HOW do employers face up to Facebook?

The production-draining effect of social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace on businesses is the topic to be discussed by York law firm Denison Till at its York HR Meeting at Hotel 53, Piccadilly, York, on Monday.

Brian Harrington, head of Denison Till’s legal department, and his associate, Tiggy Clifford, will tell human resources advisers the legal dos and don’ts when it comes to monitoring what is going on in work time.

For instance, can steps be taken to prevent employees publishing commercially secret material or slagging off the firm on a blog or networking site?

Can employees be disciplined for writing on these sites in work time?

Ms Clifford said: “The use of network sites has really expanded over the past year or two, and we are getting numerous calls asking for advice on implications in the workplace, so we decided to devote the whole of this two-monthly York HR Network to the issue.

“The fact is that if employers make sure that the right policies and procedures are in place, then their options for action are much greater.”

The networking and information opportunity starts at 4pm and costs £20, plus VAT.

People can book a place by phoning Brian or Tiggy on 01904 611411, or emailing bph@denisontill.com