NOM-035 and psychological well-being: a practical guide for HR

Complying with NOM-035 is not just about distributing questionnaires and filing papers in a cabinet. For a strategic HR department, it is the perfect opportunity to transform psychosocial well-being and build an organizational culture that truly works. Real compliance does not live in a document, but in concrete actions that lower stress, improve the work environment, and make your top talent want to stay.

Understanding NOM-035 Beyond Compliance

As an HR leader in Mexico, you have surely already dealt with the complexity of NOM-035. The conversation almost always centers on reference guides, documentation, and how to avoid fines. But what if I told you that is only half the story?

In our experience working with HR teams of various sizes across Mexico, we have seen that the true power of the standard emerges when we stop viewing it as a burden and start using it for what it truly is: a roadmap to create healthier and, consequently, more productive workplaces. The question is not "how do I comply?", but rather "how do I use this tool so that my team is genuinely better off?".

When compliance becomes a strategy, it stops being an expense and turns into a direct investment in your people.

From Paper to Day-to-Day Reality

Ever since NOM-035-STPS-2018 became fully mandatory in October 2020, real change was expected in how we manage psychosocial risks. The truth is that the landscape is mixed.

Many reports reveal that numerous companies, especially SMEs that employ more than 52% of the workforce in Mexico, have remained stuck in "paper compliance." That is, they fill out the forms, but there is no action plan behind them to bring about meaningful change.

It has even been observed that official questionnaires alone do not always clearly identify employees who are in a high psychological risk situation. You can delve deeper into the challenges this entails and discover more about psychosocial risk management in Mexico to understand the depth of the problem.

The Strategic Move for HR

This is where talent leaders face a challenge, but also a tremendous opportunity. If we stick strictly to bureaucracy, we will miss real issues such as burnout, workload-related stress, or leadership that isn't working.

NOM-035 is not the finish line; it is the vehicle. Its real purpose is to open the conversation and drive actions toward psychosocial well-being—a key pillar for reducing turnover, curbing absenteeism, and boosting engagement.

Thinking about NOM-035 compliance and psychosocial well-being in an integrated way means connecting what you discover in your assessments with practical, ongoing initiatives. It is right here where corporate wellness programs, such as active breaks or chair massages, stop being a "nice extra" and become tactical tools to tackle identified risks head-on.

How to Conduct an Effective Psychosocial Risk Assessment

The first practical step to comply with NOM-035 is the assessment. But let's be honest, this isn't just about "administering questionnaires." It is the crucial moment where you truly listen to your organization. Doing it right makes the difference between gathering a pile of confusing data and having a clear roadmap to enhance the work environment.

The success of this stage relies almost entirely on one thing: trust. If your employees don't understand why you are asking these questions or, worse, fear retaliation, their answers will not be honest and the entire exercise will lose its purpose.

Preparing the Ground: Communication Is Key

Before even considering sending out the first questionnaire, you need to launch an internal communication campaign. The objective is very clear: to provide peace of mind and ensure that as many people as possible participate genuinely.

What should your message include? Keep it simple and direct:

• The why: Explain in simple terms that this is part of NOM-035, an official standard aimed at creating healthier work environments for everyone.

• Confidentiality: Emphasize, repeat, and guarantee that responses are anonymous and confidential. It is vital that people feel safe answering with complete honesty.

• The ultimate goal: Make it clear that the purpose is to identify areas of opportunity to improve company culture, workloads, and leadership. It is not about evaluating individuals, but about understanding the system.

• Next steps: Tell them what will happen next. Mention that the results will be analyzed to build concrete action plans and that general findings will be shared with the team.

This approach transforms a requirement that sounds bureaucratic into a genuine wellness initiative. The initial paperwork becomes the foundation for truly improving the employee experience.

As the workflow shows, complying with the standard is only the starting point. Managed strategically, it leads to tangible well-being and a real competitive advantage for the company.

Reference Guides in the Real World

The standard outlines Reference Guides II (for workplaces with 16 to 50 employees) and III (for more than 50). These questionnaires measure factors that, translated into daily office scenarios, represent everyday realities:

• Workloads: Do people feel that time is never enough? Do workdays constantly run long?

• Lack of control over work: Do they have autonomy to organize their tasks, or do they feel everything is imposed without room to maneuver?

• Negative leadership: Is feedback unclear or aggressive? Do managers fail to recognize effort?

• Negative workplace relationships: Are there tensions, gossip, or a lack of support among peers?

• Workplace violence: Are there incidents of harassment or mistreatment?

