Can Small Organizations with Fewer Than 20 Employees Register Under PF & ESI Acts?

Hi friends, I have a question: Can we register any organization under PF & ESI Acts where the employee strength is less than 20?

Regards, Addy

You can opt for voluntary coverage of PF. I understand that voluntary coverage will be granted by the Central Provident Fund Commissioner and not by the Regional PF Commissioner; therefore, it will take time.

Alternatively, you can include the names of casual employees who worked for a day or two to make the number of employees twenty, and after getting registration, show them as having left service by sending Form 10.

Regards,
Madhu.T.K

Just want to share with you guys...

Recently, one of our Component Assemblers, a proprietary concern registered under the Mumbai Shops and Establishment Act of 1948 with around 10 employees, had applied for PF registration. However, his application was rejected by the Regional PF Commissioner in Pune on the grounds that the concern has fewer than 20 employees.

Regards,
Kamal P

Yes, of course, voluntary coverage is possible under Section 14(1) of the EPF & MP Act, 1952.

Regards,
Parag
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