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Just wanted to say good luck with your appeal. The whole unemployment system is such a nightmare to navigate. At least with the hour reduction you have a clear cut case - that's definitely good cause for quitting in NY.
I went through a similar appeal process last year and won! A few additional tips that helped me: 1) Include a timeline of events with specific dates (when hours were reduced, when you gave notice, etc.) 2) If you have any written communication with your employer about the hour reduction, include copies 3) Calculate and mention the percentage reduction in hours - going from full-time to under 10 hours is usually a 70%+ reduction which clearly shows substantial change in employment terms 4) Don't forget to mention if the hour reduction affected your eligibility for benefits like health insurance. The hearing officer really focused on the substantial change aspect in my case. Stay organized and factual - you've got a strong case here!
This is incredibly helpful, thank you! The timeline idea is brilliant - I didn't think about calculating the exact percentage reduction but you're right, going from 40 hours to under 10 is a massive cut. I do have a few text messages from my manager about the schedule changes so I'll definitely include those. Quick question - when you mention health insurance eligibility being affected, should I include that even if I wasn't enrolled in the company plan at the time?
THE 26 WEEK LIMIT IS RIDICULOUS!!! I've been paying into this system for 15 years and they give you barely 6 months of help. Other countries give way more unemployment support than this.
I understand the frustration @Dmitry Smirnov but 26 weeks is actually pretty standard across most US states. Some states only give 12-20 weeks. The real issue is that finding a good job can definitely take longer than 6 months, especially in specialized fields. Have you looked into any job training programs through the state? Sometimes those can provide additional support while you re'building new skills.
Just wanted to add that if you're in construction like the original poster, you might want to look into whether your union has any additional benefits or job placement services. Some construction unions have their own unemployment funds that can supplement state benefits. Also, make sure you're checking all the job boards specific to construction work - not just general sites. The 26 weeks can go by faster than you think, especially if you're being picky about wages or location. Start applying broadly early in your claim period so you have time to be more selective later if needed.
UPDATE: My payment just hit my account! So it was definitely just the holiday delay. Thanks everyone for the help and reassurance!
Same thing happened to me last holiday weekend - was stressed for nothing! For anyone new to this, it's worth bookmarking the NYSDOL website calendar that shows processing delays for holidays. They don't always advertise it well but the info is there if you know where to look. Glad everyone's payments are coming through!
Just want to add - make sure the contract work doesn't interfere with your job search requirements. You still need to be doing your required work searches even while working the contract, unless NYS Department of Labor specifically waives that requirement for your situation.
Another important consideration - since this is web development contract work, make sure you understand how NYS Department of Labor handles self-employment income. As a 1099 contractor, you're technically self-employed for those weeks you're working. If you're working full-time hours on the contract (even if it's temporary), you might not be eligible for benefits during those weeks regardless of the income amount. The key is whether you're "totally unemployed" vs "partially unemployed" during each claim week. I'd recommend calling to clarify your specific situation before starting the contract.
This is a really important point about the full-time vs part-time distinction! @Noah Torres raises a key issue - if you re'working 40 hours a week on the contract, NYS Department of Labor might consider you fully employed during those weeks, which could make you ineligible for any benefits regardless of it being temporary. I d'definitely recommend getting clarity on this before accepting the contract. The able "and available for work requirement" can be tricky with intensive contract work.
Paolo Ricci
I'm having this EXACT same issue today! Just finished uploading all my documents about 2 hours ago and got that same blank page everyone's talking about. I was literally about to re-upload everything thinking I messed something up, but finding this thread has been such a relief. It's absolutely wild that NY's unemployment system can't provide a basic "upload successful" message in 2025 - like this is web development 101 stuff! Reading through everyone's experiences, especially @Yara Nassar's update that her documents were actually received despite no confirmation, gives me hope that mine went through too. Going to follow the advice here and wait 3-5 business days before panicking. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - it's crazy that we have to rely on community forums to figure out if government systems are working properly!
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Emma Davis
•@Paolo Ricci You re'definitely in good company here! I just went through this exact same nightmare yesterday and was convinced I d'somehow broken their system. The blank page is so anxiety-inducing when you re'already dealing with unemployment stress. But honestly, this thread has been a godsend - it s'amazing how much peace of mind you get from knowing this is just a widespread system bug and not user error. What really helped me was @Mei Liu s tip'about checking the claim status timeline rather than looking for a separate Documents section. I m planning'to check mine in a few days following everyone s 3-5'day wait recommendation. It s honestly'ridiculous that we have to play detective to figure out if basic government functions are working, but at least we have this community to help each other navigate these issues!
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Evelyn Martinez
I'm experiencing this exact same issue right now! Just uploaded my documents about an hour ago and got that terrifying blank page with absolutely no confirmation. I was about to start the whole process over again thinking I'd somehow messed up the upload, but reading through all these experiences has been incredibly reassuring. It's honestly shocking that NY's unemployment system still can't provide basic upload confirmations in 2025 - this seems like such fundamental website functionality. Really grateful for everyone sharing their stories here, especially @Yara Nassar for following up with confirmation that your documents were actually received despite the system issues. Based on all the advice in this thread, I'm going to resist the urge to re-upload everything and wait the recommended 3-5 business days before taking any action. It's frustrating that we have to rely on community forums to understand whether government systems are working properly, but at least we can help each other navigate these technical glitches!
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Misterclamation Skyblue
•@Evelyn Martinez I literally just went through this exact same thing this morning! Uploaded all my documents and got that same dreaded blank page - no confirmation, no error message, nothing. I was starting to have a panic attack thinking I d'have to start over, but finding this thread has been such a lifesaver. It s'absolutely mind-blowing that a government system in 2025 can t'provide something as basic as upload "successful -" like, how is this even possible? But reading everyone s'experiences, especially seeing that @Yara Nassar, @Mei Liu, and others all had their documents successfully processed despite getting no confirmation, gives me so much hope. I m'definitely going to follow the community advice here and wait it out rather than risk creating duplicate files. Thank you to everyone for sharing your stories - it s'incredible how much this thread helps when the official system leaves us completely in the dark!
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