Hewlett-Packard sacks two and suspends 150 over 'offensive' e-mails

The computer company Hewlett-Packard has sacked two people and suspended about 150 for sending offensive material via company e-mail.

Sixty of the people who have been suspended from working in the company's offices in the UK and Ireland are permanent staff; 90 others are contract workers. The two who were sacked are believed to have worked in Scotland, where the company has four offices.

Hewlett-Packard confirmed yesterday it had started an inquiry and the fate of the suspended workers would be decided by the investigation. It said it took the issue extremely seriously. The company said it considered the matter a violation of company rules rather than a criminal matter, but declined to comment on the nature of what had been downloaded or why staff had been sacked.

Many firms are cracking down on their employees' use of e-mail to distribute pornography and tasteless jokes.

A spokeswoman for HP said: "We can confirm we are currently investigating the misuse of the company e-mail system that contravenes its internal policy for all employees. Hewlett-Packard can confirm that this involves the viewing and sharing of unauthorised and inappropriate material.

"HP has a responsibility to protect its people from offensive material and takes any abuse of its policy very seriously."