Small business owners now have a new platform specializing in workplace wellbeing, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) announced on Tuesday.

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This initiative, developed in partnership with Nexim Canada (PrimaSure), comes at a time when nearly four in five small business owners (78%) in a recent survey said they were suffering from ongoing pandemic stress.

“To integrate well-being into the corporate culture, [les propriétaires de PME] can make arrangements by informing their employees of the support available, facilitating discussions about workplace wellbeing and establishing an employee assistance program,” said Briana Desormeau, vice president of Nexim Canada.

According to the survey carried out in February by the CFIB among 4,001 SMEs, the accommodation and catering (91%), social services (91%), management and administration (90%) and information, art and recreation (88%) sectors are particularly affected by this situation. .

“The pandemic has caused a lot of stress for small business owners. While we hope the pandemic is behind us, most have not yet recovered from the stress it has caused and are worried about their future, said Jasmin Guénette, Vice President for National Affairs at the CFIB. In addition, our members also tell us that mental health issues have increased among their employees and they sometimes find it difficult to talk about this topic.

While labor shortages are the biggest stressor for SMBs, many owners (31%) have been providing their employees with more mental health resources and information since the start of the pandemic, which is helping to retain them.

“The loss of a single employee can have a significant impact on the operation of an SME, but the situation can also affect entrepreneurs personally, as their employees are often made up of friends or family,” added Mr Guénette, who hopes that this new platform will help SMEs .