Google reveals it has sacked 48 employees over sexual harassment in past two years

In letter to staff, Sundar Pichai says internet giant taking 'hard line' on misconduct

Around 1,4000 google employees have signed a letter demanding more transparency to understand the ethical consequences of their work, according to three people familiar with the document (Reuters)

Google has sacked 48 employees, including 13 senior managers, over sexual harassment allegations over the last two years, the company's boss has revealed.

Sundar Pichai, in a letter to employees, said the internet search giant was taking an "increasingly hard line" on sexual misconduct.

The chief executive said none of those who lost their job received a severance package when they were let go.

The letter was in response to a New York Times story that accused Google of shielding a handful of executives from sexual misconduct accusations, including Android creator Andy Rubin.

Mr Rubin, who denies allegations of misconduct, left the company in 2014, receiving a $90m exit package.

The NYT story was "difficult to read", Mr Pichai said in the letter, but that Google was "dead serious" about being a "safe and inclusive workplace", according to the BBC.

"We want to assure you that we review every single complaint about sexual harassment or inappropriate conduct, we investigate and we take action," the letter read.

It came the same day Google's parent company reported slower third-quarter growth than analysts expected.

Shares in Alphabet Inc were down more than four per cent after hours.