FORTY XEROX WORKERS CANNED FOR PORN

The world's largest copier maker has fired several employees for spending work time looking at adult Internet sites.

"Forty Xerox employees have been fired for inappropriate use of the Internet, and the majority was related to pornography,'' Xerox spokeswoman Christa Carone told Reuters in response to a question on media reports, adding that just over twenty firings had to do with viewing Web porn.

The fired workers were employed in various U.S. cities. The company also tells Reuters some workers were using the Internet on the job for "excessive gambling, other stuff that was obviously inappropriate, and occasions where people were profiting for their own personal gain."

"It wasn't just going to Amazon.com for five minutes to buy a book," Carone told the wire service.

Over 40,000 American Xerox workers have Internet access, making the number fired comparatively small, Reuters says.