New York Times fires 23 staff over 'offensive' email

NEWS The New York Times publishing company has sparked controversy with the sacking of 23 employees for inappropriate use of email, and the sending of disciplinary warning letters to many more. The staff working in the company's payroll-processing centre in Norfolk, Virginia. They were caught sending what the company called "offensive and inappropriate" emails containing a mixture of jokes and photos. The move has provoked outcry from civil liberties groups over the question of employees' privacy rights. However, the Wall Street Journal retrieved an internal memo from the New York Times, which said: "While the company does not routinely monitor the email communications of employees, we do investigate when a violation of the company's email policy is reported."