Document text
Ministry of Labour & Employment
Female employees under EPFO
Posted On: 04 DEC 2023 5:30PM by PIB Delhi
(The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) publishes Payroll data every month whereby the number of
subscribers joining Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) for the first time through Aadhaar validated Universal
Account Number (UAN), existing subscribers exiting and subscribers who exited earlier rejoin as subscribers is
reported to arrive at net Payroll. The published figures provide the net new enrollments in EPFO across the country
in age-slab wise, industry wise, state-wise and gender wise. The details of EPFO Net Payroll Additions of Female
Subscribers since September, 2017 are as under :-
Financial Year
Net Payroll Additions (Female Subscribers)
2017-18 (from September, 2017)
2,32,785
2018-19
13,05,172
2019-20
15,93,614
2020-21
13,98,080
2021-22
26,18,728
2022-23
28,69,688
Note: The Net Payroll Data published by EPFO is provisional as updation of employees’ records is a continuous
process and gets updated in subsequent month(s).
The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 provides for payment of equal remuneration to men and women workers for
same work or work of similar nature without any discrimination. The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 has been
subsumed in the Code on Wages, 2019 which also provides that there shall be no discrimination in an establishment
or any unit thereof among employees on the ground of gender in matters relating to wages by the same employer, in
respect of the same work or work of similar nature done by any employee. However, the Code on Wages, 2019 is yet
to come into force.
Under the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017, the following provisions/benefits are available:-
Paid Maternity leave/benefit has been increased from 12 weeks to 26 weeks.
Facility of crèche is mandatory if 50 or more employees are working in the establishment.
Medical Bonus of Rs.3500/- if no pre-natal confinement and post-natal care is provided by the employer free
of charge.
Enabling provision for light work for specified period during pregnancy.
Immunity from dismissal during absence due to pregnancy and no deduction of wages of woman entitled to
maternity benefit.
Enabling provision for facility of work from home, if the employer and employee so agrees, in addition to the
maternity leave.
The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 has been subsumed in the Code on Social Security, 2020, which is yet to come into
force.
The Code on Occupational Safety, Health & Working Conditions (OSH), 2020 has special provision relating to
employment of women. As per this, women shall be entitled to be employed in all establishments for all types of
work, with their consent, before 6 a.m. and beyond 7 p.m. subject to conditions relating to safety, holidays and
working hours or any other conditions to be observed by the employer as may be prescribed by the appropriate
Government. However, the Code on OSH, 2020 is yet to come into force.
Further, to enhance the employability of female workers, the Government is providing training to them through a
network of Women Industrial Training Institutes, National Vocational Training Institutes and Regional Vocational
Training Institutes.
Ministry of Labour & Employment launched eShram portal (eshram.gov.in) on 26th August, 2021 for creation of a
comprehensive National Database of Unorganised Workers seeded with Aadhaar. eShram portal is meant to register
and support the unorganised workers by providing them a Universal Account Number (UAN). eShram captures
details of workers such as name, address, occupation, educational qualification, skill type etc. As on 27th November,
2023, over 29.19 crore unorganised workers have registered on eShram portal under 30 broad occupation sectors
and around 400 occupations. Out of total registration on eShram, approximately 15.45 crore registrants i.e. 52.92%
are female.
The Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 is applicable on the factories and
establishments employing 20 or more persons engaged in any of the 197 class of establishments/schedule of
industries and employees with monthly EPF wages up to Rs.15,000/- only are statutorily required to be enrolled as
members. The monthly net payroll data of EPFO indicates the pattern and trends in employment and job creations in
the organized/formal sectors of economy.
This information was given by Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Shri. Rameshwar Teli in a
written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
***
MJPS/NSK
(Release ID: 1982416) Visitor Counter : 699
Read this release in: Telugu