When you analyze the results, you won't just see numbers—you will see a reflection of these dynamics. If you want to dive deeper into how these elements manifest, we invite you to explore our guide on psychosocial risk factors at work.

Common mistake to avoid: Administering questionnaires without context. Sending out a mass link via email without prior communication is a recipe for low participation and unreliable answers. Take the time to explain, address questions, and build an atmosphere of openness.

Recent evidence shows that the underlying problem NOM-035 seeks to address remains critical in Mexico. Human capital analyses indicate that nearly half of workers have experienced workplace harassment, and four out of ten report being victims of violence at their job. On top of this, since the standard was enacted, more than 15,000 cases of burnout have been diagnosed, and resignations due to excessive workloads grew by more than 50% in the most recent year recorded by Inegi. These data points show that minimum compliance is not enough; practical interventions are needed to truly impact the organizational climate.

How to Design an Intervention Plan That Truly Works

You now have the results of your NOM-035 assessment. Now comes the part that defines everything: transforming those data points into concrete actions that genuinely improve your team's psychosocial well-being. An effective intervention plan is not a generic document; it is a tailored roadmap that tackles the root causes of the risks you identified.

The goal is not merely checking off a compliance box, but creating a visible change in day-to-day life. If the assessment pointed to heavy workloads, your plan must go beyond a simple email asking for "better organization." You need practical solutions that relieve pressure and prevent burnout.

Prioritizing Red Flags

The first step is prioritizing. You cannot (and should not) try to fix everything at once. Review your results and focus on domains with the highest scores—meaning where the risk is Medium, High, or Very High. Did leadership score low? Is the workday schedule the main problem? That is where you should concentrate your initial efforts.

In our experience working with HR departments, the most common factors tend to be workloads and negative leadership. These two elements have a domino effect on almost every other aspect of workplace culture. Addressing them head-on usually generates the greatest positive impact in the shortest amount of time.

Concrete Actions for Each Risk Level

Your intervention plan should be tiered, with specific actions tailored to each identified risk level. To help you move beyond theory, here is a table featuring realistic and actionable ideas, from the simplest to the most structured.

Examples of Actions by Psychosocial Risk Level

• Reinforce the risk prevention policy.

• Internal communication campaigns to recognize best practices.

• Actively promote work-life balance.

| | Medium | There are clear areas of opportunity that already require attention to prevent them from escalating. It's time to act preventively. |

• Time management and productivity workshops.

• Introduction of guided active breaks to reduce tension.

• Informational sessions about NOM-035 and support channels.

| | High or Very High | Decisive, visible, and structured intervention is required. Risks are evident and affecting both well-being and operations. |

• Leadership development programs (communication, feedback).

• Workload reviews with department leaders.

• Implementation of a structured workplace wellness program.

|

As you can see, actions become more comprehensive as the risk level rises. For High or Very High levels, an isolated workshop isn't enough; you need a comprehensive program. If you are looking for inspiration, you can explore ideas to create your own workplace wellness program that actually works.

At this level, tangible initiatives like in-office chair massages serve as an excellent tactical tool. Not only do they directly target accumulated stress and muscle fatigue, but they also send a powerful message: the company actively cares about the physical and mental well-being of its people.

The Proven Link Between Workplace Climate and Psychosocial Risk

This is not just about perceptions. Studies conducted in Mexico using the NOM-035 methodology have shown a direct, measurable connection between psychosocial risk factors and organizational climate.

Research at a university center found that 32% of workers exhibited medium to high risk, with the most critical domains being working hours, workloads, and leadership. The conclusion was clear: the better the social climate, the lower the psychosocial risk.

For you, as an HR professional, this confirms that every initiative aimed at improving the workplace environment contributes directly to NOM-035 compliance. Integrating recurring wellness programs—such as corporate massages or active breaks like those we facilitate at Zen to Go—is not an expense; it is a preventive and corrective measure backed by evidence.

Your intervention plan thus becomes a living tool that creates an impact employees can feel, appreciate, and value.

The Art of Documentation: Your Continuous Compliance Logbook

Now that you have an intervention plan underway, let's talk about the part that keeps many HR professionals up at night: documentation. And let's be honest, this isn't about filling a filing cabinet with papers just to "comply." It is about building a living management system—one that demonstrates a genuine commitment to psychosocial well-being and, of course, gives you peace of mind in the event of an STPS inspection.

Compliance is not a one-time event; it is a cycle. The key lies in organizing information so that it is easy to consult and update, but above all, useful for helping you make better decisions.

