Govt launches Employees’ Enrolment Campaign 2025 to expand EPFO ambit

Seeking to boost enrolment under the social security cover for employees, the Centre has announced the ‘Employees’ Enrolment Campaign, 2025′ (EEC 2025). The significant initiative will bring a large number of workers under the ambit of organised social security through EPFO.

The scheme will be operational from 1 November 2025 to 30 April 2026. The development comes after the successful similar enrolment campaign conducted in 2017 for the enrolment of left-out eligible employees from 2009 to 2016, according to a Labour & Employment Ministry statement on Monday.

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The campaign is intended to encourage employers, both already registered and those newly coming under the purview of the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, to voluntarily declare and enroll eligible employees.

Employers can enroll all existing employees who joined the establishment between 1 July 2017 and 31 October 2025, and who are alive and employed on the date of the declaration but were not enrolled in the scheme earlier for any reason.

In a major relief, the employee’s share of provident fund contribution for the past period (from 1 July 2017 to 31 October 2025) will stand waived, provided it was not deducted from the employee’s wages. The employer is only required to pay their own share for such a period.

Employers availing this scheme will be liable to pay a nominal penal damage of Rs 100 only as a lump sum, a significant reduction from the standard penalties for non-compliance. All establishments are eligible to participate in the proposed scheme irrespective of the fact whether any establishment is facing inquiries under section 7A of the Act or under paragraph 26B of the Scheme or under paragraph 8 of the Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995.

No suo motu compliance action will be initiated by the EPFO against the employers who avail the benefits of EEC in respect of such employees who have already left the establishment as on the date of declaration, the statement added.

All the employers who get registered under the EEC 2025 or declare additional employees under the EEC 2025 will be eligible to avail the benefits of Pradhan Mantri-Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana, subject to certain terms and conditions under that scheme.

The employer is required to make the declaration through an online facility provided by the EPFO, where the employer will indicate the details of the employees enrolled and link it to the Electronic Challan-cum-Return (Temporary Return Reference Number) through which payment of contributions has been made, and pay a lump-sum penalty of Rs 100.

The Ministry’s decision is crucial for employers to regularise their past records with minimal financial/legal burden and will facilitate ease of doing business.