Does This Swedish Company Literally Schedule Time for Masturbation at Work?
You’ve heard of coffee breaks, smoke breaks, and even mental health breaks, but have you ever heard of a masturbation break? Because a company in Sweden apparently has, and they’re treating it as seriously as any board meeting.
Let’s be honest. Work culture can be exhausting. Between endless emails, toxic deadlines, and that one coworker who always “forgets” to mute on Zoom, most people are running on caffeine and fumes. So when news broke that a Swedish company was giving employees paid time to masturbate at work, the internet lost its collective mind. Some were scandalized. Others? Kind of impressed.
The idea came from a wellness initiative meant to boost productivity, reduce stress, and promote sexual health. According to the company, encouraging employees to take a little “me time” could help them feel happier, more focused, and even more creative. In short, they’re not just selling work-life balance, they’re scheduling it.
Now, before you imagine a bunch of cubicles turning into a real-life OnlyFans set, relax. It’s not as wild as it sounds. The concept is more about permission than performance. Employees are encouraged to use their break however they like and if that includes some solo pleasure in the privacy of their own space, that’s their business. The company even framed it as part of a larger conversation around self-care and body positivity, challenging the idea that sexuality should be hidden or shameful.
And honestly, it’s not as absurd as it first sounds. Studies have shown that masturbation can release endorphins, reduce stress, and improve sleep. It can even boost focus and creativity by lowering cortisol levels, that’s the stress hormone responsible for making you feel anxious or burnt out. So, theoretically, this break could make employees better at their jobs.
Still, not everyone is on board. Critics argue that it blurs the line between professionalism and personal life. Some question whether workplaces should even acknowledge sexual wellness at all, especially in shared environments. There’s also the cultural factor, what feels refreshingly open-minded in Sweden might feel totally inappropriate elsewhere.
But here’s the thing: Sweden has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to sexual health and progressive workplace policies. This is the country that offers generous parental leave for both parents, promotes open conversations about pleasure in schools, and has long embraced the idea that sexuality is a natural part of wellbeing. So while this might sound shocking to some, it actually fits perfectly with their culture of honesty and balance.
It also opens up a bigger conversation about what self-care really means. We’ve romanticized bubble baths and “quiet quitting,” but we rarely talk about how sexual release plays into our mental health. For a lot of people, masturbation isn’t just pleasure, it’s regulation. It’s how they calm down, refocus, or reconnect with their bodies. Ignoring that side of wellbeing feels hypocritical in a world obsessed with “productivity hacks.”
Imagine if more workplaces embraced that kind of honesty. Maybe it wouldn’t always be about masturbation specifically, but about understanding that humans aren’t robots. We don’t recharge through back-to-back meetings. We need rest, movement, and yes, sometimes pleasure.
Of course, this Swedish company isn’t suggesting that everyone needs to masturbate at work to be productive. They’re just saying it’s okay if you do. And that permission alone feels revolutionary in a world that still treats sexuality like a taboo.
So, is this the future of work? Probably not everywhere, but it’s definitely a sign that the definition of wellness is changing. Employers are starting to realize that mental and sexual health aren’t separate from productivity, they’re part of it.
Maybe in a few years, your HR manual will talk about pleasure breaks the same way it talks about ergonomic chairs and lunch hours. Or maybe not. Either way, Sweden just reminded us that self-love is more than a weekend activity.
