As a newcomer to this community, I'm so grateful to have stumbled upon this thread! I've been dealing with this exact same frustrating issue since I started my new job in mid-January - those weekly filing reminders just keep coming despite my claim showing as "exhausted." Like so many others here, I was completely focused on trying to figure out how to delete my entire my.ny.gov account, thinking that was the only way to make it stop. But after reading through all the incredibly helpful advice from @Hannah Flores, @Ravi Gupta, @Ethan Campbell, and everyone else who shared their experiences, I now understand that keeping the account active is actually the smarter long-term strategy. I just implemented the three-step solution that everyone has been recommending: updated my employment status to "Currently Employed," unchecked all the unemployment-related email notifications in my account preferences, and submitted a "Report a Problem" request with a detailed explanation of my situation. Based on the timelines that others have shared, I'm hopeful that the weekly emails will stop within the next 1-2 weeks. This community has been such a lifesaver - the practical, step-by-step solutions shared here are infinitely more useful than anything I could find through official NYS DOL channels or their nearly impossible-to-reach customer service. Thank you all for taking the time to share what actually worked instead of just venting about the broken system. This thread should definitely be bookmarked as a resource for anyone dealing with this common but annoying issue!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so thankful to have found this thread! I've been struggling with this exact same problem for about 6 weeks now - started my new job in February but those weekly filing reminder emails just won't quit. Like everyone else here, I was completely convinced that deleting my my.ny.gov account was the only solution, but after reading through all the amazing advice from @Hannah Flores, @Ravi Gupta, and @Ethan Campbell, I realize that would have been a huge mistake! I just followed the three-step approach that everyone's been recommending: updated my employment status to "Currently Employed," unchecked all unemployment-related notifications in my account preferences, and submitted a detailed "Report a Problem" request explaining that I'm working and want the weekly reminders to stop. Based on all the success stories shared here, I'm optimistic that the emails will finally stop within the next week or two. This community has been absolutely incredible - I've learned more practical solutions from this one thread than from hours of searching the official NYS DOL website and trying to reach their impossible customer service. It's such a relief to know there's actually a working solution that doesn't involve starting from scratch if I ever need benefits again. Thank you all for sharing your real experiences and what actually worked!

I'm currently on unemployment and had to deal with a similar situation last month when I had a pre-planned family trip to Canada. I was absolutely terrified about reporting it, but after reading horror stories about people getting caught in audits years later, I knew I had to be upfront. I called NYS DOL about 3 weeks before my trip and explained it was a family emergency that couldn't be postponed. The agent was actually very professional about it and told me to just skip filing my weekly claims while I was gone (5 days total). I lost about $700 in benefits, which hurt, but when I came back and resumed filing everything went smoothly. What really helped me was being completely honest - I even offered to provide documentation if needed, though they didn't ask for it. The agent mentioned they deal with legitimate family situations all the time and appreciate when people handle it properly rather than trying to hide it. For your sister's wedding, this is exactly the type of family milestone they understand. Don't risk your entire claim over a couple weeks of benefits - call them now, explain the situation honestly, and enjoy the wedding stress-free!

I went through this exact situation about 8 months ago with my cousin's wedding in Spain. I was absolutely terrified about how NYS DOL would react, but I'm so glad I found advice similar to what everyone is sharing here. I called them about 4 weeks before my trip (took multiple attempts over several days to get through) and when I explained it was a family wedding that had been planned long before I lost my job, the agent was incredibly understanding. She actually congratulated me on the family celebration and said destination weddings are very common situations they handle. I ended up losing about $1,600 in benefits for those 2 weeks I was away, which definitely hurt financially, but the peace of mind was invaluable. When I returned and resumed filing, everything went perfectly smooth - no complications, no flags, just business as usual. The agent even mentioned that family weddings are exactly the kind of legitimate life events they expect people to need time for, and they much prefer transparency over people trying to hide travel. Hannah, your sister's wedding is precisely the situation they're equipped to handle with understanding and professionalism. Call them this week, be completely honest about the family celebration, and don't let this stress overshadow what should be a joyful occasion. After reading all these consistent experiences here, it's clear that doing it the right way upfront saves so much anxiety and potential problems down the road!

