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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. In 2005, JP Garnier, GSK’s Chief Executive answered 364 questions. Behind the News, a section of the GSK intranet, gives the company’s position on important issues linked to press stories about GSK. myGSK was updated in 2005 to ensure that all employees can access news and policies.
• Web-broadcasts from GSK senior management, including 18 from executive team members, for employees at our major sites. In February, GSK’s CEO, Chairman and head of R&D hosted a global broadcast viewed by 30,000 employees at 86 sites. More than 1,000 employees completed a follow-up survey, with 92% agreeing that the broadcast had increased their understanding of GSK’s priorities for 2005 and beyond. A second broadcast in December celebrated ‘The year of the vaccine’, was shown in over 140 venues and recognised employees that have made outstanding contributions to the company.
• Spirit, our internal magazine, reaches around 50,000 employees throughout the company four times a year. Many sites also produce local newsletters.
• Confidential feedback mechanisms enable employees to raise concerns. These include our integrity helpline. See Ethical conduct.
• Employee surveys are carried out regularly throughout the organisation, see Employee surveys. We will conduct our next biannual Leadership Survey in 2006.
• We consult employees on changes that affect them and discuss business developments through our Works Councils and European Employee Forum. We have similar forums in other countries where this is national practice. In 2005 the European Employee Forum discussed topics including the transformation and optimisation programme for Europe IT, proposals for change to GSK’s European Distribution and Supply Chain and the company’s approach to stress in the workplace. A new UK Information and Consultation Forum will be established during 2006 to address strategic level business developments and company proposals for change in areas such as employment policy and pensions.
•  43 ‘townhall’ sessions for employees at all levels of the company were hosted by senior management. Employees have the opportunity to discuss the progress of the business, raise questions and give feedback.

We also keep employees informed about corporate responsibility (CR). During 2005, 55,000 copies of our CR Overview brochure were distributed to employees directly and through Spirit magazine. An online CR survey was sent to 980 randomly selected GSK employees to assess awareness of our approach to CR and CR reporting, see Stakeholder feedback.

We are developing an internal communication initiative on ethical leadership and the role of every employee in protecting and enhancing GSK’s reputation. It will be launched in 2006 and will include an e-learning module, guidance for managers on facilitating discussions on GSK’s ethics policies with their team and new material on myGSK.

We track the effectiveness of communications through questionnaires and employee surveys. 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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