EPFO Launches EEC For Left-Out Workers In Organised Sector To Provide Social Security: Know What It Is

The government will run the Employees' Enrolment Campaign (EEC) campaign to bring more workers in the organised sector under the social security coverage of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). The Ministry of Labour and Employment announced the campaign, which will start on November 1, 2025, and run till March 31, 2026. This is an initiative for employers to register with EPFO, declare their employees, and enrol them with EPFO. In return, the government will offer them the benefits under the Pradhan Mantri-Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana. The Labour Ministry has run a similar enrolment campaign for employers in the past as well, in 2017, allowing employers to declare and enrol employees working with them, but who have not been enrolled with EPFO for some reason.

Employees' Enrolment Campaign (EEC) 2025

The EEC in 2025 allows employers, both new and already registered with EPFO, to voluntarily declare and register those employees who joined between July 1, 2017, and October 31, 2025, are alive and working with the organisation, but were not registered with EPFO, for any reason.

How Will EEC Work?

Under EPF, both employer and employee contribute. However, under EEC, where employees were not registered earlier and thus have not contributed, they are exempted from contribution for that particular period. However, the employer needs to pay the contribution of the employer's part for the same period.

All such employers who register fresh under the EEC or declare existing employees for enrolment under it will be offered benefits under the Pradhan Mantri-Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana, per the scheme's terms and conditions.

More importantly, any establishment facing inquiries under section 7A, which is about 'Determination of moneys due from employers' or para 26B regarding doubts of employees' EPF membership, and Para 8 of the Employees' Pension Scheme, 1995, which deals with doubts about employees' membership and entitlement, are also eligible to register under EEC.

To register under EEC, employers must:

• Make a declaration using the EPFO’s online facility.

• Share details of employees enrolled under EEC.

• Link these details to the ECR (Electronic Challan-cum-Return, Temporary Return Reference Number).

The ECR then reflects the employer's contribution to employees' social security. A nominal penal charge of Rs 100 is payable for late enrolment.

According to the government statement, it is much less than the standard penalty and non-compliance penalty.

Notably, employers won't have to face a suo motu compliance action against them by the EPFO if an employee has left the organisation on the declaration date. 

EEC has been launched again after a gap of around 8 years to fast-track the inclusion of the working class under the EPFO's ambit and ensure social security for them. For employers, this initiative is beneficial as it will remove their legal burden by availing of this scheme. It provides them an easy way to come out clean by regularising their past records.