I'm a per diem pharmacy tech and went through this EXACT same situation! After going back and forth with anxiety for weeks, I finally got clarification from an unemployment specialist (took forever to get through). Here's what they told me: if shifts are just posted on a general board/app for anyone to grab, that's NOT considered "refusing work" even if you see them and choose not to take them. "Refusing work" only applies when someone specifically contacts YOU with a shift offer and you decline it. I've been answering NO to refusing work when I just don't claim open shifts, and my benefits have been fine for 4 months now. The key is documentation - I screenshot available shifts vs any direct communications, just in case. Hope this helps ease your mind!

I'm also per diem (respiratory therapist) and this conversation has been such a relief! I was literally having nightmares about accidentally committing unemployment fraud because the questions are so confusing for our work situation. After reading all the expert advice here, especially from @Sofia Ramirez and @Zainab Omar, I finally understand the key distinction - if shifts are just posted on a portal/board for anyone to claim, that's NOT the same as being specifically offered work that you refuse. I've been answering the same way (NO to refusing work when I just don't pick up shifts from our staffing app) and it's good to know so many other per diem healthcare workers are in the same boat. The documentation tip is great too - I'm going to start keeping records of what shifts were available vs any direct communications. It's honestly ridiculous that NY unemployment doesn't have clearer guidance for per diem workers when we make up such a huge part of the healthcare workforce. This thread should be required reading for anyone doing per diem work!

I went through this exact same situation about 8 months ago - retail manager constantly changing my schedule at the last minute, making childcare a nightmare. The good news is that NYS Department of Labor absolutely recognizes this as good cause for quitting! What really helped my case was creating a timeline document that showed my original schedule versus all the changes, along with screenshots of the text messages. I also included a brief statement from my daycare provider confirming how the schedule changes affected my childcare arrangements. My adjudication took about 5 weeks, but I was approved. The key is being thorough with your documentation and clearly explaining how the schedule changes made it impossible to continue working. You've got this!

I'm going through something very similar right now - my restaurant manager kept scheduling me for shifts that conflicted with my second job, even though I gave them my availability when I was hired. After trying to work it out for months with no success, I finally had to quit last week. Reading all these responses is giving me so much hope! I didn't realize that schedule changes could qualify as good cause for unemployment. I have saved all the scheduling texts and emails where I tried to explain my availability constraints. It's really encouraging to see so many people who successfully got approved after quitting for legitimate workplace issues. The NYS Department of Labor system seems overwhelming but knowing that they do recognize these situations as valid reasons to quit makes me feel much more confident about filing my claim. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences!

I'm in the exact same boat and it's so infuriating! Applied for the 599 program back in February and just got told I'm looking at a September approval date - that's 7 months of waiting just to get permission to improve my job skills while collecting benefits. After reading through everyone's experiences here, I've decided to go ahead and start my paralegal certification program next month. The retroactive approval stories from @Rhett Bowman and others give me hope that this is the right approach, even though managing job search requirements alongside classes is going to be tough. What really bothers me is how this system completely defeats its own purpose - we're all trying to get better jobs and contribute more to society, but NYSDOL's broken bureaucracy is literally preventing that from happening! By the time they process my application, I could already be halfway through my certification. I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service @Amy Fleming mentioned since it seems to be the only way to actually reach a human there. Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences - it's both maddening and comforting to know we're all dealing with this mess together. At least we're supporting each other through this dysfunction!

I'm dealing with the exact same frustrating situation! Applied for the 599 program in early April and was just told I'm looking at a November approval - that's 7+ months of waiting just to get permission to train while keeping my unemployment benefits. It's absolutely ridiculous how broken this system has become. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been both eye-opening and infuriating. It's clear this is affecting hundreds if not thousands of people who are genuinely trying to improve their job prospects and get back into the workforce. The fact that we're all getting similar timeline delays really shows how systematic this problem is. I've been on the fence about starting my medical assistant certification program while waiting for approval, but seeing all the success stories about retroactive approval from @Rhett Bowman and others has convinced me to just go ahead and enroll next month. I can't afford to lose another 5-6 months of potential career progress sitting around waiting for NYSDOL to process paperwork. The irony is that the 599 program was designed to help unemployed people transition to better careers, but these massive delays are actually preventing us from doing exactly that! Healthcare is such a stable field with growing demand - by the time they approve my application, I could already be certified and working. Thanks everyone for sharing your timelines and strategies. This thread has been incredibly helpful for understanding that I'm not alone in this bureaucratic nightmare. Definitely going to try that Claimyr service @Amy Fleming mentioned since it seems like the only reliable way to actually reach a human at NYSDOL these days!