A Swedish politician is pushing to give employees an hour-long paid break to go home and have sex.
Per Erik Muskos, a member of the Swedish Social Democrat party, made the proposal during a council meeting in the northern city of Overtornea.
Mr Muskos said he’s backing the measure because he believes midweek sex breaks will improve wellness and boost childbirth in the northern region he represents.
“Childbirth should be encouraged,” he told the Stockholm-based newspaper Aftonbladet.
“When sex is also an excellent form of exercise with documented positive effects on wellbeing, the municipality should kill two birds with one stone and encourage employees to use their fitness hour to go home and have sex with their partner.”
He said everyday stresses in life can put a strain on relationships, arguing Swedish couples don’t get enough quality together, which makes it difficult for them to express their love.
“I believe that sex is a scarce commodity in many long relationships. Everyday life is stressful and the children are at home. This could be an opportunity to have their own time.”
Good luck coming up with an appropriate answering machine message for that one. “Hello clients. Sorry I can’t take your call right now, I’m a bit busy taking something far more pleasurable. Good day to you.”But hey, apparently office orgasms are the way forward.
A recent survey by Time Out New York found 39 per cent of male readers reported masturbating in the office, after an earlier poll by Glamour in 2012 put that figure at 31 per cent of workers.
Psychologist and life coach Doctor Cliff Arnall accordingly told Metro that masturbation breaks should be taken “if they’re motivated by a genuine desire for stress relief”.
Sweden already enjoys several work benefits not typically afforded elsewhere, including 480 days of paid parental leave and very little overtime work.
According to the OECD Better Life Index, only one per cent of Swedes work overtime.
Swedish fulltime employees work the third-least amount in Europe, after Finland and France.
Meanwhile, in January, nurses in the city of Gothenburg began a two-year experiment to cut work hours while maintaining their pay levels.
The initial results were largely positive, with nurses reporting better health, less sick leave and patient care improving.
