In Sweden, workplaces are forcing staff to exercise. Critics wonder if that’s a stretch

Workers spending their lunch break at the gym may be commonplace in most Western countries, but in Sweden some employers are pushing the idea even further, making on-the-job exercise compulsory.

Critics wonder if the move is going too far, and risks ostracising people who object to mandatory exercise.

Every Friday, employees of fashion and sportswear retailer Bjorn Borg leave their desks at the company’s Stockholm headquarters to get their weekly workout at a nearby gym.

There is no getting out of it: for more than two years the company founded by the Swedish tennis legend has made on-the-job exercise mandatory at the initiative of chief executive Henrik Bunge, a 44-year-old built like a wrestler.

“If you don’t want to exercise or be a part of the company culture, you have to go,” says Bunge, without batting an eye. So far no one has quit because of the requirement, he adds.

The main aims of the policy – shared by other firms such as city water company Kalmar Vatten and construction consultancy Rotpartner – are to boost productivity and profitability while fostering camaraderie in the work force.