Your Checklist of Essential Documents

Keeping everything organized and on hand is crucial. Think of your NOM-035 folder as the flight logbook of your wellness strategy. When labor authorities arrive, they will want to see evidence that you followed the complete process, from diagnosis to action.

Here is a table to ensure nothing slips through the cracks. It is a practical summary of what the STPS can request during an inspection, enabling you to audit your own compliance quickly.

NOM-035 Mandatory Documentation Checklist

Keeping these documents organized isn't just about passing an audit. It is what gives you a clear view of your initiatives' progress and helps you justify budgets for future wellness programs.

Turn Compliance into a Cycle of Improvement

True NOM-035 compliance and psychosocial well-being is achieved when the process becomes part of your annual HR calendar, not when you administer the survey once every two years and forget about it.

A very common mistake is viewing NOM-035 as a project with a start and end date. In reality, it is a management system that must be integrated into daily operations, just like health and safety or training.

To make this happen, build an annual follow-up schedule. A simple yet powerful document that will help you plan and ensure actions remain active throughout the year.

• First quarter (Q1): Conduct the assessment or review the previous year's results. Present findings to leaders and the executive committee.

• Second quarter (Q2): Launch the first actions of the intervention plan. This could be the start of leadership workshops or a pilot active breaks program.

• Third quarter (Q3): Measure initial impact. Run pulse surveys, review turnover and absenteeism KPIs, and adjust the plan based on feedback.

• Fourth quarter (Q4): Communicate progress to the entire organization. Plan the following year's initiatives and secure the budget to continue.

Measuring Success Beyond Questionnaires

For leadership to see the value of your efforts, it is vital to link NOM-035 actions to the indicators already on the decision-making table. Success isn't measured solely by reducing a score on a questionnaire, but by its tangible impact on business health.

Here is the key to linking your initiatives with core KPIs:

• Turnover reduction: Do departments with higher participation in wellness programs experience lower voluntary turnover rates? Cross-reference the data.

• Decreased absenteeism: Compare days of absence due to stress or illness across periods before and after implementing your plan.

• Improvement in eNPS (Employee Net Promoter Score): Include well-being questions in your climate surveys to see if perception improves over time.

• Increased productivity: While harder to measure, you can correlate program participation with goal attainment in specific teams.

When you present your results this way, you stop talking solely about regulatory compliance and start speaking the language of business. You prove that investing in psychosocial well-being is one of the smartest and most profitable decisions a company can make.

Integrating Well-being as a Pillar of Your NOM-035 Strategy

We have covered the path through assessment, planning, and documentation for NOM-035. But this is where everything comes together. This is where the standard ceases to be a paperwork requirement and becomes part of your cultural DNA.

The most authentic and sustainable compliance with NOM-035 is not what sits in a binder, but what is experienced and felt throughout the workspace. It's about taking the leap: moving from merely mitigating risks to actively promoting psychosocial well-being.

Well-being as a Mitigation Tool

Take another look at your assessment results. Did heavy workloads emerge as a high risk factor? Or is accumulated stress draining certain teams? This is precisely where corporate wellness programs stop being an "expense" and transform into a direct, strategic investment.

Imagine this scenario: the finance department reports sky-high stress levels, especially during month-end closes. Instead of simply documenting it, you decide to implement a recurring chair massage program during those critical dates.

Suddenly, the action is no longer just a pleasant perk; it is a tangible control measure. You are directly targeting one of the symptoms (physical and mental stress) of an already identified risk (workloads).

True NOM-035 compliance and psychosocial well-being is achieved when your wellness initiatives respond directly to detected risks. It is the difference between offering generic perks and designing a care strategy that solves real problems.

The Direct Connection to Organizational Culture

When wellness initiatives are consistent and visible, they take root in the culture. A weekly active breaks program or a quarterly massage day sends a much stronger message than any internal memo.

These types of actions prove through deeds that the company cares about the balance and health of its people. And this doesn't just help you comply with the letter of the law; it impacts metrics that matter to the entire business:

• Reduces turnover: A Deloitte study indicates that for every peso invested in mental health, a return of up to four pesos can be achieved in productivity. People stay where they feel cared for.

• Improves engagement: Employees who feel their company values their well-being are more committed. Our internal data at Zen to Go shows that 99% of participants feel this support.

• Strengthens employer branding: You become a place where people want to work, making it easier to attract top-tier talent with less effort.

If you want to delve deeper into this approach, our guide on psychosocial risk prevention provides a broader perspective on how to build a safer and healthier work environment from the ground up.

A Strategic Partner to Make Things Happen

As an HR professional, your time is valuable and you manage multiple fronts. The thought of handling the logistics of a recurring wellness program can feel overwhelming. This is where a strategic partner like Zen to Go makes all the difference.

