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Context: The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has launched SPREE 2025.
About SPREE 2025 (Scheme for Promotion of Registration of Employers and Employees)
- A special initiative by ESIC to bring unregistered employers and workers, especially contractual and temporary employees, under the ESI social security system.
- Launched by: Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC)
- Under: Ministry of Labour and Employment
- Aim: To formalize employment through voluntary compliance and expand ESI coverage to the informal workforce.
Key Features of SPREE 2025
- Digital Registration: Available via the ESIC portal, Shram Suvidha portal, and MCA portal.
- No Retrospective Penalty: Employers are not liable to pay contributions or face inspections/legal actions for the period before registration.
- Declared Validity: ESI coverage is applicable from the date declared by the employer during registration.
- No Legal Hurdles: Provides legal immunity for past non-compliance, easing employer concerns.
- Support for Informal Sector: Brings temporary, contractual, and unorganised workers into the formal social security network.
- One-Time Amnesty Scheme: Offers a penalty-free opportunity for mass participation by unregistered entities.
- Boosts Labour Formalisation: Incentivizes employers to bring informal workers into the formal employment system.
- Expand Social Welfare: Enhances access to ESI health, insurance, and social security benefits for a wider section of workers.