Understanding the Benefits of ESI
People should understand that ESI is not only useful for getting medical treatment in ESI Dispensaries and Hospitals. It can also be used to avail medical reimbursement for treatment done in private hospitals and for cashless super-specialty treatment in private hospitals. It is applicable to the entire family. The major advantage of ESI compared to other private insurances is "Leave Wages."
Employers are exempted from the Maternity Benefit Act and Employee Compensation Act for employees covered under the ESI Act. Therefore, for employees taking maternity leave, they can receive their salary from ESI, and the employer will not need to pay their salary during that period.
Moreover, if an employee is injured in an accident during employment hours (from leaving home in the morning until reaching home in the evening), all expenses and leave compensation will be covered by ESI.
Effective Approaches to Implement ESI in the Workplace
1. Educating or conducting bulk training sessions about the importance of ESI, its benefits, and comparing ESI with other private medical insurances. This information was also shared with non-ESI employees for knowledge sharing.
2. Assisting employees in accessing benefits from ESI.
3. Contacting ESI to organize a Permanent Card Biometric Camp at the office. If the employee strength is more than 50, ESI representatives will come. They can also conduct sessions for employees to explain the benefits of ESI.
4. Encouraging employees to see the benefits for themselves. Focusing on the employer's contribution may not be as convincing.
After taking these steps, many non-ESI employees have expressed their willingness to join ESI. This latest news will bring them joy. Of course, some employees may not like it, especially if they have never used ESI or other medical insurances.