When staff leave: marking the exit date in PF and ESI

Why the exit date matters

PF (Provident Fund, also called EPF) gives your staff savings and a pension. ESI (Employees' State Insurance) gives your staff medical care, and pay when they can't work because of sickness, injury or maternity.

Both are paid every month, by the 15th of the next month, on each employee's wages. (For September 2026 wages, PF is due by 31 October 2026.) So your PF and ESI lists must match the staff you actually have.

Mark the date when staff leave, in PF and in ESI. If you don't:

• PF treats them as still working for you, and this may block your later PF filings
• they can't move their PF to a new job online, or withdraw their PF money online. They can do this only once the exit date is in PF.

Staff who join and leave often, like contract workers, make this a monthly job. Read PF and ESI for contractors.

Marking the exit date in PF

The exit date goes on the EPFO employer portal. EPFO is the government PF office.

• Who marks it: you, the employer. You enter it and then approve it on the portal. Many staff leaving? You can upload them together.
• What you enter: the date they left and the reason they left.
• When: promptly. EPFO asks employers to mark the date before filing the next month's ECR.
• If you don't: after two months, the employee can mark the date themselves on the EPFO member portal.
• The month they leave: the ECR is the monthly list of each employee's wages and PF, sent to the PF office. PF is paid up to the day they leave. So they still go in that month's ECR, with their wages for the days they worked. Unpaid days are shown as NCP (non-contributory period) days, in whole days only. Not sure how to count them? Call us.

Once the exit date is in PF, the ECR won't accept that employee for a later month.

Is an exit date wrong? Until it is corrected, PF for any later month can't be paid. Depending on the case, the employee fixes it, you confirm it, or the PF office checks it too. You may need papers such as their resignation letter or final pay slip. Call us. We tell you what to do.

Read common ECR upload errors, and how to fix them: number 9 is about staff who have left.

ESI when staff leave

ESIC (the government ESI office) runs ESI. Each employee in ESI has an IP (Insured Person) number, their ESI number.

• The month they leave: each month's ESI filing lists each employee's days paid and wages paid. In the month they leave, show the days you paid them for and the wages you paid.

Not sure how to stop ESI for someone? Call us.

Staff who leave after a few days

Some staff leave in their first days or weeks. Add new staff to PF and ESI, if the rules cover them. Then mark the date when they leave, as for anyone else.

A UAN is their PF account number. New staff get their UAN with a quick face scan on the UMANG app. We guide them.

Not sure what to do for someone who worked only a few days? Call us to check.

When they move or withdraw their PF

After they leave, staff may want to move their PF to a new job, or withdraw their PF money.

Since January 2025, most online PF transfers go straight to EPFO, without the employer. If one comes to you on the portal, approve it quickly. If someone sends you a paper transfer form, check the details against your records. Then sign it and send it to the PF office quickly.

Working with us? We help staff move their PF to a new job, or withdraw their PF money.

Working with us

Tell us when someone leaves. We mark the date when staff leave, in PF and ESI, as part of your monthly filing. We file your PF and ESI every month. We get the payment slip (challan) ready in time, so you can pay by the 15th. Or send us the amount and we pay it.

We work by phone and email. We can visit you if needed.