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I went through something similar when my hours got cut to almost nothing after wage increases. Even if it's not a full layoff, significant hour reductions can qualify you for partial unemployment benefits. Make sure you're reporting any hours you do work when you file your weekly claims.
ugh the NYS Department of Labor system is such a pain though. took me forever to get through when i applied last year and then they put my claim in adjudication for no reason
If you run into issues reaching someone at NYS Department of Labor by phone, I used claimyr.com last time I needed to talk to an agent. They have this system that calls you back when they get through instead of you sitting on hold forever. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really saved me a lot of frustration.
One thing to keep in mind - you'll need to certify for benefits every week and meet the job search requirements. That means applying to at least 3 jobs per week and keeping a log of your search activities. The NYS Department of Labor takes this seriously so make sure you're actually looking for work, not just going through the motions.
I got unemployment last year and it was fine until they randomly decided I was overpaid and wanted $2,000 back! Turns out I had reported everything correctly but there was some computer glitch. Took months to sort out. So yeah it can be 'easy' to get benefits but be prepared for random problems that make no sense.
I had a similar situation last year where I was spending more on job searching than I expected. What helped me was using claimyr.com to get through to an actual NYS Department of Labor agent when I had questions about my job search requirements. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. The agent was able to clarify exactly what they needed in my job search log and gave me some tips about local resources I didn't know about. Much easier than trying to call the regular number and getting hung up on.
How much does claimyr cost though? If money's already tight...
The whole system is set up to make us fail! They expect us to spend money we don't have on job searching while giving us barely enough to survive. And then they wonder why people can't find work fast enough. The decrease in prices they promised never happened - everything just keeps getting more expensive while benefits stay the same.
Norah Quay
I had to contact NYS Department of Labor multiple times about my protest because I kept getting busy signals when calling. If you're having trouble reaching them by phone, I found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Made the whole process much less stressful.
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Molly Hansen
•Interesting, I'll check that out. The phone lines are definitely impossible to get through on. Did they help you understand the protest process better?
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Norah Quay
•Yes, the agent I spoke with through their service was able to explain exactly what documentation I needed for my protest and confirmed the 30-day deadline. Much clearer than trying to figure it out from the letter alone.
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Leo McDonald
Just want to add that weekends and holidays don't extend the 30-day deadline. So if day 30 falls on a Saturday, you still need to have it submitted by then, not the following Monday. NYS Department of Labor is pretty strict about this.
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