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Following EFC Circular No. 55/2024 dated 8th November 2024 and Circular No. 55A/24 dated 11th November 2024, member companies were reminded of the changes introduced to the Employees’ Provident Fund Regulations, 1958, through Gazette Extraordinary No. 2249/13 dated 12th October 2021. As per the new regulation 6, employers are required to forward the employee’s record card ‘ Form A’ to the relevant labour office within 30 days from the date of recruitment of such employee. In terms of Regulation 12 employees are required, when they take up employment for the first time, to be present before the CGL/ authorized officer to furnish information in form A. Employers are required to facilitate employees to comply with this requirement.

While the objective of these amendments is to promote accurate and transparent registration, their implementation has created significant operational and administrative challenges for companies, especially those recruiting large volumes of first-time employees. These challenges include:

• 📌 Heavy backlog due to the high number of new employees requiring in-person registration.
• 📌 Lengthy processing times, often taking several hours, leading to loss of working hours.
• 📌 Limited infrastructure at many regional Labour Department offices to handle the increased volume.
• 📌 Operational disruption, especially in labour-intensive industries with frequent recruitment.

Given these constraints, and despite the company’s dedicated efforts to comply, the EFC has requested the Department of Labour to grant an administrative extension until 31st December 2025 for the implementation of EPF Regulations 6 and 12.

Member companies too are encouraged to seek relief from the Commissioner of Labour – EPF, requesting an administrative relaxation until 31st December 2025 with regard to the implementation of Regulations 6 and 12. To support this effort, a set of request templates has been shared with the membership by the EFC and to be used as needed when addressing the Department of Labour.

While we fully support the intent behind regulatory reforms, it is vital to approach implementation in a way that acknowledges real-world constraints. This call for administrative flexibility is a proactive step toward achieving compliance without compromising day-to-day operations. Companies are urged to act promptly and engage with the authorities to ensure a practical and balanced way forward.