Work-life balance is an issue which is very much a hot topic in the press at the moment - this week, the National Work-Life Forum is promoting a series of events around National Work-Life Balance Week.

With the hotting up of the labour market, increasingly employees seem willing to `vote with their feet' when the pressures of juggling work and home life become too great, or indeed when other factors relating to their job are unsatisfactory, such as a lack of career development.

A number of solutions have been mooted to keep staff content in their jobs - a recent report from America revealed that 3% of employers have a policy allowing pets at work to make their company a more attractive to work.

The IPD's Recruitment and Selection conference this year will be addressing the issues surrounding employee retention in London on 23 May. Although allowing staff to take Rover or Tiddles to work may not be a practical solution for most companies, treating employees as individuals with different needs and ensuring that new recruits are compatible with the company culture are useful ways of reducing staff turnover, both of which will form part of the conference programme.

The IPD Annual Recruitment and Selection Conference takes place on Tuesday 23 May 2000 and is being held at the Novotel London West Hotel. For further information call 020 8263 3434.