Hewlett Packard (HP) has suspended 150 employees over the misuse of its internal email system.
The company confirmed this morning that it has suspended 60 permanent employees and 90 contractors. A few more staffers are thought to have been dismissed, and the contractors have been removed from HP's offices.
The firm said that the action was taken after the staff were found to be "viewing and sharing unauthorised and inappropriate material".
"HP takes any allegations of the misuse of corporate resources extremely seriously and has acted swiftly to initiate an internal investigation," the company said.
"Once the results of the investigation are available, HP will, where necessary, apply its standard disciplinary process and take appropriate action.
"As well as protecting its reputation, as a large employer HP has a responsibility to protect its people from offensive material and takes any abuse of its policy very seriously."
Hewlett Packard has shocked the industry after proposing to buy rival Compaq Computer for $25bn. If the merger comes off it will be the largest take-over the computing industry has seen to date, creating a giant with current assets of over $55bn. But the move could have adverse consequences for employees, products and users.
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