Navigating PF Verification Worries: Can I Extend My Work Experience Without Issues?

Dear Members,

I have a query that has been creating inner conflicts and need your help.

In 2017, from June to November, I joined a company as a content manager. However, I was laid off from the company with a proper experience letter. After that, I worked for organizations that did not provide me with any PF because I worked at startups with fewer than 25 employees until 2020.

From 2020 onwards, I started receiving normal PF, and this continues until today in 2023. Additionally, in 2020, I found out that the company I worked for in 2017 is now permanently closed and shut down due to some issues, having been sold out.

I am considering extending my experience from 6 months to 2 years, let's say from June 2017 to February 2019. Note that November 2017 was the exit date on the PF, although the company was shut down. Can I state that the company was restructured, and I opted out of PF after November 2017 if questioned in the future?

Given that the company is no longer operational, would there still be any background check regarding the PF? I hope I was able to explain my query clearly.

Thanks in advance.

Hi, It would be best to refrain from doing so. Your past employer relieved you in November 2017, providing a proper experience cum relieving letter confirming your employment with them from June 2017 to November 2017. For your 6-month stint with that company, they should have deducted PF along with a UAN number. In that case, if your future employer conducts verification, there is a possibility that they will receive updates about your past history. Even though your past company is permanently closed, if your current employer somehow discovers the actual facts, you may encounter trouble. Therefore, it is advisable to present the truth and avoid providing a fictitious employment history.

In the first company, you worked for only a few months, say 6 months, right? Then how can you extend it to cover your second company experience? Didn't that company (the second one) give you an experience certificate? If there was no PF, you can openly say that the second company was a small company with fewer than 20 (not 25) employees and therefore, they were not covered by EPF then. However, when the number of employees became 20, they covered me from the date of coverage of the EPF & MP Act to the company. What is wrong with giving this real explanation?

Dear Madhu Sir,

Thank you for your response. Yes, the reason behind planning to extend this 6 months of experience (Jun 2017 - Nov 2017).

After getting released, I joined at a lesser compensation (without PF) from 2018-2019. Again, I further dropped my package from 2019 to 2020 (again without PF).

Now, nobody is realizing my hard work (package from 2017), and everyone has been giving hikes based on the current situation.

Hence, I wanted to delete off the 2018 to 2019 experiences since it is creating an issue with stability a lot.

Can I say that from Jun 2017 to Feb 2019, I worked, but I opted out from PF on November 2017 as the company had less than 20 employees, and I worked? (because anyhow the company is now closed due to business issues)

Thanks a lot, Madhu Sir.

I will not advise any falsification in the experience letter.