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According to official statistics, the health of individuals employed within “very small enterprises” (VSEs) is better than in other sectors despite the prevalence of higher professional risks and the lesser development of preventative measures. Based on an empirical study carried out in three sectors strongly represented in VSEs – hairdressing, catering and construction – this article explores the paradox of VSEs by examining the somatic culture of these employees. In so doing, it shows that, at different stages, the somatic culture produced to endure health problems leads to strategies of circumvention of these issues. This endurance reflects both the effects of professional ethos and the differentiated relationships of VSE employees with their future. When their health issues become excessively “debilitating” to endure their daily tasks, most of them make internal, unofficial arrangements to stop working without officially going on sick-leave, which means that the majority of health issues of VSE employees falls under the radar of public statistics.