EPFO UPDATE: EXPLAINED - New electronic facility for principal employers, benefits and stepwise registration guide

EPFO has launched a new electronic facility for principal employers to view compliances of their employees engaged by or through contractors. Through this, employers engaging employees through contractors can add the details of contractors and contract employees at EPFO's United Portal:  https://unifiedportal-emp.epfindia.gov.in/epfo/. 

Who will be benefited? 

This facility will help principal employers to view the amount of wages on which the EPF dues have been remitted by the contractor as compared to the wages and EPF employer’s share paid to the contractor under the contract. The benefit schemes of PMRPY and ABRY are being operated by the Central Government under which contractor as independently registered can claim the employee’s and employer's share of EPF contributions from the government.

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Similarly, now principal employers through this facility can view such benefits claimed from the Centre by their contractors in respect of their contract employees and regulate their payments to contractor accordingly. Here is the step-by-step guide for the principal employer, who are registered as established with EPFO, with contractor functionalities.

EPFO launches Electronic Facility for PRINCIPAL EMPLOYERS to view EPF compliances of their contractors.#EPFO #SocialSecurity #HumHainNa pic.twitter.com/uM0Q1SZzZD

— EPFO (@socialepfo) May 25, 2021

* Enter the URL in URL Bar https://unifiedportal-emp.epfindia.gov.in/epfo/.
* The link for both Principal Employer and Contractor are inside the login of each establishment covered under EPF & MP Act. 

Adding a Contractor
* Use the Menu Establishment>>Contractor
* Here Principal Employer can add new contractor through ‘Add New Contractor’ Link. Click on the link.
* After clicking on the add new contractor link. A new page will be displayed. Now Enter the ‘Establishment ID’ of Contractor and click the search link. (Click of this search is necessary to display the name of contractor establishment else Submit Button will give an error message.
* Name of the contractor establishment will be displayed. In case the name displayed shows that a wrong id was entered, enter the correct id and search to display.
* Enter ‘Contract start date’ (mandatory), ‘Contract end date’ (if available), and Upload ‘Work order’ file (pdf file up to 2 MB only) then click on the ‘Submit button.
* Of the work order relevant or the first page that shows the name of contractor and period of contract is sufficient to upload. 
* After a new contractor is added, the contractor details page will be displayed. Here principal employer can see the details of all added contractors in the grid. However, if the Principal Employer finds that he has added a wrong establishment he can delete the added contractor establishment.
* The fact of adding a contractor by a Principal Employer will be immediately displayed in the login of the Contractor with the name and code number of the Principal Employer.

Also, principal employers like the Railways, CPWD, government departments can also utilise the facility for viewing the compliance by their contractors and can know of the exact amount of subsidy received against their contract workers. Such principal employers are not required to take a PF registration number. They can register themselves for this purpose through their TAN.