No Nookie on the Clock: Swedish Lawmakers Say No to Sex Breaks at Work

In February, 42-year-old Social Democrat Per-Erik Muskos, the town councilor in Övertorneå, Sweden, put his little community on the world map by proposing one-hour paid breaks from work for employees to be able to go home and indulge in sex with their partners. Muskos stressed the health benefits of sex and ventured this measure would improve family relationships and boost productivity. Lastly, Muskos argued that it could also help offset the adverse demographic trends.

Alas, what could have become a landmark decision for the workers of the world was ultimately turned down by Övertorneå Municipality.

"I do not think that an employer should be able to decide the time for workers to have sex. It's simply not the municipality's issue," Övertorneå Municipality council Tomas Vedestig told Swedish national broadcaster SVT.

While Muskos called sex "an excellent form of fitness," lamenting the fact that it "has become a rare commodity nowadays," Vedestig argued that this enterprise needs too many coinciding factors in order to succeed. According to Vedestig, even if both partners come home at the same time, they won't necessarily be able to enjoy any quality time together.

Despite the fact that the hot proposal was ultimately blackballed by the municipality officials, it nevertheless attracted international attention to the tiny municipality in northern Sweden.

"I just can't tell how many journalists from a number of countries have interviewed me. Even the BBC got in touch with us, and Donald Trump himself has mentioned this proposal," Tomas Vedestig said, claiming the proposal to have drained a lot of energy and focus from other important issues in Ovetorneå.

Vedestig argued that the debate put local politicians under great strain, venturing he was tired of all the unsolicited attention.

Övertorneå is the main township in the eponymous Municipality on the Swedish-Finnish border, and has roughly 2,000 inhabitants.

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