Introduction
Mexico’s regulatory advances in workplace mental health have prompted the adoption of measures; however, most actions are isolated and fail to address underlying issues as the focus is on avoiding penalties.
The Focus: Compliance over Well-being
Risks Psychosocial at Work: Managing these risks is viewed more as a regulatory compliance than a tool to enhance personnel well-being, boost productivity, and create better work environments. This approach, according to experts, translates into ineffective measures and, in some cases, costly ones.
“The issue is still being addressed from a compliance perspective with regulations, and many organizations, driven by this regulatory compliance, do not follow up or develop appropriate action plans to contain these risks,” says Ariel Almazán, leader of Health and Well-being Consulting in Mexico and Latin America for Mercer Marsh Benefits (MMB).
Reasons for Addressing Psychosocial Risks
- Legal and Regulatory Requirement: The primary reason companies measure psychosocial risks and adopt programs is due to the country’s legal and regulatory requirements, mentioned by 72% of the companies consulted.
- Direct Managerial Commitment to Employee Well-being: This reason accounts for 52%, while reducing absenteeism and increasing productivity ranks very distantly at 21%.
Regulatory Progress and Its Impact
In the last seven years, Mexico has made strides in work-related mental health regulations. The publication of NOM 035 in 2018 on psychosocial risk factors at work marked a milestone in prevention, and in 2023, mental disorders were recognized as occupational diseases for the first time.
Despite these changes driving company actions, most measures have been adopted merely for regulatory compliance.
Reactive Measures vs. Preventive Strategies
The focus on “avoiding penalties” implies that most actions are reactive rather than preventive, not aligned with a well-being strategy or business indicators. They do not address the underlying issues affecting personnel, such as workload, accelerated work pace, limited autonomy, and high levels of autocratic leadership.
Cost-Effective Measures
Experts agree that appropriately managing psychosocial risks, based on NOM 035, is not expensive but requires commitment. High levels of workplace violence and stress persist due to unaddressed issues.
Ariel Almazán highlights various low-cost, high-impact measures: periodic evaluations, asking employees about their well-being, communication and education strategies, work-life balance promotion, leader and middle management training, safe dialogue spaces.
Stigma and Its Impact on Absenteeism and Turnover
Alejandra Toscano, director of DNE Consulting, notes that stigma surrounding mental health in the workplace prevents crucial conversations influencing absenteeism and turnover rates.
Ignoring these issues results in a lack of personal development, low engagement, and a sense of belonging—hidden costs that accumulate.
The mere administrative compliance approach sends a message to employees that they are not valued, only penalties concern the organization. However, prevention is cheaper than any rotation percentage.
Key Questions and Answers
- Question: Why are companies addressing psychosocial risks?
- Answer: Primarily due to legal and regulatory requirements (72%) and secondly, direct managerial commitment to employee well-being (52%).
- Question: What is the impact of focusing on compliance rather than well-being?
- Answer: It leads to reactive measures instead of preventive strategies, failing to address underlying issues affecting employees and resulting in high levels of workplace violence and stress.
- Question: What are some cost-effective measures to manage psychosocial risks?
- Answer: Periodic evaluations, asking employees about their well-being, communication and education strategies, work-life balance promotion, leader and middle management training, and safe dialogue spaces.
- Question: How does stigma surrounding mental health affect the workplace?
- Answer: It prevents crucial conversations influencing absenteeism and turnover rates, leading to a lack of personal development, low engagement, and a sense of belonging—hidden costs that accumulate.
