As the GPL FAQ says, distribution between employees of the same company may not even be considered "distribution" depending on the region. The analogy is stretching this too far.
No, it's not. Even if they were employees of a different company that is a subcontractor, the jurisprudence is not clear at all.
This is basically the "museum argument" which is quite old.
It's an entire different story if you do distribute the software to your subcontractors for their use.
