NOM-035 in Mexico: what it is, what it requires, and how to comply with it effectively
If you work in HR, occupational safety, or manage a company in Mexico, you’ve likely heard about NOM-035.
And if you’ve been asked to implement it, you’ve probably wondered:
👉 Where do I start without turning this into an operational burden?
That question matters more than it seems.
💡 Because NOM-035 is not just a legal requirement. It is a continuous management system.
And this is exactly where many companies fail.
What is NOM-035 and why does it matter?
NOM-035-STPS-2018 is a Mexican regulation that requires companies to:
👉 identify
👉 analyze
👉 prevent
psychosocial risk factors in the workplace. These are classic psychosocial risks that demand structured prevention.
These include:
- chronic work stress
- workplace harassment or violence
- excessive workloads
- lack of role clarity
In other words, it goes beyond physical safety and focuses on mental health at work. It places mental health at work at the centre of prevention.
Therefore, this is not just about compliance. It’s about managing risks that directly impact productivity, employee wellbeing, and organizational stability. This means integrating mental health into workplace safety strategy.
Who does NOM-035 apply to?
The regulation applies to all companies in Mexico, regardless of size.
However, obligations vary depending on the number of employees:
Up to 15 employees
- Provide information
- Communicate prevention policies
16 to 50 employees
- All of the above
- Identify traumatic events
- Refer affected workers to IMSS
More than 50 employees
- All of the above
- Conduct psychosocial risk assessments
- Analyze results
- Develop intervention plans
- Ensure continuous follow-up
So while NOM-035 applies to every organization, the level of complexity increases with company size.
What happens if you don’t comply?
Non-compliance can lead to:
- financial penalties
- labor inspections
- legal claims
- reputational damage
However, the biggest risk is not the fine.
💡 The real issue is losing visibility and control over what’s happening inside your organization.
When stress, workload, or organizational issues are not detected in time, the impact goes far beyond compliance. It affects performance, retention, and workplace culture.
The most common mistake
Many companies follow this approach:
👉 run the survey once
👉 store the results in Excel
👉 take no further action
However, this does not comply with NOM-035.
The problem is treating the regulation as a one-time task. In reality, it requires ongoing management and follow-up.
NOM-035 is a cycle, not a checklist
The regulation requires companies to:
👉 assess
👉 intervene
👉 monitor
👉 reassess
Without a structured system, this quickly becomes difficult to manage.
As a result, teams rely on scattered documents, emails, and manual tracking. Over time, maintaining compliance becomes inefficient and risky.
How to implement NOM-035 step by step
1. Define and communicate a prevention policy
Every company must establish a formal policy that includes:
- leadership commitment
- clear preventive measures
- communication to all employees
More importantly, the policy must be actively shared and understood across the organization.
2. Identify traumatic events
From 16 employees onwards, companies must identify situations such as:
- serious workplace accidents
- violence or harassment
- critical or traumatic events
When necessary, employees must be referred to IMSS for proper support.
3. Conduct psychosocial risk assessments
For companies with more than 50 employees:
- apply the official assessment tools
- ensure confidentiality
- organize and document results
- maintain traceability
Simply running the survey is not enough. Proper management of the results is essential.
4. Develop an intervention plan
This is where assessment turns into action.
The plan must include:
- concrete actions
- assigned responsibilities
- timelines
- tracking metrics
This ensures that identified risks are actively managed and reduced.
5. Ensure continuous follow-up and documentation
This is a critical requirement.
Companies must:
- document every step
- maintain evidence
- track progress
- be ready for inspections
In other words, compliance is not a one-time effort. It requires ongoing management.
How a Workplace Safety Platform changes everything
This is where companies start to see real impact.
A Workplace Safety Platform (SST platform) allows you to:
👉 centralize assessments
👉 automate surveys
👉 manage action plans
👉 track progress in real time
👉 generate compliance evidence automatically
As a result, companies move away from spreadsheets and manual processes.
👉 Learn more about this approach here:
Workplace Safety Platform
https://www.sabentis.com/en/blog/ehs-software-how-to-digitize-occupational-risk-prevention-and-gain-traceability-with-sabentis/
How Sabentis helps companies comply with NOM-035
With Sabentis, companies can:
✔️ run digital assessments with automatic results
✔️ track traumatic events
✔️ manage action plans with responsibilities and deadlines
✔️ generate documentation for inspections
✔️ centralize all workplace safety processes in one system
In summary, NOM-035 is not optional. And it is not a one-time task.
👉 It is a continuous management process.
Companies that rely on spreadsheets:
- lose time
- lose control
- increase risk
Companies that digitalize:
👉 gain visibility
👉 improve control
👉 operate more efficiently
NOM-035 affects every company in Mexico. However, effective compliance is not just about understanding the regulation. It is about managing it properly over time.
When companies rely on manual processes, compliance becomes fragile. On the other hand, with a structured approach, everything becomes clearer: assessing, acting, documenting, and proving compliance.
Ultimately, NOM-035 should not be seen as an administrative burden. When managed correctly, it becomes a powerful tool to improve workplace wellbeing and reduce organizational risks.
👉 Discover how to comply with NOM-035 in a simple and structured way:
https://www.sabentis.com/en/request-demo/
