Navigating Maternity Benefits: How Can I Qualify with Different ESI Numbers?

Hi, please help me. I joined a new company recently which has only 6 months of ESIC deduction. When I joined, I was pregnant. Our company created a new ESIC number without knowing that I already had ESI deduction in the previous company. To take maternity leave, 9 months of the deduction is compulsory. However, in the previous company, I also had ESIC deduction but with a different ESI number. What do I have to do to get maternity benefits?

Please contact the concerned department and coordinate to assign the ESIC unit. They can merge both your IP numbers.

Regards, Avi

When you joined the new company, you should have disclosed that you have an ESI number. I am afraid, how could they register you with a new ESI number when the system will reject the application if you put the same telephone number, bank account number, and Aadhaar (which is not mandatory now, I presume) in the registration fields? If you have put a different telephone number, etc., registration could be possible. But if that was done by the employer purposefully so that the new employees do not take sick leaves, then the issue will take a different turn.

I must say that if the employer has created a new ESI registration even after you declared that you had ESI, there are two possibilities. One is to keep the old one active by meeting the ESIC or to demand maternity benefits from the employer. An employee covered by ESI but not eligible to get maternity benefits from the ESIC due to the reason that she does not meet the contributory conditions will have to be given the benefits by the employer by virtue of Section 5A of the Maternity Benefits Act.

Dear Colleague, it is resolvable with the help of the ESI Local Office. Your establishment/location is attached to an ESI Office called the ESI Local Office. You may meet the ESI Local Office Manager and provide a detailed letter mentioning both ESI numbers. If required, seek help from the employer for this purpose. In my experience, most of the ESI Local Office Managers are highly helpful to the insured persons and provide due support in the process.

The employer also has to assist here; otherwise, if the benefit is not provided by ESI, the provisions of the Maternity Benefit Act need to be extended, and the employer must pay the benefit to the employee in such a case.

Kindly take it up suitably.

All the Best, God Bless,
Dr. P. Sivakumar
Doctor Siva Global HR
Tamil Nadu