We handle the end-to-end operation: from coordinating certified therapists to setting up an online booking platform for your employees. This frees you up to focus on what you do best: talent strategy and performance analysis.

Focusing on well-being also means deploying effective strategies to reduce workplace stress and enhance well-being on a day-to-day basis, and an ally can help you implement them without adding to your team's workload.

In our experience working with HR leaders across companies of all sizes, we have seen how this collaboration turns good intentions into real action. We make it easy for well-being to be an ongoing reality, not an isolated event.

At the end of the day, integrating wellness is not the final step in complying with NOM-035. It is the driving engine that keeps compliance alive and transforms it into a true competitive advantage.

Resolving Doubts: Frequently Asked Questions About NOM-035 and Workplace Well-being

We have traveled the entire path to achieving compliance with NOM-035: from the initial assessment to integrating wellness programs that truly deliver results. But we know that in the day-to-day realm of Human Resources, the questions that arise are very specific.

This final section is for you. Here we answer the most common questions talent leaders ask us, providing direct, practical answers. Everything is based on our hands-on experience helping Mexican companies navigate this process with far greater confidence.

Is complying with NOM-035 the same as having a wellness program?

No, and this is a fundamental distinction. Complying with NOM-035 is a legal requirement. Its focus is on identifying, analyzing, and preventing psychosocial risk factors. The goal is clear: to create a work environment that is safe from a psychological standpoint.

A wellness program, by contrast, is a proactive, voluntary strategy that aims to actively promote the holistic health of employees (physical, mental, and emotional). It is not just about preventing harm, but about building and fostering positive outcomes.

Think of it this way: NOM-035 helps you lay the foundation for a safe and habitable house. A wellness program is what turns it into a home—a place where people genuinely want to be and grow.

Both concepts, of course, are deeply interconnected. A good wellness program is one of the most powerful tools for mitigating the risks that the standard requires you to identify. If your assessment reveals high stress levels, implementing chair massages is a wellness action that directly supports your regulatory compliance.

How often should I administer the standard's questionnaires?

The Federal Labor Law sets the guideline: evaluations of psychosocial risk factors must be conducted at least every two years. This is the minimum requirement for your company to remain compliant.

However, as your strategic HR ally, we recommend not waiting the full two years if you notice major organizational shifts. It is worth considering administering questionnaires—or even shorter pulse surveys—if events like the following occur:

• A major restructuring: mergers, mass layoffs, or drastic leadership changes.

• A noticeable increase in turnover or absenteeism: these are red flags and early indicators that something is amiss in the workplace climate.

• Changes in work arrangements: for example, a mass transition from on-site to a hybrid or remote model.

The idea is to use the assessment as a real-time thermometer, not merely as a formality checked off every two years.

What happens if an employee refuses to complete the questionnaires?

Participation in NOM-035 questionnaires is an employee right, not an obligation. You cannot force anyone to answer, nor can you take retaliatory action if they choose not to.

If you face low participation rates, don't view it as an act of defiance, but rather as a symptom of something deeper. Generally, a poor response rate stems from two main reasons:

1. Lack of trust: employees do not believe their responses will genuinely remain anonymous and fear negative repercussions.

2. Lack of relevance: they don't understand the purpose of the survey or, worse, feel the company will do nothing with the results.

The solution is not pressure, but better communication. Re-explain the purpose, guarantee confidentiality through concrete actions, and, most importantly, demonstrate with past and present examples that their voice leads to real change.

Does a small company also have to comply with everything?

NOM-035 applies to all workplaces without exception, but obligations vary depending on headcount. This is an area that frequently causes confusion.

Here is a straightforward breakdown:

• Up to 15 employees: Obligations are minimal. You must have a prevention policy, implement measures to prevent risks, and communicate reporting channels. Administering questionnaires is not mandatory.

• From 16 to 50 employees: In addition to the above, identifying and analyzing psychosocial risks becomes mandatory. For this, Reference Guide II is applied.

• More than 50 employees: All requirements apply. This includes identification and analysis using Reference Guide III (which is more extensive) and the obligation to conduct medical assessments for workers exposed to workplace violence or severe risks.

The path toward genuine NOM-035 compliance and psychosocial well-being is a marathon, not a sprint. It demands commitment, sound strategy, and the right tools. At Zen to Go, we fully understand the operational and human challenges you face. We are here to be the strategic partner that streamlines your implementation of wellness programs that not only satisfy the standard, but build a culture where your team can truly thrive.