The silent scandal of self-employed workers’ health

There are nearly 3 million self-employed workers, also known as Non-Non, in France. They include craftsmen, shopkeepers, professionals, and certain business owners. Every day, they face new professional challenges. They work with very little medical and professional safety net, which does not always protect them from a fatal fall. The absence of the right to make mistakes makes them particularly vulnerable when faced with the medical uncertainties of life. Twenty or so ordinary stories, some with tragic endings, illustrate the context in which these hard-working individuals, eager for freedom and creativity, operate. This brief illustrated legislative overview is intended to give political decision-makers food for thought, with a view to bringing the medical and social care arrangements for all French people closer together.