New Delhi: The government has announced a major compliance relief and social security expansion measure through the new Employees’ Enrolment Scheme-2025, offering employers a six-month window to bring previously uncovered workers under the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF). The initiative aims to widen formal social protection and simplify past regularization for businesses.
Launching the scheme at the 73rd Foundation Day of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) in New Delhi, Union Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said the move reflects the government’s commitment to “social security for all” by ensuring every eligible worker benefits from the EPF network. The scheme will remain open from November 1to April 30 next year.
Employers can voluntarily enrol employees who joined between July 1, 2017, and October 31, 2025, even if they were previously omitted. The employee’s share of contributions has been fully waived for such cases, while employers only need to pay their share, interest, administrative charges, and a token penalty of ₹100 per establishment, which will be treated as deemed compliance across all EPF schemes. Establishments under inquiry will also be eligible, with no additional damages.
The EPFO, which covers over 29 crore members and manages a corpus exceeding ₹20 lakh crore, expects the drive to spur voluntary compliance and accelerate the formalization of India’s workforce.