SPREE Scheme (Scheme to Promote Registration of Employers/Employees)
Source: PIB
GS II: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources
Overview
- News in Brief
- SPREE Scheme (Scheme to Promote Registration of Employers/Employees)
Why in the News?
Union Minister for Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports chaired the 196th meeting of the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC)
News in Brief
- Corporation deliberated and approved several key agenda items aimed at enhancing ESIC’s operational reach, infrastructure, and healthcare delivery.
- The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation has approved the re-launch of the SPREE Scheme.
SPREE Scheme (Scheme to Promote Registration of Employers/Employees)
- The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation has approved the re-launch of SPREE (Scheme to Promote Registration of Employers/Employees) with the objective of expanding ESI coverage across the country.
- Originally introduced in 2016, the scheme successfully facilitated the registration of over 88,000 employers and 1.02 crore employees.
- The renewed SPREE will be open from 1st July to 31st December 2025, offering a one-time opportunity for unregistered employers and left-out workers—including contractual and temporary staff—to enroll under the ESI Act.
- Under the scheme, employers registering during this period will be treated as covered from the date of registration or as declared by them, while newly registered employees will be covered from their respective dates of registration.
- By focusing on voluntary compliance rather than penalisation, the scheme will seek to ease the litigation burden, encourage formal registration, and foster improved engagement and goodwill among stakeholders.
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