A number of departments are set to move from Washington to other cities in the country. The first two moves concern the Agriculture and Interior Departments. The latter is offering its employees (on a voluntary basis) an incentive package including a relocation bonus representing 25% of their base salaries and a “permanent change of station” allowance, which will let them either accept 60 days of temporary housing and related living expenses or take an agency-funded house-hunting trip to their new location before reporting there.

A directive to foster equal opportunities in the public sector sets out the tangible measures that need to be taken to eliminate all forms of discrimination surrounding hiring, training, eligibility for promotion and work organisation. “Unique Guarantee Committees”, which are mixed joint bodies that previously worked in an advisory capacity, will monitor and assess implementation of the measures.

The Portuguese government is prioritising work-life balance. It has initiated the “3^rd Line” programme which is a set of measures with one of its four arms being devoted to the public sector. Amongst its flagship initiatives are the introduction of a mandatory training module for all managers to raise awareness of best practices, as well as polling of employees and regular appraisals.