Understanding PF Subsidy Eligibility: Do Contract Workers Count in the 100 Employee Rule?

Hi all, I have the following queries regarding claiming PF subsidy recently announced by the central government:

1. Is it mandatory for companies with a headcount below 100 to provide 90% of employees earning below 15k as their basic salary?

2. Does the headcount of 100 include both employees and contract consultants, or only the employees eligible for PF contributions?

1. Is it mandatory for companies with a headcount below 100 to have 90% of employees earning below 15k as their basic salary? - Yes, it is mandatory.

2. Does the headcount of 100 include contract workers and consultants, or is it only applicable to employees eligible to pay PF? - Contract workers and consultants will not be considered.

EPF System and ECR Filing

The EPF system considers the counter with their own ECR filing system. Every month, they ask for information on excluded employees as well, where the EPF paid by contractor employees is also mentioned. So, if the system finds that:

1. The gross number of employees is less than 100,
2. More than 90% of employees' gross salary is below ₹15,000,

the site pops up a declaration to avail the benefit and asks the employer to fill in the data in the portal before filing the ECR. If the employer is not eligible, then it does not display.