How Can We Support Employees Struggling with ESIC Smart Card Photo Sessions?

Dear Seniors,

In our company, we have asked employees to take their dependents to have a photo session for ESIC smart card. However, no employee has turned up. They have their reasons, such as their mother not being with them or their husband working in another state. In such cases, what can we do to assist employees?

Please help me resolve this issue.

Thanks and regards,
Kavitha

Dear Kavita,

No need to worry. Just convey this to the ESIC branch manager. I was also facing the same problem. Immediately, you can ask the employee to go for the photo session; later on, whenever this camp is organized by the authority, intimate the IPs to bring their dependents for the photo session. Educate these employees about the benefits they would receive through it. I am confident they will certainly participate.

Two cards will be issued by ESIC, one for the IP and the other for the dependents. Through this card, he/she can avail benefits at any location or state. All these things need to be conveyed to all employees.

Thanks,
Mohan

Dear Kavitha,

I have arranged a meeting with the workers to explain the benefits of the ESIC Smart card. I had also faced the same problem, but after the workers' meeting, it was resolved. Please inform your workers about the benefits of the ESIC Smart card and prepare a list of all IPs who have signed up for it. I am confident that this will resolve your issue.

Thank you.

Dear Mohan and Amit,

I truly appreciate both of you, Mr. Mohan and Mr. Amit, for understanding my efforts to assist employees. I have a query: is it mandatory for them to seek treatment at ESIC hospitals rather than general hospitals? Employees have mentioned that they go to general hospitals and then file claims with ESIC. Is this scenario feasible? Kindly provide guidance.

Thanks and regards,
Kavitha.

Dear Kavitha,

This is not possible because ESIC has its own hospitals for the sole purpose of IPs' treatment. If ESIC doctors transfer IPs to another general hospital, then employees can claim for the same.

Dear Kavitha,

For biometric cards, you can inquire at your local ESIC office. They will guide you on arranging an ESIC camp. With the assistance of the local office, you can request WIPRO's representative to visit your office or another suitable location for photographs and fingerprinting. To facilitate this, you must schedule a specific day or place where your registered IP will come with their dependents.

With Regards,

Vikas Kumar
09968008206

Dear Kavitha,

You have opened Pandora's box. Currently, as pointed out by one expert, one needs to obtain approval/recommendation from an ESIC hospital before receiving medication at a general hospital. This aspect is not very appealing in our ESIC schemes, and I would recommend implementing a Group Medical Insurance scheme for all your staff. Group insurances are very economical and offer numerous benefits to the staff. Your staff will appreciate it if you can get these plans approved by your management. I am confident that our labor ministry is attentive to the concerns of the branded working middle-class society in this country, who pay taxes but do not receive basic coverage for medical expenses.

Hope this information is helpful.

Regards,
Ukmitra

Thank you, Vikas and Ukmitra.

Tomorrow, I am planning to inform employees about ESIC and its benefits. After that, I will schedule a photoshoot. Maybe I can reduce my risk.

Kavitha.P

Dear Kavitha,

I am happy for your concern about ESI. I hope your meeting will be fruitful since it is learned that your concern is in Hyderabad. In Hyderabad, many employees are benefiting from ESI dispensaries, ESI Model Hospitals, and tie-up hospitals. Please highlight the following points as well:

i. Within a few months, ESI is going to commence its new Super Specialty Hospital in Hyderabad (Sanathnagar).
ii. ESIC will provide a certain percentage of reservations to the IP's children in the seats of their Nursing and Medical Institutes.
iii. If possible, invite the concerned Branch Manager as a guest for such a meeting to make it more effective.

ALL THE BEST.

Why don't you ask for a soft copy of photographs of your spouse or family members? People are having digital cameras; definitely, not everyone has one, but they could take help from neighbors or relatives. Just try this; it might solve your problem by 80%. The remaining 20%, you will have to remind them again and again.

Vineet Kumar

Dear Kavita,

Your explanation efforts may not work. It would be better to speak with your management and do the following:

a) Arrange for a vehicle to bring the family.
b) Arrange some tea and snacks.

This is the problem I ultimately faced; I had to lure them to attend such a session.

Jitendra

Ms. Kavitha P.

In our company, we are also facing the same problem. Being multi-location offices, we are not able to communicate the same properly to each employee. What we have done is sent a circular to local branches about the photo session to be held on Sunday. Employees can visit the location with their families. We have deputed one person from our department with the list of employees, some empty forms duly signed by the authorized signatory, and a declaration form for all those supposed to attend the camp. We then informed our local ESIC office along with the list.

It was successful. The ESIC inspector himself took the effort to attend the camp and gave ID numbers to the new employees during the photo session itself. Though it was not entirely successful, 50% of employees along with their families attended the camp.

