Why Are Retainers Covered Under PF Act but Not Consultants? Seeking Clarification

In a company, if there is employment of Retainers working on a Part-Time/Full-Time basis, also a few are employed as Consultants (Part-Time/Full-Time) doing a similar kind of job. Can anyone please clarify why the Retainers are covered under the PF Act and not the consultants? Is there any government notification in this regard?

Thank you & Regards, Chetan (chetan_datta@yahoo.com)

Dear Chetan,

To my knowledge, 'Retainers' and 'Consultants' engaged to do company's work are one and the same thing. Irrespective of the designation, whether you call them Retainer, Consultant, or Advisor, as long as there is an employee-employer relation, the people thus engaged shall have to be covered under the purview of applicable Acts. Assuming that you have taken care of the above catch, Retainers/Consultants are not required to be covered under the PF Act.