Official Mexican Standard NOM-35-STPS-2018

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“Psychosocial risk factors at work - identification, analysis and prevention issued by the Ministry of Labor and Social Prevention”

On October 23, 2018, the standard was published and is a regulatory requirement that establishes the elements to identify, analyze and prevent psychosocial risk factors, as well as to promote a favorable organizational environment in the workplace and the October 23, 2019.

It obliges all workplaces in every national territory and establishes as an obligation to employers the prevention of psychosocial risk factors and workplace violence, as well as the promotion of a favorable organizational environment in the workplaces and establishes specific criteria that must be taken care of in the companies according to their number of workers.

Psychosocial risks; they are those that can cause anxiety disorders, non-organic sleep-wake cycle and severe stress and adaptation, derived from the nature of the functions of the workplace, the type of workday and exposure to severe traumatic events or acts of labor violence to the worker, for the work developed.

The most important points of the standard are:

• Workloads.
• Lack of control over work.
• Excess workdays, and shift rotation, in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Labor Law.
• Interference in the work-family relationship.
• Negative relationships at work.
• Work violence

The employer's obligations in companies are:

• Have a psychosocial risk prevention policy.
• Adopt measures to prevent and control psychosocial risk factors.
• Identify workers who were subject to severe traumatic events and channel them for attention.
• Disseminate and provide information to workers about: the psychosocial risk prevention policy, the measures adopted to combat practices opposed to the favorable organizational environment and acts of labor violence and prevention measures and actions.
• The possible alterations to health due to exposure to psychosocial risk factors, as well as keeping records.

The regulation also contemplates the evaluation of the organizational environment, these must be carried out by centers with more than 50 workers. Aspects such as the sense of belonging of the workers or the adequate distribution of workloads must be determined.

Both, the identification and analysis of risk factors and the evaluation of the environment should be carried out every year. Their results should be informed in a report of free access for workers. The importance of meeting these points is that both processes are the basis of prevention measures.