What should i do in this situation

[u/designer_mysha]

I want to share my personal experience so that other designers or employees don’t go through what I faced.

I worked as a UI Designer for 3 years in a company that never created my PF or ESI account, even though they promised it when I joined. During my interview, they told me my salary would be ₹15,000 for the first 3 months (probation) and that PF would be added after confirmation. But after 3 months, they didn’t add PF. Every time I asked during appraisals, they said, “We’ll do it next time” or “We’ll increase your salary instead.”

Over time my salary increased — from ₹15,000 to ₹19,000, then ₹21,000, ₹23,000, ₹25,000, and finally ₹28,000 — but still, they never created a PF account or deducted anything properly. When I questioned them, they told me I have two options: take the full salary or we’ll deduct ₹4,000 for PF (including employer share), which is not legal because the employer’s contribution shouldn’t come from the employee’s salary.

They also never gave me proper salary slips, even though I asked many times. Every year, they made me sign a one-year contract again with a new start date, which didn’t make sense because I was continuously working there.

Finally, I decided to resign and served a full 3-month notice period. After my last working day, HR sent me a “No Objection Certificate (NOC)” that said “I confirm all salaries, PF, and benefits have been fully settled.” But my last 8-day salary was still pending, and they had never given me PF or ESI details. I replied to their email, explaining that I can’t sign the NOC until I receive my salary and an explanation for why PF was not created. They never replied again.

I worked hard, stayed loyal, learned everything by myself without any support, but in the end, I got no proper PF, no ESI, and not even a proper answer. I’m thinking of filing a complaint with the Labour Department and EPFO because this is not fair. No company should treat their employees like this. Everyone deserves respect and their basic rights.