Why A Filmmaker's 'Masturbation Breaks' Policy At Work Is Trending Again

NDTV

3 days ago

A workplace policy introduced by Swedish filmmaker Erika Lust is back in the news, nearly four years after it first caught public attention. In 2021, Lust, who runs a production company in Barcelona, made headlines for allowing her staff to take a daily 30-minute "masturbation break" - a move she said was aimed at improving mental health and productivity.
The idea was first implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lust, who runs an adult entertainment company in Barcelona, Spain, had said in her blog post at that time, "I decided to dedicate Masturbation Month to my team by giving them an extra 30-minutes off every day to use for their self-pleasure routine. I set up a private room in the office, which we call 'the masturbation station' to provide them with a safe, comfortable space for their masturbation break."
This bizarre, new-age work-break trend had stunned many on the internet back then, and now it's going viral again, with several news sites publishing the story, sparking a conversation on managing mental health at the workplace and prompting renewed debate around boundaries, workplace culture and employee well-being.
What Forced Erika Lust To Announce Masturbation Break?
In her post, Lust wrote that she started noticing her team and herself struggling a year into the pandemic, in which millions lost their lives. She said that the pandemic started to take its toll on everyone, and she found that her staff was less focused, more agitated and overall more anxious.
"As someone who's been leading a company with 40+ employees for over a decade, I believe that there is nothing more harmful to a successful work environment than stress," her 2021 blog post read.
Lust claimed that it kills creativity, makes people feel less confident in themselves and causes problems in communication.
"I wanted to do something to help my team cope with the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic," she wrote, adding that she started giving her staff a masturbation break.
The filmmaker, best known for her work in feminist adult cinema, said the measure was part of a wider effort to destigmatise sexuality and prioritise emotional well-being in the workplace.
In 2024, she told The News Movement that masturbation "gets rid of anxiety".
The story has gained traction again as workplace well-being becomes a topic of global conversation. The return to office life, rising burnout levels and demands for more flexible work environments have triggered fresh scrutiny of what employers owe their workers beyond salaries.
Despite the renewed attention, there's no sign the policy has been widely adopted beyond Lust's company. On her part, Lust has maintained that the goal was never publicity but to foster a safe and open space for her team.