Boss gives bizarre explanation as to why she allows her employees to take ‘masturbation breaks’ at work
In most offices, a “wellness break” means a walk, a stretch, or a quiet coffee. At Erika Lust Films in Barcelona, it means something far more unusual.
In 2022, founder Erika Lust introduced a daily 30-minute self-pleasure break for staff. She launched it after a trial run and then made it a standing policy. She said the long grind of pandemic stress left people tense, distracted, and anxious. So she looked for a reset that felt both practical and honest for her industry.
Next, she created a private room at the office and framed it as a calm, safe space. She even stocked it with items employees could choose to use. Then she encouraged staff to treat the break like any other part of personal wellbeing, not a guilty secret.
Lust argues that the idea supports focus, creativity, and mood. She also says it helps normalize masturbation as a health topic, rather than something people only whisper about. In her view, sexual wellbeing connects to mental and physical health, so workplaces should stop treating it as taboo.
The policy still sparks strong reactions. Some people laugh. Others recoil. Yet the story taps into a bigger conversation many adults understand. Stress shows up in the body. Therefore, workers look for real ways to manage it.
This office chose an unconventional one—and turned it into a headline.