Given the current economic climate and to prevent many businesses from closing, we need to strengthen support for employers, who are often left to face these challenges alone and isolated. It is in this context that the Union of Employers in the Social and Solidarity Economy (UDES) has launched the “SOS Employers ESS” initiative—after all, shared values undoubtedly call for a little solidarity, don’t they?
Helping Each Other Through Difficult Times
A new program, launched in Guadeloupe and Martinique on January 20, 2026, enables social and solidarity economy businesses to support one another through «free, compassionate, and confidential peer support aimed at employers in the nonprofit, cooperatives, and mutual aid organizations facing economic difficulties,» officials emphasize on their social media accounts. They break this assistance down into three levels: «Listening to and assessing situations, sharing experiences among employers, and referring them to existing specialized programs and organizations.».
The current economic climate underscores the importance of finding solutions within the social and solidarity economy (SSE) network, as shared values should foster a better understanding of the issues at hand and enable more effective support. «Free, supportive, and confidential peer support for employers in associations, cooperatives, and mutual aid organizations facing economic difficulties»—the program was designed to serve business leaders.
UDES in Action
The Union of Employers in the Social and Solidarity Economy (UDES) is the organizer of the «SOS Employers ESS» initiative in its capacity as a federation representing companies in the social and solidarity economy. This program was expanded nationwide in 2025, although it had initially been created in response to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
SOS Employeurs ESS was designed to serve as a gateway to other organizations, including URSSAF, Prev’asso, the Local Support Program (DLA), France Active, and Groupe Vyv. Financial difficulties faced by a business often need to be addressed as quickly as possible, and assistance must be sought from dedicated partners or institutions.
For Guadeloupe and Martinique, UDES teams invite employers who are interested or who are experiencing difficulties to contact them at this address: sosemployeurs.antilles@udes.fr
