Employee Provident Fund Scheme - Boon or Bane?

The Employee Provident Fund Scheme (EPFS) had been established as a social security scheme for the Indian industry and has established a huge corpus through its 42 million contributors. At a relatively risk-free rate of nearly 8.75% return, EPFS is recommended as a good retirement product in the debt portfolio. However, administration of the scheme had come under considerable criticism, which had resulted in changes in the regulatory norms around the scheme. The government's interest in promoting a defined contribution approach to retirement benefits appears to work at cross-purposes with the interest of the low-income employees. With recent regulatory changes in the minimum contribution level, the effect on bottom-of-the-pyramid employees covered by this scheme further reduces their net income. The case discusses the impact of changes in the regulatory scheme on all employees, but more specifically on the lower income workforce, the financial impact for organizations. It debates the efficacy of the current social security scheme in India and the options for organizations to design and administer variable compensation structures adapted to individual and life-stage needs.