The beginning of the year inspires a fresh start. January is the month in which people and companies plan goals, redefine priorities and outline strategies. But we ended up planning the new year with the mind still tired from the previous year.
This is precisely why the January Branco, a campaign dedicated to mental health awareness, gains so much relevance in the corporate environment. January because that’s when we plan everything. White because it represents the need to look at mental health with more attention, care and intent.
NR-1 reinforces that companies are responsible for managing psychosocial risks at work, factors that directly influence workers’ mental health.
Mental health at work: a worker or company problem?
For a long time, mental health was treated as an individual theme, restricted to the personal life of workers. Today, the data demonstrate that mental illness directly impacts organizations and that work-related factors also significantly influence workers’ personal lives.
We are among the countries with the highest prevalence of anxiety disorders in the world (https://jmonline.com.br/saude/segundo-oms-brasil-e-lider-global-em-quantidade-de-pessoas-anxiosas-1.464907). More than 470,000 absences from work were granted in 2024 for mental and behavioral disorders, directly impacting companies, teams and social security, a scenario that reinforces the need for a more proactive stance by organizations, which reinforces the need for a more proactive attitude from organizations in the face of the demands legal and regulatory.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a significant portion of the population develops some mental disorder throughout their lives, but few seek professional help, which contributes to a cycle of silent illness, a drop in productivity, an increase in absenteeism and overload of health and pension systems.
In the corporate environment, this means:
⦁ Frequent leave;
⦁ Presenteeism (when the employee is present, but unable to produce);
⦁ Increase in errors, rework and conflicts;
⦁ Weak organizational climate;
⦁ Legal and labor risks.
What NR-1 demands from companies about mental health
NR 1 – General Provisions and Occupational Risk Management establishes that companies must identify, evaluate and control all risks present in the work environment. This explicitly includes psychosocial risks.
Psychosocial risks are those related to the way work is organized and managed, such as:
⦁ Excessive demands and unattainable goals;
⦁ Lack of clarity of roles and responsibilities;
⦁ Unprepared leaders;
⦁ Moral or organizational harassment;
⦁ Lack of social and institutional support;
⦁ Extensive days and absence of pauses;
⦁ Psychological insecurity.
NR-1 requires that these factors be considered in the Risk Management Program (PGR), with preventive actions, continuous monitoring and control measures.
Mental health at work is no longer just the object of occasional campaigns to be a topic of compliance, management and legal responsibility.
Want to know more about the penalties applicable to organizations that are not in compliance, read the article https://www.tothbe.com.br/2025/12/02/quais-sao-as-penalidades-da-nova-nr-1/
how companies should manage psychosocial risks according to NR-1
To meet the NR-1 and, at the same time, build healthier work environments, companies need to adopt a structured and continuous approach. This includes:
- Identification of psychosocial risks: Map organizational factors that can generate mental suffering, considering culture, processes, work relationships and operational conditions.
- Integration of psychosocial risks to the PGR: Psychosocial risks must be formally included in the PGR, with registration, impact analysis and definition of preventive measures.
- Leadership Training: Managers and leaders need to be prepared to recognize signs of mental illness, lead teams in a healthy way and act preventively.
- Continuous actions to promote mental health: It means implementing educational actions, denunciation channels, clear policies and organizational practices that favor well-being.
- Monitoring of Indicators: Absenteeism, departures, turnover and organizational climate are indicators that help to assess the effectiveness of actions and adjust strategies, when necessary.
Planning mental health how to plan career and results
Companies plan goals, growth, innovation and rigorous financial results. Mental health needs to be part of the same strategic planning.
Mentally healthy employees:
⦁ make better decisions;
⦁ Produce with more quality;
⦁ engage more with organizational culture;
⦁ get less sick and stay longer in the company.
Mental health management needs to take place throughout the year.
the role of companies in the face of increased absences and pressure on Social Security
The growth of absences due to mental disorders does not only impact the worker. It directly pressures Social Security and generates high indirect costs for companies.
organizations that do not act preventively end up dealing with:
⦁ Loss of talents;
⦁ Costs with substitutions and training;
⦁ Increase in labor liabilities;
⦁ Difficulty keeping teams stable and engaged.
Managing psychosocial risks is, therefore, a strategic, economic and, above all, human decision.
How Tothbe supports companies in psychosocial risk management
Tothbe acts as a strategic partner for companies that want to meet the requirements of NR-1 and, at the same time, build healthier and more sustainable work environments.
We support organizations through:
⦁ Educational content and training in 100% online mental health;
⦁ Leadership training;
⦁ Diagnosis and mapping of psychosocial risks;
⦁ Structuring of actions aligned with the PGR and NR-1;
White January reminds us that mental health cannot be postponed.
Starting the year by taking care of the mind is a strategic step—for whole individuals, teams and organizations.
Tothbe is ready to support your company on this journey, with technical security, responsibility and commitment.
Discover Tothbe’s trainings that serve NR-1
