After reading through this thread, I want to clarify something important: If your employer has between 5-99 employees, they are required to provide up to 5 days of paid sick leave per year under NY State Sick Leave Law. If they have fewer than 5 employees but a net income of more than $1 million, the same rule applies. Even employers with fewer than 5 employees and less than $1 million in net income must provide up to 5 days of unpaid sick leave. If your employer is violating this law, you can file a complaint with the NY Department of Labor. The fact that it's COVID-related doesn't matter anymore for special benefits, but your basic sick leave rights still apply.

glad u figured it out! my friend had to call the labor dept about something similar last year and they actually helped her get her sick pay. good luck!

UPDATE: I finally got through to someone! Used the Claimyr service that was suggested and it actually worked - got connected to an agent in about 30 minutes. Turns out it was a system glitch related to the gig work I reported in April. The agent was able to fix it while I was on the phone and my effective days are showing correctly now (43 days). She said my payment for last week should process within 2-3 business days. Such a relief!!! Thank you all for your help!

I had something similar happen last year, but mine was because I answered a certification question wrong. Just one mistake and they shut everything down. Make sure you're answering everything correctly each week. The wording can be tricky especially on the availability to work questions.

Update: I decided to call NYSDOL today and finally got through after trying for hours. They confirmed my card was mailed on September 26th as shown online. The rep said to wait until October 17th (that'll be 3 weeks total), and if it still hasn't arrived by then, call back to request a replacement. Apparently there's currently a significant mail backlog affecting card deliveries across the state. So frustrating but at least I know it's not just me!

That's good information - thanks for sharing the update. The 3-week timeline matches what others have reported recently. Once you do get your card, remember to immediately set up your online account at KeyBank's site so you can monitor your balance and transactions. And definitely consider switching to direct deposit to avoid future card issues.

Just a heads up that my brother had this same issue and when he finally got the KeyBank card, he couldn't activate it because they had his SSN wrong in the system. Took another month to fix. The NYSDOL system is so broken it's unbelievable. They make everything as difficult as possible.

Just checking in - were you able to set up direct deposit? If so, you should see the funds in your account within 2-3 business days. If you run into any issues, let us know!

Keep trying to reach someone at NYSDOL if you're confused! I was in a similar situation - got a KeyBank card out of nowhere. Spent DAYS trying to get someone on the phone to explain it. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through to an agent in about 20 minutes who explained everything. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE Turns out they were processing adjustments for claims from early 2024 and found I was eligible for more money than I received. The agent explained everything and helped me understand what payments to expect.

Don't activate anything until you verify what it is!!! There are TONS of scams going around with fake bank cards. Call the official NYSDOL number (not any number that came with the card) and verify if they sent you something. Scammers are getting really good at making fake KeyBank cards that look just like the real ones.