An adult entertainment company has allowed its employees the option to take up to a 30-minute break for self-pleasure during work hours. The business owner believes this practice has positively impacted staff productivity.
Different employees manage their schedules uniquely, with some reportedly taking advantage of the short breaks between meetings to engage in private self-pleasure sessions, typically in the office restrooms, as noted by experts.
If taking a moment for self-pleasure in the restroom during a busy workday seems standard to you, you’re not alone in this perspective.
A survey by Time Out New York revealed that an impressive 39 percent of people have engaged in masturbation while on the job.
Many stated their motivation was to ‘get paid’ while engaging in the act, while others expressed it provided a ‘moment of peace in an otherwise aggravating work environment’, according to Psychology Today.
The advantages of self-pleasure are well-recognized. It can act as a temporary stress reliever, alleviate menstrual cramps, and even boost confidence during high-pressure situations, according to Boots.
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Erika Lust, a Swedish film director and screenwriter, believes that masturbation can enhance workplace productivity.
Running an adult entertainment company in Barcelona, Spain, Lust has implemented a policy that allows her employees a daily 30-minute ‘masturbation break’.
The policy permits employees to take half an hour out of their busy schedules to visit designated areas for some personal time.
Once the break ends, staff can seamlessly return to their duties without drawing attention to their absence.
Lust explained her reasons for this policy: “The truth is masturbation can help people manage stress, regulate their sleep, and connect with their body and sexual desires, among other advantages.”
This initiative began as a trial during lockdown and was formalized into company policy two years later.
Lust observed, “With the pandemic and the huge shift in how we live our lives, I began to notice that my employees had become somewhat agitated and were performing with less energy than before.”
To address this, she established a private space for employees to use for self-pleasure.
“I value my employees and I know that when they feel good, we do good work,” she affirmed.
Feedback from staff has indicated that this unconventional policy has not only boosted their productivity but also reduced aggression.
Lust’s goal extends beyond productivity; she aims to destigmatize masturbation.
“Sexual wellbeing is deeply intertwined with your overall mental health and physical health and should be treated with the same respect and resources,” she emphasized.
Dominnique Karetsos, co-founder and CEO of the Healthy Pleasure Group (HPG), supports Lust’s views, describing ‘healthy pleasure as sexual self-fulfilment’ in a statement to Boots.
“Understanding that sexual self pleasure is related to both sexual health and sexual wellbeing – and therefore a vital part of both our physical and emotional health – is incredibly important,” Karetsos noted.
She further stated, “Beyond a person’s sexual behavior, sexual self-fulfilment means having access to high-standard sexual health information, education and care, while also recognising your right to sexual pleasure, satisfaction and intimacy, without fear of shame or embarrassment.”
Psychotherapist Ian Kerner advises maintaining workplace boundaries, noting, “Very often, in my experience, when men masturbate in the workplace, it’s because masturbation has become a pretty substantial coping mechanism,” he told Psychology Today.
“That’s why I have a lot of male patients who will masturbate in the workplace. They feel a lot of stress, and they’re in an activated, stressful, anxious place, and they’re not fully thinking, and the next thing, they’re in the bathroom masturbating.”
As the saying goes, it’s often better to be cautious—unless, of course, you’re one of Lust’s employees, then you may proceed.