This is the paradox of very small businesses (TPE). In these organizations which have less than ten employees, the health of the workers is, according to public statistics, better than elsewhere. Nevertheless, “the presence of professional risks is stronger there, and (…) prevention (…) very underdeveloped”emphasize Emilie Legrand and Fanny Darbus, lecturers in sociology.
In order to shed light on this contradiction, the two academics conducted a survey in these small structures, in sectors of activity (hairdressing, catering, building) where employees and bosses are particularly exposed. A meticulous study, conducted on a field little explored until now by research, and of which they deliver the conclusions in an essay: Health and work in VSEs (Erès).
The book quickly demonstrates that “these professions put (…) strained health ». Seeing these small structures as preserved spaces is an illusion. Prolonged standing, carrying heavy loads, risk of falling, burning… The dangers and hardships are multiple, the pathologies encountered just as much. Chronic pain (back, hands, etc.) is common and can affect the youngest.
Suffering at work is part of everyday life for employees. It is even a standard integrated by many of them. The risks are “identified as essential, if not identity, components of the profession and often accepted as inevitable”explain the authors.
An accepted hardship
Endurance is often celebrated. As a result, most employees continue their activity even in the event of pain. Health problems are thus made invisible, work stoppages are rare, and their study cannot, therefore, make it possible to grasp the reality on the ground.
Why such an acceptance of hardship and risks? Different springs are at work. Endurance and resistance to pain are cultural markers common to many employees, especially those from the working classes. Some employees also want to support the economic health of the company, as any absence might impede its smooth running. Solidarity can also be at work in these VSEs where, often, “the state of the work collective and the vitality of the company come before the health of each individual, and a fortiori that of the most vulnerable”.
To prevent bodies from suffering too much, however, strategies can be deployed by employees. They are often informal: playing on the schedule of appointments in hairdressing salons, placing the most demanding tasks at the end of the day in the building… Similarly, to limit psychological suffering and make people accept hardship, cohesion appears essential. “Ensure the “good atmosphere” within the team” seems to act like a “analgesic”, note sociologists. This atmosphere therefore represents a “highly strategic issue” for some very small business owners, called upon to work on their management accordingly.
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