The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation has initiated a broadening of its enrolment campaign, aiming to bring excluded workers into the formal social security system and encourage compliance among all establishments, with a key window running from June to October 2026.
The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation has opened a fresh enrolment drive for employers to bring previously excluded workers into the provident fund system, widening a compliance window that is broader than the one it launched last year. According to EPFO communication cited by Zee Business, the Employees’ Enrolment Campaign 2026 runs from June 29, 2026, to October 31, 2026, and covers employees who were left out of EPF protection between April 1, 2009, and March 31, 2026.
The latest campaign builds on EPFO’s earlier enrolment push in 2025, when the labour ministry announced a special scheme aimed at workers omitted from coverage between July 1, 2017, and October 31, 2025. EPFO said that earlier drive was meant to encourage voluntary compliance and regularise past lapses without forcing employers into immediate enforcement action.
Under the new campaign, all establishments can take part, regardless of whether they are already covered by EPF. EPFO has also said entities facing proceedings under Section 7A of the EPF and MP Act, 1952, or under related provisions of the Code on Social Security are eligible. The effort is designed to widen formal social security coverage while giving employers a route to clean up historic compliance problems.
One of the main incentives is relief on the employee’s contribution where it was never deducted from wages. EPFO has also allowed multiple declarations and has set a nominal damage charge of Rs 100 for each defaulting establishment. Employers will still have to pay the employee and employer shares where deductions were made, along with interest, administrative charges and any other applicable dues. EPFO has said eligible employers and workers may also qualify for benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana, subject to the rules.
To participate, employers must generate Universal Account Numbers for the declared workers through the UMANG app using face authentication technology, remit contributions through the Electronic Challan-cum-Return system and then file the online declaration by linking the ECR with the Temporary Return Reference Number. Employees who want to verify whether contributions have been made can check the EPFO Member Passbook portal online.
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