ESIC considers to extend medical benefits to unorganised, gig workers

Employees' State Insurance Corporation has already initiated several discussions with various stakeholders

In a bid to broaden the reach of social security, the government is considering extending medical benefits under its primary social security scheme for the organised sector — Employee State Insurance (ESI) — also to unorganised and gig sector workers.

The Employee State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has already initiated several discussions with various stakeholders in this regard.

 “The ESIC has held talks with various stakeholders on drawing plans to extend the coverage. Typically, the focus would have been on enhancing compliance to bolster the scheme’s subscriber base. But, now the ESIC wants to include both unorganised sector and gig/platform workers,”