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Just went through this exact scenario two months ago when my construction job went from 5 days to just Tuesday/Wednesday for three weeks due to weather delays. Filed for partial unemployment and it was totally worth it - got around $200/week in benefits which really helped cover my bills during that slow period. The certification process was pretty straightforward once I got the hang of it. Key things: report the exact days you worked (not total hours), enter your gross pay before taxes, and keep copies of everything. My foreman actually told me I should file since that's what the system is there for. Don't let anyone make you feel bad about claiming benefits you're entitled to - you pay into this system through your work, so use it when you need it!
Thanks for sharing your construction experience! That's really reassuring to hear that even your foreman encouraged you to file - it really drives home that this is just part of how the system is supposed to work. The $200/week you got sounds about right for what I'd probably qualify for too. I love how you put it about paying into the system through our work - that's exactly right! We shouldn't feel guilty about using benefits we've literally been paying for. Your story gives me confidence that I'm making the right choice by filing for this one reduced week.
Had this exact situation happen to me last year when my retail job cut everyone's hours for inventory week. Only worked Monday and Tuesday (14 hours total) instead of my usual 35-hour week. Filed for partial unemployment and got approved for about $165 that week. The process was actually easier than I expected - just make sure when you certify that you mark exactly which days you worked and enter your gross earnings accurately. One tip that saved me time: have your pay stub or employer portal info ready when you certify so you can enter the exact dollar amount. Don't worry about your employer - they deal with this stuff all the time and it's built into their unemployment insurance costs. You're not doing anything wrong by claiming benefits you've earned!
That's really helpful Sofia! Having the pay stub info ready beforehand is a great tip - I can see how that would make the certification process much smoother. It's so reassuring to hear from yet another person who went through this exact situation successfully. The $165 you got for 14 hours sounds about right compared to what others have shared. I'm really grateful for all these real experiences being shared - it's making me realize this is way more common and straightforward than I initially thought. Definitely going to file for my reduced week now!
Your former employer is probably getting nervous about their experience rating, but that's not your problem to worry about! The system is designed so that employers who lay off workers contribute more to the fund - it's basically an incentive for them to maintain stable employment. You earned those benefits through your work history and you have every right to collect them as long as you're eligible. Don't let them make you feel guilty about using a safety net you paid into. Just keep doing your weekly certifications and job search requirements, and you'll be fine.
This is really helpful context! I didn't realize the experience rating system was basically designed to discourage layoffs. It makes sense that employers would get charged more if they're frequently letting people go. I feel much better knowing this is how the system is supposed to work and I shouldn't feel bad about collecting benefits I earned.
Just want to add that in New York, your maximum benefit duration is typically 26 weeks, but this can be extended during high unemployment periods. Your employer's quarterly UI tax contributions are based on their "reserve ratio" - basically how much they've paid in versus how much has been paid out for their former employees' claims. So yes, your claim affects their future rates, but that's exactly how the system is designed to work. The whole point is that employers who frequently lay off workers should contribute more to support the safety net. Don't let them guilt you into thinking you're doing something wrong by collecting benefits you legitimately earned!
I had a similar issue with my claim being stuck in adjudication. What helped me was also contacting my local assemblyperson's office - they have a constituent services department that can sometimes help expedite these situations. I called my assemblyperson's office, explained the situation, and they actually reached out to the Department of Labor on my behalf. Within a week I got a call from an adjudicator to resolve my case. It's worth trying if the direct calling approach doesn't work out. You can find your assemblyperson by entering your zip code on the NY Assembly website.
@Natasha Petrov That s'brilliant advice about contacting the assemblyperson s'office! I never would have thought of that approach. For anyone else reading this, it s'also worth noting that many assemblyperson offices have online forms where you can submit a request for help with state agency issues, so you don t'necessarily have to call. This seems like a great backup plan if the 8 AM calling strategy doesn t'pan out. Thanks for sharing what worked for you!
I'm dealing with the same frustrating situation right now - my claim has been in adjudication for 6 weeks and I can barely get anyone on the phone. Reading through these responses has been super helpful though. I'm definitely going to try the 8 AM calling strategy that Mason mentioned, and if that doesn't work out, reaching out to my assemblyperson's office sounds like a solid backup plan. It's crazy that we have to jump through all these hoops just to get basic help with our claims, but at least now I have some concrete steps to follow instead of just randomly calling throughout the day. Thanks everyone for sharing what actually worked for you!
@Connor O'Neill I totally understand your frustration - 6 weeks is way too long to be stuck in limbo! I'm in a similar boat but only at 3 weeks so far. One thing I noticed from reading through all these responses is that having all your documentation ready seems really important. Mason mentioned they might ask for additional paperwork during the appointment, so maybe it's worth gathering everything now while we're trying to get through. Also, I'm curious if anyone knows whether there are specific days of the week that tend to be better for getting through? The 8 AM strategy sounds promising but I wonder if Mondays are worse because of weekend backlog, or if Fridays are better because fewer people call then?
