Can an Employee Have Two PF Accounts in One Company? Seeking Insights on This Issue

Is it possible for one employee to have two PF accounts in one organization? I just received an inquiry. The employee worked with the company for 5 years, and when claiming PF, it was discovered that there were two accounts created for one person. I would like to know why this was done like this.

I think that question should be asked to the HR or Payroll team of the company. What's the use of asking us? If you are asking for legal justification, there are none. It's probably carelessness, as Kishore pointed out. Or maybe the employee didn't mention that his old account is active.

Avoiding Multiple PF Accounts in the Same Company

It is not advisable to maintain two PF accounts within the same company. Errors are likely to occur, and such accounts may be detected by other companies. This approach reflects a lethargic way of functioning, and there is no real system in place to manage it effectively.

It is highly unlikely for one person to have two account numbers within the same organization. This situation indicates inefficiency within the HR department or whoever handles PF matters. This issue can be rectified by submitting Form 5, where one account number is canceled, and the balance is transferred to the account allotted earlier.

Regards,
Adoni Suguresh
Labour Laws Consultant