This week’s news in brief
CSR academy plans
Plans for an academy for corporate social responsibility (CSR) – due to be
launched in July – have moved a step closer after the minister for CSR called
on organisations to put themselves forward as potential partners. Stephen Timms
said: "I am confident this will play a significant part in ensuring that
CSR becomes an integral part of the way we do business." Â www.dti.gov.uk
14,000 jobs to go
The new chairman of the combined Inland Revenue and Customs service is set
to cut around 14,000 jobs. David Varney – the outgoing chairman of mobile phone
company MMO2 – will lead the Government’s planned merger of the services, with
a remit to drastically reduce headcount and shave £200m off existing budgets.  www.hm-treasury.gov.uk
E-learning difficulties
The majority of organisations find it difficult to implement e-learning
within their training and development initiatives, according to new research.
Carried out by Ashridge Business School, E-learning: the Findings and the
Future shows that while 86 per cent of organisations believe that e-learning is
an effective approach, 82 per cent said it is hard to introduce. Â www.ashridge.org.uk
Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance
Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday
UK managers on top
UK managers are among the best paid in Europe, but this is probably due to
the high concentration of company headquarters in the country. A Watson Wyatt
report looking at compensation trends for senior executives across 17 European
countries, shows the best-paid top managers – chief executives and general
managers – are based in the UK, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium and Austria. Â www.watsonwyatt.com
