EPFO (Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation) has issued new instructions on how employers can manage payments, employee data, and bank KYC processes more easily. These changes are focused on making things simpler and quicker for both employers and employees.

1. One-Time Past PF Payments via Demand Draft (DD):

• Normally, employers pay PF dues online using a system called ECR. But in special cases where the employer wants to pay old/pending dues and cannot use online payment, EPFO is now allowing payment via Demand Draft.
• This is only allowed once, and only for past dues, not future ones.
• The regional EPFO officer must agree, and the employer must give a written statement to confirm the employee details in case any future claim arises. Also, any interest or penalty (damages) must still be paid as per rules.

2. Employer Can Only See Present Job Details of Employees:

• Earlier, an employer could see the entire employment history of an employee. Now, to protect employee privacy, the employer can only see the current job details.
• However, if an employee is eligible for pension and has declared previous service in Form 11, the EPS membership details will still be visible to the employer to ensure continuity of pension benefits.

3. No Need to Upload Bank Documents for Online Claims:

• Employees used to upload an image of a cheque leaf or bank passbook while filing PF claims online. Now, if your bank account is already verified with your UAN (by bank or NPCI), you don’t need to upload these images anymore.
• Also, the employer’s approval is no longer needed to link (seed) a bank account with your UAN.
• Any pending bank account linking that was waiting for employer approval will now be auto-approved after verification.

These steps are part of EPFO’s move to reduce delays, protect employee data, and simplify online processes.