Ernst & Young fires workers for taking 2 online training courses at once

Ernst & Young has fired a group of U.S.-based employees for taking part in two online training sessions at the same time, saying it took disciplinary action against workers found to have broken the consultancy's ethical rules. 

The British multinational accounting firm axed certain U.S. workers after determining they had taken more than one online course simultanously during its "EY Ignite Learning Week" in May, according to a report published by the Financial Times. 

Some of the terminated workers told the newspaper the punishment was overly harsh as they did not realize they were breaking company policies by signing up for several classes at once. Others defended their behavior as in line with the company's "culture of multitasking," noting that some work with three monitors.