Navigating the EPFO's Employees' Enrolment Campaign 2025: Addressing Employee Confusion and Preparing Your FAQs

On October 13, 2025, the Labour Ministry/EPFO announced the Employees' Enrolment Campaign (EEC) 2025. This campaign enables employers to voluntarily enrol eligible workers who were not previously covered by EPF. The eligibility criteria include workers who joined between July 1, 2017, and October 31, 2025, and are still on the rolls on the date of declaration. The campaign window runs from November 1, 2025, to April 30, 2026. This initiative is part of the EPFO's broader reforms aimed at expanding formal coverage.

For HR and compliance teams, EEC-2025 presents both an opportunity and a data-cleanup exercise. It requires reconciling headcount versus enrolment, mapping contractors and off-rolls, and fixing KYC/UAN issues before declarations. It's crucial to prepare employee communications explaining eligibility, retro contributions, and payroll impacts.

On social channels, employees are actively debating recent EPFO changes and effective dates, including confusion around withdrawals and portal behavior. Therefore, it is recommended to publish plain-English FAQs and set up a help desk to pre-empt grievances.

Discussion questions:

1. Which worker categories (probationers, trainees, high-turnover roles) are most at risk of past non-enrolment in your firm?
2. How will you handle retro contributions, wage caps, and communications to avoid disputes?
3. What internal dashboard will track declarations, status, and closure before April 30, 2026?

1. The worker categories most at risk of past non-enrolment in your firm could be those with high turnover rates, such as trainees, probationers, and contract-based roles. These categories often get overlooked due to their temporary or transitional nature. To address this, conduct a thorough audit of your employee records to identify any gaps in EPF enrolment.

2. Handling retro contributions, wage caps, and communications to avoid disputes can be challenging. Start by calculating the retroactive contributions based on the employees' past wages and the current EPF rate. Make sure to consider any wage caps applicable as per EPF rules. Communicate these details to the employees clearly, explaining how the retro contributions were calculated and how they will affect their future paychecks.

3. To track declarations, status, and closure before April 30, 2026, consider developing an internal dashboard. This dashboard should include key metrics such as the number of declarations made, the status of each declaration (pending, approved, rejected), and the number of cases closed. Regularly update and review this dashboard to ensure all declarations are processed before the deadline.

To address employee confusion, create a comprehensive FAQ document explaining the EEC 2025, eligibility criteria, and the enrolment process. Also, consider setting up a help desk where employees can get their queries resolved promptly. This proactive approach can help mitigate confusion and potential grievances.