This can be tried several times to achieve a 100% result, as it is compulsory for each employee to have a biometric card by September 2010.

Savita

Thank you, Savitha, for your kind advice. Today, taking advice from our friends in Cite HR, I was a little bit successful. Thanks to all who have taken pains to contribute to my post. Today was a good experience, and employees have given compliments.

Thanks,
Kavitha P.

Hi Kavitha.P,

Encourage the employees and clearly identify the benefits of ESIC for them. Tell about the importance of fulfillment of all documents and all formalities. Try to explain in simple language and support them to understand about ESIC.

Regards,
Minesh Kumari

Dear Friend,

Please suggest to me, my organization is a Real Estate Company. Currently, we have more than 50 employees. I have obtained an EPF code and have been continuing with it for the past year, but I have not yet acquired an ESI code. Only 10 employees are covered under ESI. I want to know what I should do in this case. Should I apply for an ESI code or not? If I do not apply for ESI, what will happen in the future?

Regards,
Shashi

Dear friend,

First of all, convey the problems employees' families will face if they do not take the photograph. If the employees still do not agree to include their family members, then instruct them to have their photograph taken first. After the photo session, Wipro personnel will collect the photos and forms, organize them, and display them on the employee database online. Subsequently, they will arrange a camp where employees must bring their families.

I am also surprised as to why the government introduced Wipro personnel for the photo session program. It would be more convenient if employees could take their digital photos and send them to their respective HR departments. After HR certification, they could then receive the soft copy in compliance with the government's order.

Dear friend,

If your company is big, seek help from union leaders. If you have more than 500 employees, if it is small, hold a meeting with them or send a circular and assign responsibility to them. Convey to them the benefits of ESIC and emphasize the importance of medical needs. Explain how much ESIC can assist them.

I am sure they will listen. Provide exact dates for two sessions and organize a photo session.

Many good comments have come from professionals. Kavita, you can try the suggestions. I had also faced the same problem when I was in Durgapur. Counseling and notices did not help much as the same problem persisted - mother not being here, etc. Finally, I declared that three days' wages would be cut if a photograph is not submitted within the stipulated time, and the deduction would increase every month in Geometric progression. The result was very good; almost 90% submitted, and the remaining 10% had their wages deducted in that month. In the next month, the remaining employees submitted and made a request to the management to release their three days' wages, which we did.

Hello Friends,

I would like to inform you all that if an employee's family is residing in another city or state, they can visit the nearest ESIC Photo camp in their city or state for the biometric card (photo and finger registration).

Siddharth

Dear Tiwari,

Your way of approaching was good. However, employees who come under ESI are below the income level, so we cannot stop their bread and butter. We cannot be that rude to employees, I feel. But if they are not concerned about themselves, we have to behave in the way you have done. I agree with your decision. Thanks for suggesting a new way of approaching employees.

Thanks and regards,
Kavitha.P

Dear Kavitha,

Let employees bring their family photos themselves, and then you can present them to ESIC. If your organization has collected such photos for any medical claims, seek the records and present them. Alternatively, you can ask for some more time. When performing these tasks, stay positive and avoid getting tense.

Thank you.

Hello Friends,

Family photographs are not accepted by ESIC anymore. Employees' families have to visit ESIC and get their pictures taken. They also take fingerprints of each family member.

Siddharth

Dear,

Explain the benefits of ESIC, and make them aware that if they don't participate, they will incur losses. By doing this, you can ensure compliance at work; otherwise, issue a notice signed by a higher authority who has centralized control in your company.

Bhavin Parmar

Dear Misra,

Real estate companies are only covered under ESI if the number of employees (considering only those earning gross salaries of less than 15,000 per month) reaches 20. As your current employee count is only 10, there is no need to worry until it reaches 20. However, for this calculation, you should include all regular employees, temporary workers, and contract employees to reach the threshold of 20. Please verify the count again and proceed accordingly.

Best wishes,
Ramesh

I will add one more IMPORTANT POINT to Mr. Ramesh's post. If your employees, including your immediate employees (i.e., including your SECURITY PERSONNEL, etc.), also reach 20, you have to cover your unit. Further, in the very near future, all state governments are going to change their requirement under shops and establishments to 10 instead of 20. If that is the case, your unit will also be covered very soon.

Employees always try to escape from these types of situations if they are not aware of the ESI benefits. Please inform them about the benefits of ESI and the smart card, and arrange for the photo session. Even though some employees may be absent for various reasons, you can provide a solution for them by allowing them to directly visit the ESI local office with their ESI ID card and dependents to attend the photo session for the smart card.