Dominican Republic reports rise in workplace accidents and mental health leaves

Workplace accidents in the Dominican Republic increased by 7.8% during the first nine months of the year, according to statistics from the Dominican Institute for the Prevention and Protection of Occupational Risks (Idoppril). A total of 28,808 accidents were recorded, compared to 26,727 during the same period in 2025. Of these, 16,067 occurred at workplaces and 12,412 happened during worker commutes.

Professional illnesses also saw a significant rise, increasing by 51.3% from 76 to 115 cases. Notably, requests for mental health leave nearly doubled, rising from 18 cases in the previous year's period to 35.

In response, the Employers' Confederation of the Dominican Republic (Copardom) is looking to develop protocols to help companies, particularly smaller ones with limited resources, identify and address mental health risks among employees.