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Don't forget you also need to maintain your job search requirements for both NYS Department of Labor benefits AND STEM OPT. The job search for STEM OPT has to be in your field of study, which might be more restrictive than the general NYS Department of Labor job search requirements.
I had a similar issue reaching someone at NYS Department of Labor about my claim status. Tried calling for days and kept getting disconnected. A friend told me about this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually gets you connected to a real person at the unemployment office. I was skeptical but watched their demo video (https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI) and decided to try it. Got through to an agent in like 15 minutes and resolved my adjudication issue that had been pending for weeks.
Check the NYS Department of Labor website for office hours and closures. They usually post notices about holidays and closures but sometimes it's buried in the news section. For your weekly claim, you should be able to file online even during holidays as long as the system isn't down for maintenance.
i tried calling the rochester office last month and they told me everything has to be done online now unless you have some special circumstance. save yourself the trip
What counts as a special circumstance? I'm having trouble with the online system and keep getting error messages.
If you're having technical issues with the online system, you can try calling the NYS Department of Labor customer service line, but honestly the wait times are brutal. I had success using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual agent when I couldn't resolve my filing issues. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of being on hold.
UGH this is so frustrating! I've been trying to get through to NYS Department of Labor for WEEKS about my own claim and their phone system is impossible. Every time I call I either get disconnected or sit on hold for hours. Has anyone found a way to actually talk to a real person there?
I had the same problem until someone told me about Claimyr (claimyr.com). It's a service that calls NYS Department of Labor for you and gets you connected to an actual agent. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. I was skeptical at first but I was able to get through in like 20 minutes after weeks of trying myself. Really helped me resolve my adjudication issue.
Just want to add - make sure you understand the difference between being fired for cause vs. being laid off. If your hours are getting cut that badly, they might actually be laying you off rather than firing you, which would definitely make you eligible for benefits. Also remember you have to do your weekly claims and job search requirements even while your initial claim is being reviewed.
Chloe Anderson
Most disqualifications I see are for attendance issues or policy violations that employers report as misconduct. Not meeting sales quotas typically wouldn't qualify as misconduct unless there's evidence you weren't trying or were deliberately sabotaging sales. Make sure to request a copy of what your employer submitted to NYS Department of Labor - you're entitled to see their side of the story.
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Diego Vargas
same thing happened to my brother but he won his appeal. just keep fighting it
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