03/04/2025
NR-1 establishes general guidelines for occupational safety and health (OSH) management in all companies. One of its main aspects is the introduction of Occupational Risk Management (GRO), which defines how organizations must identify, assess, and mitigate workplace risks.
With these new guidelines, NR-1 becomes broader and more preventive, going beyond accident prevention to also address workers’ mental health.
As a result, factors such as stress, workplace harassment, and work overload are now considered within the scope of the regulation, reinforcing the importance of well-being in the workplace.
NR-1 and the list of work-related diseases (LDRT)
The List of Work-Related Diseases (LDRT), issued by the Ministry of Health, classifies illnesses acquired or aggravated by working conditions, including RSI/WMSDs, musculoskeletal disorders, and respiratory diseases caused by exposure to workplace chemicals.
With the NR-1 update, the link between the Risk Management Program (PGR) and LDRT is strengthened, expanding the identification of psychosocial risks such as depression, burnout, and anxiety disorders caused by inadequate work environments.
The Ministry of Labor and Employment’s Ordinance No. 1,419/2024 mandates that these changes take effect on May 25, 2025, granting companies 270 days to adapt, particularly in managing psychosocial risks.
What does this mean in practice?
Companies will need to adopt new measures to ensure a safer and more balanced work environment for their employees.
- Management of psychosocial risks
Factors such as stress, excessive workloads, and workplace harassment must be identified and recorded in the risk inventory. Additionally, preventive actions will be essential to minimize these impacts and promote a healthier work environment.
- Updating the risk management program (PGR)
The PGR will need to include psychosocial risks, requiring greater involvement from the Human Resources department in implementing mental health strategies. This may range from psychological support programs to more humanized organizational policies.
- Reviewing people management policies
Companies will need to reassess their management practices to ensure a work environment that minimizes psychosocial risks and promotes employees’ mental well-being.
The NR-1 update expands companies’ responsibilities, requiring them to care not only for employees’ physical safety but also for their emotional and mental health, aiming for a more balanced and productive workplace.
Brazil recorded over 470,000 work-related mental health leave cases in 2024, the highest number in 10 years, reflecting the labor market crisis and the pandemic’s consequences, according to social security data. This is the highest figure since 2014.
According to psychiatrists and psychologists, this reflects labor market conditions, pandemic scars, and other factors.
The crisis prompted the federal government to take stricter measures by updating NR-1. Additionally, the Ministry of Labor is preparing a manual on psychosocial risks, set to be published before the final adaptation deadline, providing general guidelines without a rigid evaluation model.
Authored by: Fabiane Sant’Anna