This exact same thing just happened to me this week! I've been working part-time at a bookstore for about 6 weeks now, consistently 10-14 hours per week, and suddenly the system is asking me to re-enter all my employer information and explain why I'm "no longer working there." I'm literally scheduled to work tomorrow! Reading through everyone's experiences here is such a relief - I was starting to think I had accidentally clicked something wrong or that my employer had reported something incorrectly. It's crazy that this is such a widespread issue with the NY system and they still haven't fixed it. The fact that it seems to affect anyone with variable part-time hours is really concerning since that describes so many jobs nowadays. I'm going to follow the advice here about selecting "Other" and writing "Still employed part-time" but I'm also going to try calling to get it noted on my account like AstroAce did. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's really helpful to know the steps that have worked for others dealing with this same glitch!
Welcome to the "NY unemployment system is broken for part-time workers" club! 😅 It's honestly both reassuring and frustrating to see so many of us dealing with this exact same issue. I just went through this myself last week - same situation where I'm still working my part-time job but the system suddenly thinks I quit. Following everyone's advice here about selecting "Other" and explaining you're still employed part-time seems to be the way to go. Definitely try to call and get it noted on your account if you can - that extra documentation seems to help prevent future payment delays. It's ridiculous that we have to become experts at working around the system's bugs just to get our legitimate benefits, but at least we're all figuring it out together!
I'm dealing with this EXACT same issue right now! Just tried to file my weekly certification and got hit with the same "employer information" request even though I've been working the same part-time warehouse job for 2 months straight. My hours vary between 12-20 per week depending on shipment volume, but it's the same employer the whole time! Reading through everyone's experiences here is honestly such a huge relief - I was terrified I had somehow screwed something up in my previous filings. It's pretty ridiculous that the NY unemployment system can't handle basic part-time work scenarios that are super common in today's job market. I'm going to follow the advice about selecting "Other" and writing "Still employed part-time" based on what worked for everyone else here. Definitely going to try that Claimyr service too if I can't get through by calling directly. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions - this thread is literally saving my sanity right now! It's crazy how many of us are dealing with the exact same system glitch.
Oh my gosh, I'm so glad I found this thread! I literally just ran into this exact same problem today when trying to file my weekly claim. I've been working part-time at a local gym for about 8 weeks now (usually 14-18 hours depending on class schedules) and suddenly the system is acting like I stopped working there completely. I was starting to panic thinking I'd somehow messed up my previous filings or that my employer had reported something wrong to the state. It's such a relief to see that this is just a known glitch with the NY system and not something I did! Following everyone's advice here about selecting "Other" and explaining I'm still employed part-time. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences - this community is a lifesaver when dealing with these confusing government systems!
Chloe Harris
I'm new to this community but wanted to share what happened to me recently since it sounds very similar to your situation. I had a forfeit hearing scheduled about 3 months ago for underreporting some delivery driver hours - totally my fault for misunderstanding the weekly reporting form. They continued paying my regular benefits the entire time while waiting for the hearing. The key thing I learned is that they only stop payments if there's an actual determination of willful fraud, not just for reporting mistakes. Since you mentioned it was a misunderstanding about hours and not intentional, you should be okay. My hearing was actually conducted over the phone (not sure if yours will be the same), and I had all my evidence ready - work logs, screenshots of the confusing parts of the reporting system, and text messages with my supervisor about schedule changes. The whole thing took about 20 minutes and the hearing officer was very reasonable. I ended up with just 1 forfeit week as a penalty, which honestly felt fair since I did make the mistake. The most important thing is to keep certifying every week like everyone else mentioned - I almost stopped doing it out of stress but thankfully didn't! Hang in there - it sounds like you're handling this the right way by gathering evidence and being proactive. The fact that you're being transparent about it being a mistake will definitely work in your favor.
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GalacticGuru
•Thanks for sharing your experience! It's really reassuring to hear from someone who went through almost exactly what I'm dealing with. The fact that yours was handled over the phone is interesting - I'm not sure yet how mine will be conducted but that might actually be easier than having to go somewhere in person. It's encouraging that you only got 1 forfeit week after being honest about the mistake. I'm hoping for a similar outcome since like you said, it really was just confusion about the reporting form and not any attempt to hide income. I've been gathering all my evidence like you mentioned - work schedules, the confusing screenshots, etc. Thanks for the reminder about continuing to certify - I definitely won't stop doing that! This whole process is stressful but hearing success stories like yours gives me hope that it will work out okay.
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Cedric Chung
I just went through a similar situation last month and wanted to share my experience to hopefully ease your worries a bit. I had a forfeit hearing for incorrectly reporting some freelance work hours (the online form really is confusing!) and they continued paying my regular weekly benefits throughout the entire process. The key thing I noticed from reading through all these responses is that everyone who had payments continue had situations involving honest mistakes rather than suspected fraud - which sounds exactly like your case. Since you only received a hearing notice and not a formal determination stopping benefits, that's a really good sign. For the hearing preparation, I'd definitely recommend taking screenshots of the confusing parts of the reporting system like others mentioned. I also brought a simple timeline showing exactly what happened and when, which helped demonstrate it was just a genuine mix-up with dates and hours. One thing I learned is to stay calm during the hearing and just be straightforward about what happened. The hearing officer could tell I was being honest about the mistake, and I think that really helped my case. I ended up with 2 forfeit weeks, which honestly felt fair considering I did make the error. Keep certifying every week and gathering your evidence - you're doing everything right! Based on all the experiences shared here, it really sounds like you'll keep getting paid while this gets resolved.
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