The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has called on employers across the country to ensure that all eligible but left-out employees are promptly enrolled under the provident fund framework. To facilitate compliance, the EPFO has announced a special six-month window allowing employers to regularise past omissions without facing stringent penalties.
The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has launched the Employees’ Enrolment Scheme (EES)–2025, a special one-time facilitation initiative aimed at expanding EPF coverage and regularizing past instances of non-compliance in a simplified and employer-friendly manner.
The EEC–2025 provides a special compliance window of six months starting from November 2025 enabling employers to voluntarily enrol eligible employees who were left out of EPF coverage during the period from 1 July 2017 to 31 October 2025, and to regularize past non-compliance. Establishments not covered so far under the EPF Act may apply for coverage under this Campaign and subsequently declare and enrol such eligible employees.
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Under EES–2025, in cases where employees’ contributions were not deducted earlier, the employer shall be required to deposit only the employer’s share of contributions, along with interest under Section 7Q, applicable administrative charges, and penal damages limited to a lump sum of ₹100, which shall be treated as full compliance under all three schemes under EPFO.
According to the EPFO, the move is aimed at expanding social security coverage and safeguarding employees’ retirement savings. Employers have been advised to review their records and identify workers who were eligible for provident fund benefits but were not enrolled due to oversight, misclassification, or other reasons.
During the six-month compliance period, employers can complete the enrollment of such employees and update relevant details on the EPFO portal. The organisation said this measure is intended to encourage voluntary compliance and reduce long-pending disputes related to non-enrollment.
The EPFO has also cautioned that once the special window closes, stricter enforcement actions may follow against establishments found to be non-compliant. Employers are therefore urged to take advantage of the opportunity and ensure full adherence to provident fund regulations.
The initiative is expected to bring more workers into the formal social security net and strengthen long-term financial protection for employees.
