The digital divide remains a deep class barrier in the workplace, according to a report published yesterday.

A survey of 200 large firms across Britain, conducted by KPMG's legal arm, KLegal, found that 30% did not provide staff below middle management level with internet access. That figure increased to 40% when specialist information technology firms were stripped out of the sample.

It had been thought that many workers from the 68% of homes the government has said are without internet access could log on to the web while at work. However, it is now thought that most of those who miss out on the internet at home are alsodenied access at work.

Stephen Levinson, head of employment law at KLegal, blamed the reluctance to extend internet access to all workers on a string of high-profile cases of web misuse.

"Increases in regulation have created uncertainty about how to manage employee use of the internet and email," said Stephen Levinson, head of employment law at KLegal. "Our survey shows UK companies are adopting a far from uniform approach."

The report found that employees are 40% more likely to be dismissed for downloading pornography than for sending offensive, defamatory, or harassing emails.

Some 20% of firms admitted they monitored internet usage without telling employees.