EPFO's new enrolment scheme 2025 explained: Here's how it helps workers

The new EPFO scheme offers a six-month window for employers to enrol eligible workers and expand social security coverage across India

The government has launched a new Employees’ Enrolment Scheme 2025 to bring more Indian workers under the ambit of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). Announced by Union Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on November 1, the scheme marks a significant step towards expanding India’s social security net and encouraging voluntary compliance by employers.

 

What is the Employees’ Enrolment Scheme 2025?

 

According to a statement by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the Employees’ Enrolment Scheme – 2025 is a one-time special window for employers to voluntarily declare and register employees who were previously left out of EPF coverage.

 

·  The scheme applies to employees who joined any establishment between July 1, 2017, and October 31, 2025, but were not enrolled under the EPF for any reason.

 

·  It will remain open for six months, from November 1, 2025 to April 30, 2026.

 

·  Employers can declare eligible employees through the EPFO online portal and regularise past compliance under the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952.

 

Key benefits and relief for employers

 

The scheme offers a simplified compliance route and significant relief to employers:

 

·  No employee contribution required: Employers will not need to remit the employee’s share of PF contributions for the past period if it was not deducted earlier.

 

·  Nominal penalty: A flat penalty of Rs 100 per establishment will apply, covering all three EPF schemes.

 

·  Limited liability: Employers only need to pay their own share of contributions, along with interest and administrative charges.

 

·  Wider eligibility: Even establishments facing ongoing inquiries under Section 7A of the EPF Act, Para 26B, or Para 8 of the Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995, can opt for this scheme.

 

The EPFO also clarified that it will not take suo motu compliance action against employers availing this opportunity for employees who have already left service.

 

How does it help workers and the economy?

 

The government said the initiative is a step towards achieving the goal of “Social Security for All”, as it enables lakhs of employees, particularly those in smaller firms or previously unregistered establishments, to gain access to EPF benefits such as retirement savings, insurance, and pension.

 

By formalising workers into the EPFO framework, the scheme is also expected to:

 

·  Enhance transparency and job security for employees.

 

·  Encourage ease of doing business by reducing compliance burdens; and

 

·  Promote the formalisation of India’s workforce, a long-standing policy goal.

 

Launching the scheme, Mandaviya said, “EPFO is not merely a fund, it represents the trust of India’s workforce in social security.”

 

The Employees’ Enrolment Scheme 2025, therefore, offers both employers and employees a chance to align with India’s expanding social safety framework, one that aims to ensure every worker’s right to a secure financial future.