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This whole situation sounds fishy to me. No legitimate employer pays someone $3 for ANY amount of work. You definitely got scammed and should pursue that wage complaint. Also check if you worked anywhere else during your base period - even small amounts from multiple jobs can add up to meet the minimum requirements.
ugh the whole contractor vs employee thing is so confusing!! I never know if im supposed to be getting benefits or not. seems like companies just call everyone contractors to avoid paying for stuff
From what I understand, NYS Department of Labor looks at factors like whether you set your own schedule, use your own tools, have other clients, etc. If the company controlled most aspects of your work, you might have been misclassified. Definitely worth applying and letting them make the determination.
this is so confusing!!! i'm dealing with the same thing and nobody at NYS Department of Labor could explain it to me when i called. took forever to get through and they just transferred me around
I had the same problem trying to reach someone at NYS Department of Labor about this exact question. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get through to agents faster. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting hung up on.
The confusion makes sense because both programs involve government payments for people who can't work their regular jobs. But unemployment is for people temporarily out of work who are looking for new jobs, while SSI is for people who can't work due to disability. You can receive unemployment while applying for disability, but if you get approved for disability, you'll need to report that unemployment income to Social Security.
wait so if i quit my job can i still file for unemployment or only if you get fired?? i hate my current job but dont want to lose benefits
Javier Cruz
honestly the whole system is messed up... you shouldnt have to jump through hoops to prove your income when youre already dealing with being unemployed. landlords act like unemployment makes you a bad tenant when really it shows you know how to work the system and get benefits you earned
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Natasha Orlova
Just be upfront about it! I put down my unemployment income on applications and most places were fine with it as long as I could show consistent payments from NYS Department of Labor and that I was meeting my job search requirements.
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