UAN Verification: Stopping Dual Employment for Indian Employers

In the post-pandemic job market, the rise of dual employment has caught many Indian employers by surprise. Remote work opened doors to flexibility, but it also blurred boundaries. Employees can now take on multiple full-time jobs without informing their employers, and this has become a growing concern across sectors.

This trend matters because it leads to financial fraud, productivity loss, and legal risks. Companies are realizing that detecting dual employment early isn’t just about compliance but about protecting their culture and trust.

A recent survey by staffing firms found that over 6% of Indian professionals admitted to holding two jobs simultaneously. The numbers may be higher when unreported cases are included.

What is Dual Employment?

Dual employment means one person works full-time for two or more organizations at the same time. It’s not new, but remote work and hybrid setups have made it easier than ever.

It happens in several ways. Some employees take up a second remote job to earn extra income. Others moonlight for freelance projects during official hours. Many justify it as a response to rising expenses or job insecurity during the pandemic.

While the reasons vary — from financial pressure to newfound opportunities — dual employment creates significant challenges for organizations trying to maintain fairness and focus at work.

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The Problem for Indian Employers

Dual employment has become a silent disruptor in workplaces across India. On paper, everything looks normal. In practice, productivity drops, deadlines slip, and team morale takes a hit.

The financial impact is real. Paying a full-time salary to someone splitting time with another company means employers aren’t getting what they paid for. Some even falsify working hours, which can lead to payroll losses and compliance issues.

It also raises legal complications. The Employee Provident Fund (EPF) system mandates contributions linked to a single Universal Account Number (UAN). When an employee has multiple active PF accounts, it signals overlapping employment — a potential violation of contract terms and statutory obligations.

Beyond legality, dual employment erodes trust and company culture. When one team member juggles two roles, others carry the extra workload. Over time, resentment builds, and the sense of shared purpose weakens.

What is UAN and How Does It Help?

The Universal Account Number (UAN) is a unique identification number issued by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) to every registered employee in India. It acts as a single, lifelong number that links all PF accounts created during different jobs.

Each employee has only one UAN across all employers. Every time a person changes jobs, their new employer contributes to the same UAN-linked PF account. This connection between employment and PF contributions makes the UAN a reliable source of employment history.

Because of this, UAN data reveals dual employment patterns. If an employee’s PF contributions come from two different employers during the same period, it indicates simultaneous employment — something employers can detect with the right verification tools.

UAN Verification: The Solution

UAN verification has emerged as one of the most effective methods for identifying dual employment. It’s a simple yet powerful step during background checks.

Through UAN verification, employers can access verified PF data from EPFO records. This data confirms where and when a person worked, their joining and exit dates, and whether they have multiple overlapping employments.

During background verification, if the system flags multiple active PF contributions, that’s a clear red flag. It shows that the individual may be engaged in dual employment. Integrating UAN verification into pre-employment screening helps companies make informed hiring decisions and maintain compliance.

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Benefits for Employers

For employers, UAN verification brings clarity and control. It protects the business on multiple fronts.

• Prevents fraudulent hires: Verifying a candidate’s UAN history ensures you hire people with genuine, single-track employment records.
• Protects company resources: It keeps your payroll, intellectual property, and productivity safe from conflicts of interest.
• Ensures legal compliance: Employers avoid legal trouble related to PF misreporting or dual contributions.
• Builds a trustworthy workforce: Teams perform better when everyone plays fair.
• Reduces turnover and training costs: By filtering out unreliable candidates early, companies save time and money spent on rehiring and retraining.

The key is proactive screening — identifying potential issues before they become costly mistakes.

How DigiVerifier Can Help

This is where DigiVerifier brings value. As a trusted digital background verification platform, DigiVerifier simplifies UAN verification for employers across India.

The platform’s automated UAN verification process instantly validates a candidate’s employment record through secure integration with official data sources. The result is accurate, unbiased, and transparent verification without manual delays.

With quick turnaround times, DigiVerifier ensures that background checks don’t slow down your hiring pipeline. It offers comprehensive employment history checks, including previous employers, PF details, and overlap detection.

Moreover, DigiVerifier’s UAN verification can be seamlessly integrated into your complete background verification workflow, covering education, identity, and criminal checks in one platform. This means employers get a full picture of each candidate — efficiently and securely.

Dual employment is on the rise in India, fueled by flexible work setups and financial motivations. But it also exposes employers to serious risks — from payroll fraud to legal penalties.

Fortunately, with UAN verification, these risks are manageable. The Universal Account Number gives employers a transparent way to verify an individual’s true employment history and detect overlapping tenures early.

For Indian employers, this verification isn’t just a safeguard — it’s a necessity. A small step in background screening can protect your organization from financial and reputational loss.

UAN verification is your line of defense in a changing workplace. Stay proactive. Protect your business. Implement UAN checks with DigiVerifier today.