Conference programme

MONDAY 23 NOV 2020 9:30 AM

INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS AND THE CHALLENGES OF COVID-19 RECORDING AVAILABLE

CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

Time

Description

Speakers

09:30

Welcome and opening address

Brittany Golob
Editor in chief
Communicate magazine

09:35

Keynote: Energising a workforce to manage the impact of Covid-19

British Business Bank has faced many challenges this year. With intensive workloads increasing as a result of the pandemic, its internal communicators have had to achieve more to ensure the organisation’s success. Keynote speaker, Christine O’Brien will share the bank’s positioning on purpose-driven communications and fostering a positive working environment. She will discuss the leadership communications, employee training, virtual events and Covid-19 communications.

Christine O'Brien
Senior manager, Internal communications
British Business Bank

10:05

Case study: An Garda Síochána

Charged with keeping the people of Ireland safe during the Coronavirus pandemic, An Garda Síochána had to ensure its workforce of 18,000 was kept informed, connected and engaged with key safety information and organisation communications. Joanna Parsons will discuss how the police force has successfully communicated with its internal audience and continues to do so as the response to the Covid-19 crisis develops over time.

Joanna Parsons
Head of internal communications
An Garda Síochána

10:30

Reintegrating employees and the reboarding challenge

How are companies approaching the reintegration of previously furloughed staff? This session will hear from three organisations that have undergone processes of reboarding. They will discuss the challenges they've faced in rebuilding the cultural fabric of their organisations in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic. Speakers will explore best practices in reboarding and the dos and don'ts of employee engagement during and after the furlough period.

Naomi Jones
Communications director
SUEZ recycling and recovery UK

Prarthna Thakore
Head of internal communications
ISG

11:10

Case study: Eversheds Sutherland

To replicate the social fabric of office life, Eversheds Sutherland responded to the Covid-19 crisis with an internal communications app, Open House, that was designed to support its employees. The app not only proved a valuable communications channel, but it facilitated chatrooms and discussions of people’s lives outside of work. In this session, Eversheds’ communications and PR team will share its experiences from the past year and discuss how it maintained its employees’ connections to each other and to the law firm because of the Open House app.

Rebecca Absalom
PR and communications executive
Eversheds Sutherland

Judith Green
Director of communications and brand
Eversheds Sutherland

11:35

Break

11:50

Mental health, Covid-19 and the employer’s response

Employers have recognised the need for delivering pastoral care for their workforces, including mental health support. During the Covid-19 crisis, that has been of the utmost importance. This session will discuss the ways in which employers have supported their employees' health and wellbeings during the crisis. Speakers will discuss mental health resources, partnerships and programmes that they have used throughout this period to ensure no employee is suffering from poor mental health without support.

Stefano Marrone
Managing director
Nucco Brain

Kayode Akinola
Director, EMEA corporate communications & UK public affairs
JLL

Mairi Doyle
Director of internal communications and wellbeing
Bupa

Max Puller
Employee and change communications director
Sodexo

12:35

Case study: AXA UK

Axa UK had to contend with technological challenges and limitations at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. With only 30% of the company technologically equipped to work from home, the March lockdown meant the company’s IT and IC teams had to work hard to support employees in the transition to remote working. But, following that success Axa then implemented constant crisis communications, a health and wellbeing programme, a new intranet and a CEO vlog series. Not only has the company ensured its workforce has remained engaged and supported, but it has put into place new channels and strategies that will help it achieve more going forward.

Steven Murgatroyd
Internal communications manager
AXA UK

13:00

Engaging a home-working internal audience

As most of the world's office-based teams have shifted to home-working, companies – and internal communicators in particular – have had to adjust. This session will explore the value of internal communications in engaging with home-based workforces and the challenges internal communicators have had in engaging staff throughout 2020. Speakers will share examples of video communications, podcasts, online communications and corporate messaging as a means of consistently and constantly engaging their staff, wherever they may be working.

Cliff Ettridge
Director
The Team

Alissa Burn
Senior communications officer
Citizens Advice

Emily Kirwan
Head of internal communications and engagement
BBC News

Dev Mistry
Internal communications executive
Virgin Media

13:45

Closing discussion

The closing session will invite back some of the key speakers of the day for a unique interactive discussion on internal communications.