Psychosocial factors in Brazilian labor regulations: deadline for companies approaching

As per the new wording of the Brazilian Ministry of Labor and Employment’s Regulatory Standard No. 1 (NR-1), companies operating in Brazil must consider psychosocial risk factors within the overall management of their occupational risks as of May 26, 2026.

With the deadline approaching, companies have been preparing themselves to comply with the NR-1’s new requirements. Occupational health and safety professionals have already been taking a leading role in identifying and mapping these risks – understood as aspects of a company’s structure and management with the potential (considering social and organizational contexts) to cause workers psychological or physical harm.

Beyond the efforts of occupational health and human resources professionals, examining the topic from a legal standpoint is also essential, particularly given the potential impacts that recording psychosocial risks in the Occupational Risk Management Program (PGR) may have on labor and social security matters.

From a labor perspective, beyond questions of complying with the NR-1 to avoid fines, it is important to note that workers may use updated information included in the PGR as evidence in lawsuits when seeking to hold a company liable for potential mental illness on the grounds that the workplace was a decisive factor in the illness.

In regard to social security, identifying psychosocial risks may facilitate classifying disability benefits as accident-related (code B91) via the technical epidemiological nexus (NTEP). This can directly impact the company’s Accident Prevention Factor (FAP) and consequently, its social security costs.

Therefore, the way companies assess, describe, and document such risks has the potential to increase their exposure to judicial and administrative contingencies.

Changes to the NR-1 and how psychosocial risks are managed present companies with a complex challenge. Nonetheless, it is possible to create a safe, healthy workplace while mitigating labor and social security risks arising from regulatory changes by implementing appropriate methodologies and conducting thorough reviews of related legal aspects.

For more information on this topic, please contact Mattos Filho’s Labor & Employment and Tax practice areas.