information they need to be an ambassador for GSK.

See Global Leadership Survey for more details.

We monitor the questions employees put to senior managers through the Q&A pages on myGSK to ensure we pick up potential areas of concern. We also track readership of news stories on myGSK to help improve the relevance and interest of the content.

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