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To bring unregistered and left out workers under the ESI Act, the labour ministry has now relaunched the SPREE scheme with effect from July 1, 2025. This will remain open till Dec 31, 2025. For the unversed, Spree stands for the Scheme to Promote Registration of Employers and Employees.
SPREE: Key points to know
I. This scheme offers a one-time opportunity for unregistered employers and left-out workers (which also include contractual and temporary staff) to enroll under the ESI Act.
II. Those employers who register during this period will be treated as covered from the date of registration or as declared by them.
III. At the same time, the newly registered employees will be covered from their respective dates of registration.
IV. Since the focus is on voluntary compliance rather than penalisation, the scheme will seek to ease the litigation burden, encourage formal registration, and lead to improved engagement among stakeholders.
What are the eligibility criteria?
This scheme is open to all the employers who have yet not registered under the ESI Act despite the fact that they are eligible.
Additionally, it is open to those employers who have yet not registered all its eligible employees which also include contractual or temporary ones.
How to get registered?
One can get registered under SPREE via ESIC portal, Shram Suvidha portal, and MCA portal. Once done, the registration will expand access to ESI health and social benefits.
What are the features?
Once enrolled, it removes barriers to registration which include the fear of past dues, and simplifies the process. It encourages voluntary compliance and broadens social security coverage.
Amnesty scheme
Aside from SPREE, ESI Corporation has also given a thumbs up to the Amnesty Scheme 2025 – a one-time dispute resolution starting on October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026 and aimed at reducing litigation and promoting compliance under the ESI Act.
For the first time, disputes along with cases involving damages and interest regarding coverage are included.
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