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The nationwide lockdown in 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic led to the disruption of the working of a large number of Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) covered units and rendered them non-functional for majority of the period of 2020. This resulted into a lesser number of available working days for many employees which ultimately led to them failing the minimum requirement of 78 days contribution and thus, found it difficult to avail of the ESIC benefits.
Keeping in mind the current scenario, the Central government through its notification has brought an amendment to rule 55(1) and rule 56(1) of the Employees’ State Insurance (Central) Rules, 1950 for relaxing contributory conditions in the contribution period from 01.04.2020 to 30.09.2020. The said rules have been amended in order to provide sickness benefits to the employees who do not fulfil the minimum criteria to be eligible for availing the Sickness benefits and Maternity benefits for the period between January and June 2021. According to the amendment, a person employed before April 1 2020 is entitled to claim the sickness benefit if he has not worked for less than 39 days between April 1 2020 to September 30 2020 or not less than 78 days between October 1 2019 and March 31 2020.
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