Google sought to reassure workers that the company takes sexual harassment claims very seriously after a published report detailed how the company protected the inventor of Android from allegations when he left the company.

In a letter to workers, chief executive Sundar Pichai said the tech giant sacked 48 including 13 senior managers for sex harassment since 2016.  None of these people received a an exit package, Mr. Pichai added.

This came in reaction to the bombshell report in the New York Times about Andy Rubin's departure from the company in 2014.  Mr. Rubin had insisted he voluntarily left Google to start his own venture capital firm.  But Google never mentioned that "an employee had accused Mr. Rubin of sexual misconduct," The Times reported.  "The woman, with whom Mr. Rubin had been having an extramarital relationship, said he coerced her into performing oral sex in a hotel room in 2013, according to two company executives with knowledge of the episode," it went on.  The company reportedly decided the woman's claim was credible.

Instead, management praised Rubin for his work on the Android operating system for mobile devices.

"I want to wish Andy all the best with what's next," said Google chief executive at the time Larry Page, "With Android he created something truly remarkable - with a billion-plus happy users."

But behind the scenes, the new York Tiems reported that Page had pressured Rubin to resign.

The report is certain to add to concerns over Silicon Valley's sexist culture in which women have found their career paths stunted by white male "bro" techies.