Employees' Enrolment Campaign launched by EPFO to extend social security benefits to all eligible workers

An Employees’ Enrolment Campaign has been launched by Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation during the period 01.01.2017 to 31.03.2017, in order to extend social security benefits to all the eligible workers in the country. During the Campaign, various financial incentives are being offered to establishments to enroll their workers. 

An employer, whether already covered or yet to be covered, can enroll employees who remained un-enrolled for any reason between 01.04.2009 and 31.12.2016 by making a declaration of such employees during the campaign period. Such declaration shall be valid only in respect of employees who are alive as on 1st January, 2017 and no proceedings under section 7A of the Employees’ Provident Funds & Miscellaneous Provisions (EPF & MP) Act, 1952 or under paragraph 26B of the Employees’ Provident Funds (EPF) Scheme, 1952 or under paragraph 8 of the Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995 have been initiated against their establishment or employer, as the case may be, to determine the eligibility for membership of such employees. For the declaration made under this campaign, the employer shall be responsible to remit the employer’s contribution, interest under section 7Q of the Act and damages. As an incentive, the following shall apply to the declarations made under the campaign: - 

(i) The employee’s share of contribution if declared by the employer not to have been deducted shall not be required to be paid. 

(ii) The damages to be paid by the employer in respect of the employees for whom declaration has been made under this campaign shall be at the rate of Rupee 1(one) per annum. 

(iii) No administrative charges shall be collected from the employer in respect of the contribution made under the declaration. 

This information was given by Shri Bandaru Dattatreya, the Minister of State (IC) for Labour and Employment, in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha.