In a tight labor market, where feverish recruiting competition is common, and it's hard to retain "the best and the brightest", many companies are open to hiring work/life firms which provide "quality of life" and concierge services as a low cost alternative to keep employees content and productive.

If you're a hard working, time stressed professional climbing the career ladder, you could soon be enjoying your life a lot more, at your boss's expense, thanks to a rapidly expanding work/life industry which is offering it's services to an increasing range of companies . The infant $500 million iwork/life ndustry took off by morphing from the child care model to a Life Balance model and convincing employers "what's good for employees is good for business."

"Forty years ago only about 17 percent of women with young children worked outside of the home." Today, "that number is approaching 85 percent. Over the next 10 years, 60% of the workers added to the work force will be females." Women in the workforce constantly face the dilemma of balancing work and family and often feel torn trying to meet their obligations with no corporate support.

Given the fact that many of these women rise to middle management, and some to top management, companies are beginning to recognize the size of the investment they have in management training and consequently the financial stake they have in employee retention. This line of thinking, encouraged by the work/life industry, makes creating a more people friendly and effective workplace a good bottom line decision.

In an effort to focus on employee's issues, the work/life industry has expanded it's approach from the child-care/elder-care model to a broadened scope which may include human resources and employee assistance programs (EAPs) and strives to meet the needs of a broader range of employees, whether or not they have children or dependents or need help with career decisions or money issues.

In fact, firm's like "City Access", located in Boston, are continuing to expand the scope of services offered by such firms. "City Access" founder, Alison Gerlach, a recent graduate from MIT's Sloan School of Management, and a former, desk bound, overworked professional herself, spotted a need for rising professionals putting in long hours to "get a life." Her company's goals include helping people get out of the office to have a good time.

In this new age of gourmet take-out, online ordering and delivery and the availablilty of a multitude of services, from dog walking to cutting your firewood, many of the work/life firms, like "City Access", now target employers willing to pay for these perks. In a tight job market, with employees putting in 50- and 60-hour work weeks, or traveling all week, an employer-sponsored fun and leisure package, which takes zero time to plan, could be considered a competitive edge for a business .

Some work/life firms will get employees theater tickets, arrange a city tour for out-of-town guests, make dinner reservations, or send a personal chef and a bouquet of flowers to your home. Some also provide limousine service, tickets to sports events, gifts, spa services, and specialty classes in cooking, art or dance. Professionals who must entertain frequently may find comfort in having someone else plan and execute an original evening for clients or visiting VIPs. Recruiters who usually must arrange sailing or hunting trips or symphony events may appreciate the time which is freed up to do the actual hiring and placing of their new recruits.

There are also differences in the business environment today. Now, firms are looking for services which are not simply perks for the top executives, but which will benefit the entire staff and provide a "quality of life" feature to their hiring package.

The other difference is the impact of downsizing on businesses. Formerly, personal assistants performed some tasks, such as getting opera tickets. After downsizing many of these assistants are gone and the professional has to fend for himself if he or she wants a life outside the office. In a tight labor market, where feverish recruiting competition is common, and it's hard to retain "the best and the brightest", many companies are open to hiring work/life firms which provide "quality of life" and concierge services as a low cost alternative to keep employees content and productive.

Once restricted to Fortune 1000 companies with more resources, as the work/life industry matures and develops an established infrastructure, it is able to approach businesses with as few as 100 employees. If your company hasn't thought of it, you might want to suggest it. This trend is sure to grow.