Govt launches Employees' Enrolment Campaign 2025 to expand social security coverage from November 1

The Ministry of Labour and Employment has launched the 'Employees' Enrolment Campaign, 2025' (EEC 2025) aimed at enhancing the coverage of social security under EPFO. The scheme will come into effect on November 1, 2025 and will be operational until April 30, 2026.

A similar enrolment campaign was conducted in 2017 for the enrollment of left-out eligible employees from 2009 to 2016.

What is the EEC 2025?

The EEC 2025 is an initiative intended to encourage employers, both already registered and new ones, to voluntarily declare and enroll eligible employees under the Employees' Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952.

“Employers can enroll all existing employees who joined the establishment between July 1, 2017, and October 31, 2025, and who are alive and employed on the date of the declaration, but were not enrolled in the EPF scheme earlier due to any reason whatsoever,” the Ministry of Labour & Employment said in a release on October 13.

In a significant relief to employees, the employee's share of provident fund contribution for the past period (from July 1, 2017, to October 31, 2025) shall be waived, as long as it wasn’t deducted from the employee's wages. The employer is only required to pay their own share for this period.

The employers availing this scheme will only have to pay a nominal penalty of ₹100 in a lump sum, a huge 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,” the release said.

No suo moto compliance action shall be initiated by the EPFO against the employers who avail the benefits of EEC. “No suomoto compliance action shall 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 labour ministry said.

Further, employers who register themselves under the EEC 2025, or declare additional employees, shall be eligible to avail the benefits of Pradhan Mantri-Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana (in line with the scheme’s terms and conditions).

Employers can make the declaration using the online facility provided by EPFO. On the portal, employers are required to provide the details of the employees enrolled and link them to the Electronic Challan-cum-Return (Temporary Return Reference Number), through which contributions have been made, and pay the penalty of ₹100.

“The government expects this campaign to boost enrolment under the social security cover for employees, and shall also be crucial for employers to regularize their past records with minimal financial/legal burden and shall facilitate ease of doing business,” the ministry said.

EPFO meeting

The EPFO’s highest decision-making body, the Central Board of Trustees (CBT), is meeting today to discuss several matters, including the roll-out of EPFO 3.0 and the minimum pension hike. The meeting was scheduled for October 10 and 11, but was postponed to October 13.

The board is expected to announce the timeline or updates regarding the implementation of EPFO 3.0, which could bring many technological advancements and make claim settlement easier.