Millions of employees have lost their jobs due to the Covid-19 pandemic that has pushed India into an economic slowdown. To provide some relief in these tough times, Employee State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has decided to offer an unemployment allowance to employees registered with the scheme.
ESIC said, ‘Even if the employee is non-present for 90 days during treatment, he can claim salary under sickness benefit benefits. He can get paid at the rate of 70 per cent of salary every day.”
If an employee comes under the purview of the Employees State Insurance Corporation, he/she can avail unemployment allowances under the Rajiv Gandhi Shramik Kalyan Yojana for two years even if the company he/she is working for shuts down.
Employees can also avail financial assistance for three months under the Atal Insured Person Welfare Scheme. Employees can benefit from the proposition by visiting ESIC’s official website.
The Employees State Insurance Corporation said that if an employee succumbs to Covid-19 then the organisation will provide Rs 15,000 to their families for last rites. In case, if the employee is unable to work due to getting infected, then ESIC will continue to provide the salary.
It is also offering other facilities including free healthcare facilities to the workers and their families and partial salary. The state-run organisation said that employees or their families who are fighting the virus will get free treatment in hospitals. “If the employee is treated in a private hospital, the entire amount of the expenses will be refunded,” ESIC assured.
Employees State Insurance Scheme is a security scheme for employees receiving less salary in private and government organisations. Under ESIC, employees working in the organised sector are offered financial help in disability, death etc.
ESIC has 21 hospitals operating in the country. Out of which 3,686 covid beds are currently available. These hospitals have 229 ICU beds and 163 ventilators.
