SPREE 2025: Making Social Security Stronger for India’s Workforce

The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has launched SPREE 2025, a Scheme for Promotion of Registration of Employers and Employees, at its 196th ESI Corporation Meeting, which aims to expand coverage and bring more workers and organizations under the ESI framework.

What is SPREE 2025?

SPREE (Scheme for Promotion of Registration of Employers and Employees) 2025 is a special initiative by the ESIC (Employees’ State Insurance Corporation). From July 1 to December 31, 2025, it offers employers a one-time opportunity to register their factories or establishments, along with all eligible employees, without any requirement to pay past-due fees.

Who stands to benefit from the SPREE 2025 scheme?

• Eligible Employers: Employers of factories or establishments, including shops, hotels and restaurants, cinema halls, road transport services, newspapers, private medical institutions, educational institutions, and municipal corporations with contract or casual workers, with 10 or more employees in areas where ESI is implemented but are not yet registered under the ESI Act, despite being eligible.
• Coverage of Employees: Employers who have not yet registered all eligible employees, including temporary, casual, or contractual staff, under the ESI Act.

Why should employers register under this scheme?

• No Scrutiny of Past Records: Employers registering under the scheme won’t face inspections of previous records or demands for past dues.
• No Backdated Payment Requirements: There is no liability to pay contributions for periods before the registration date under SPREE 2025.
• Protection from Penalties: Employers are protected from any action related to past non-registration.

What are the key benefits of the SPREE 2025 initiative for employees?

Once their employer is registered, employees (Insured Persons) become eligible for a comprehensive set of benefits:

• Comprehensive Medical Care: Employees and their families receive full medical benefits from the date their employer registers.
• Cash Benefits: Financial support is provided in cases of sickness, maternity, work-related injury, or death.
• Long-Term Security: Employees are protected under the ESI Act, 1948, ensuring lasting social security and peace of mind.

What are the steps employers should take to join SPREE 2025?

• Employers can register their establishments through the following portals:

1. ESIC Portal - https://esic.gov.in/
2. Shram Suvidha Portal - https://registration.shramsuvidha.gov.in/
3. MCA Portal - https://www.mca.gov.in/mcafoportal/login.do

• Provide Basic Business Information: Submit your PAN, GST, bank details, employee count, and establishment information to set up your account.
• Declare Fresh Start Date: Specify your compliance start date, typically the date of SPREE registration, to begin coverage.
• Register Your Employees: Enroll all employees through the portal to activate their ESIC benefits immediately.
• Start Filing Regular Returns: Ensure timely monthly submission and payment of contributions once registration is complete.

What is the date of coverage under SPREE 2025?

• An employer’s coverage under the scheme starts from the date they complete their registration.
• An employee’s coverage begins from the effective date specified by the employer at the time of registration.
• Contributions will not be collected for any prior period, and no benefits will be applied retrospectively before the employer’s registration date under the scheme.

Will there be any penalties and inspections?

• There will be no inspections for any period before the coverage starts date.
• Employers will not be asked to pay contributions for past periods.
• The scheme is voluntary and designed to be simple and hassle-free.

How does it support national objectives?

• Promotes universal access to social security benefits.
• Expands coverage to all categories of workers, including temporary and casual staff, across various industries such as factories, shops, hotels, restaurants, cinema halls, transport companies, newspaper establishments, private healthcare institutions, educational institutions, and municipal corporations.
• Supports the broader goal of improving the ease of doing business.

How does SPREE 2025 align with Social Security goals under the ESI Act of 1948 and ESIC?

• Expanding Social Security Coverage: The ESI Act provides essential benefits like medical care, cash, maternity, and disability. SPREE 2025 broadens this protection, including temporary, casual, and contract workers under the social security umbrella.
• Motivating Employers to Join: ESIC depends on employer registration and contributions. SPREE 2025 simplifies the process, making it voluntary and penalty-free for initial periods, motivating more employers to participate and ensuring stronger compliance.
• Reducing Compliance Burden: By removing inspections and demands for past contributions, SPREE 2025 reduces administrative workload for employers. It simplifies compliance, supports ESIC’s goals, and creates a smoother, more business-friendly environment.
• Building a Stronger Social Security Net: With more employers participating, a larger workforce gains access to healthcare, insurance, and other ESIC benefits. SPREE 2025 advances the ESI Act’s goal of comprehensive worker protection.

How can TankhaPay help employers streamline SPREE 2025?

• Complete ESIC Registration: We handle the entire registration process, including paperwork submission, ensuring your employees are enrolled smoothly.
• Ongoing Compliance Management: Monthly returns, challans, and statutory deadlines for PF, ESIC, TDS, and other taxes are managed accurately.
• Integration of Payroll: TankhaPay payroll software syncs with compliance filings, ensuring precise calculations of deductions, contributions, and benefits.
• Support for All Workforce Types: Manage on-roll, contractual, and off-roll employees seamlessly under a single system.
• Unified Dashboard: Track registrations, filings, and payments in one place for complete clarity and control.

Final Thoughts

SPREE 2025 scheme streamlines ESI registration, protects employers from past liabilities, and broaden coverage to casual and contractual workers. By removing fears of penalties and easing compliance, it encourages voluntary participation. The scheme addresses past barriers of delayed registration and backdated dues, strengthening the ESIC’s goal of universal social security and a fair, welfare-oriented workforce ecosystem in India.