The Ministry of Labour and Employment has unveiled the Employees’ Enrolment Scheme, 2025 (EES 2025) — a major drive to bring lakhs of left-out workers into the formal social security net of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).
📅 Scheme Duration:
November 1, 2025 – April 30, 2026
🎯 Purpose of EES 2025
EES 2025 aims to:
- Encourage employers to voluntarily enroll eligible employees who were not previously covered under the EPF scheme.
- Help employers regularize historical non-compliance with minimal financial burden.
- Strengthen the government’s goal of universal social security coverage under the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.
👥 Who Can Be Enrolled?
Eligible employees are those who:
- Joined an establishment between July 1, 2017, and October 31, 2025.
- Are still employed and alive as on the date of declaration.
- Were not enrolled in EPF earlier for any reason.
💰 Key Benefits Under EES 2025
✅ For Employers:
- No requirement to pay employees’ share of PF contributions (from July 1, 2017, to October 31, 2025) if not deducted from their wages.
- Only the employer’s share is payable for the past period.
- Penal Damages capped at ₹100 (lump sum), a huge relief from regular penalties.
✅ For Employees:
- Access to EPF and pension benefits.
- Regularization of service period for future social security entitlements.
📌 Important Features:
- All establishments—even those under inquiry under Section 7A, Para 26B, or Para 8 of EPS 1995—are eligible.
- No suo motu action will be taken by EPFO against employers availing EES for employees who have left before the declaration.
- Employers declaring workers under EES 2025 can also become eligible for Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana (PM-VBRY) benefits.
🌐 How to Enroll Under EES 2025:
- Employers must submit declarations online via the EPFO portal.
- Details of employees must be linked to Electronic Challan-cum-Return (ECR) using the Temporary Return Reference Number (TRRN).
- ₹100 lump sum to be paid as penal damages.
🏭 Why It Matters for Employers:
EES 2025 is a win-win:
- It cleans up non-compliance issues from the past.
- Avoids hefty penalties or legal proceedings.
- Reinforces the image of a compliant, employee-friendly organization.
✅ Conclusion: A Timely Opportunity
The Employees’ Enrolment Scheme 2025 is a strategic opportunity for both employers and employees. While workers get access to long-denied social security, employers can come clean with negligible costs.
🗓️ Act fast — the scheme is open only till April 30, 2026.