Am I Still Eligible for ESIC Benefits with a Salary Above 15,000? What About Maternity Leave?

My salary is above 15,000/-. For the last 1 1/2 years, my ESIC contribution has been 175/- per month, which is 1.75% of my salary. My salary has exceeded 15,000/- since May 2013. Am I eligible for ESIC? What benefits will I get for maternity leave?

You are eligible to receive maternity benefits from ESIC.

Hi, once your contribution towards ESI is deducted from your salary and you become a member of ESI, you are eligible for maternity benefits.

As per the ESI scheme, if the average wage of an insured person exceeds Rs. 15,000/-, they are not coverable under the scheme. However, if the employee is already covered under the scheme, they will continue to be covered until the end of the contribution period.

Contribution and Benefit Periods

For instance, for the contribution period from April to September, the corresponding benefit period shall be January to June of the following year. Similarly, for the contribution period from October to March, the corresponding benefit period shall be July to December of the calendar year.

Benefits Available Under ESI Scheme

Certain benefits like Disablement benefit, Dependent benefit, Medical benefit, and Funeral benefit are available to the insured person from day one of their employment. To avail of the maternity benefit, an insured woman must have paid contributions for a minimum of 80 days in one or two consecutive contribution periods.

Regards,
BS Kalsi
Member since Aug 2011