What does this mean for companies and workers?
On May 26, 2025, the new wording of Regulatory Standard No. 1 (NR-1), one of the most important standards when it comes to occupational safety and health, came into force. Although the final text was published in 2024, companies have until May of next year to adapt to the new requirements, which now include, for the first time, mandatory actions focused on the mental health of employees. Starting in 2026, failure to comply with the guidelines may result in penalties and fines.
In this article, we explain what NR-1 is, what changes with the new version, and why this standard represents an important advance for both employers and workers—especially from the perspective of Organizational Psychology.
What is NR-1?
NR-1 is the standard that establishes the fundamental principles for occupational safety and health management in Brazil. It serves as a basis for all other NRs (more than 30), providing guidelines for the creation and maintenance of occupational accident and illness prevention programs, as well as guidance on training, capacity building, and safety practices in the workplace.
Its objective is clear: to ensure that the workplace is safe and healthy and that the responsibilities of employers and employees are well defined in promoting a more humane and responsible work environment.
The importance of NR-1 for occupational health and safety
NR-1 is strategic because it establishes a minimum safety standard for all economic sectors. It promotes a culture of prevention, which is essential for reducing workplace accidents, absences due to occupational illnesses, and various risks to physical and mental health.
With the new update, the standard goes a step further by recognizing that psychological well-being must also be managed by companies. This strengthens the culture of comprehensive care for workers, going beyond legal compliance and positively impacting the organizational climate.
“The inclusion of psychosocial risks in NR-1 represents a fundamental advance in promoting healthier and more humane work environments. At MUST, we have long understood that emotional health is as important as physical health. This new guideline reinforces the role of institutions in truly caring for people, not just processes,” says Dr. Luciane Soutello, director of the Wellness Center at MUST University.
What are the main changes in the new NR-1?
The main change is the inclusion of psychosocial risks among the factors that companies need to assess and mitigate. That is, aspects such as:
- Occupational stress
- Moral harassment
- Excessive pressure to meet targets
- Hostile environment
- Work overload
are now treated with the same seriousness as physical and ergonomic risks. This change aligns the Brazilian standard with ISO 45003 – an international standard focused on psychological safety at work.
Although the penalties provided for in the new NR-1 will only come into force in May 2026, the postponement of penalties should not be interpreted as an invitation to inaction. On the contrary, the interval offered until then is a strategic window of opportunity for preparation, awareness, and transformation.
Therefore, acting now demonstrates ethical commitment and responsibility for the well-being of employees.
Organizations that use this time to map psychosocial risks, train leaders, and promote a culture of emotional health will not only be in compliance with the law, but ahead of their time, contributing to more humane, productive, and sustainable environments. After all, caring for mental health is not just a regulatory requirement, it is a value-based decision.
What do companies need to do?
Compliance with the new NR-1 requires structural and cultural changes. Some of the main actions include:
- Mapping psychosocial risks: analyzing the work environment, internal processes, and interpersonal relationships to identify factors that negatively impact mental health.
- Training leaders and teams: promoting the training of managers to recognize signs of stress, burnout, and other work-related disorders, creating spaces for dialogue and support.
- Adopting international best practices: following ISO 45003 guidelines can be a good way to structure effective mental health policies in the corporate environment.
- Promotion of a healthy environment: implement actions that encourage work-life balance, respect among colleagues, and more humane management.
How does the new NR-1 impact workers?
For workers, the new standard represents a major step forward. For the first time, emotional and psychological risks are included in a labor standard, providing legal support for situations that were previously dealt with subjectively.
As a result, workers:
- now have more protection against mental illness caused by work;
- are entitled to an emotionally safe environment, with less room for harassment and abuse of power;
- can benefit from training and preventive actions that contribute to their self-awareness, resilience, and emotional balance.
These changes have the potential to transform the workplace into a more collaborative, welcoming, and productive space, with positive effects on engagement, motivation, and performance.
A step forward for Organizational Psychology
The changes in NR-1 highlight the growing importance of Organizational Psychology in strategic people management. By including mental health in companies’ legal obligations, the government recognizes that psychological well-being is an essential part of sustainable and healthy work environments.
Professionals with solid training in the area will be better prepared to lead this process of change, supporting companies in creating policies, programs, and training focused on mental health and quality of life at work.
Want to be at the forefront of these transformations?
MUST University offers a Master’s Degree in Organizational Psychology, aimed at professionals who want to deeply understand the human factors that impact the workplace and lead strategies focused on well-being, productivity, and emotional health in companies.
With an international and up-to-date curriculum, the course is ideal for those who want to stand out in a market that increasingly values humanized and evidence-based management.
