One last piece of advice - if your family member does end up in this situation and needs to apply for unemployment benefits, documentation and timing are absolutely critical. Make sure they: 1. Don't formally resign - instead, they should clearly communicate in writing that they are not accepting the substantially reduced compensation offer 2. Apply for benefits immediately after the last day of work 3. Be prepared to appeal if necessary (many of these cases get denied initially but approved on appeal) 4. If they have trouble reaching a live person at the NYSDOL (which is unfortunately common), consider using a service that helps you get through the phone systems 5. Consider consulting with an employment attorney before making any final decisions, especially with 25 years of service involved Best of luck to your family member - company acquisitions are always stressful, but knowing your rights helps tremendously.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now! My company was just acquired and they're restructuring everything. One thing I learned from my union rep is that if your relative is in a union, they should definitely check their collective bargaining agreement - sometimes there are specific protections for situations like this that people don't even know about. Also, I've heard that keeping detailed records of ANY communication about the buyout is important. Even informal conversations with managers should be documented with dates and what was said. If they end up needing to prove their case later, having a timeline of events can be really valuable. The whole process is super stressful but it sounds like there are definitely options available if the worst-case scenario happens. Fingers crossed the new company doesn't cut salaries as much as the rumors suggest!

I'm dealing with this EXACT same issue and it's driving me absolutely insane! Been trying to certify for the past week and can't get through on either phone or online. The phone system just plays that "all representatives are busy" message for 2 seconds then hangs up - no hold option, no queue, nothing! My online account is stuck on some "identity verification in progress" screen that never actually progresses. What's really stressing me out is that I've been certifying without issues for months, and now suddenly during my most important certification period the whole system decides to lock me out. I've got bills due and groceries to buy, and the thought of missing this payment cycle is keeping me awake at night. Based on all the incredible advice in this thread, I'm setting my alarm for 7:55am tomorrow to try that early calling strategy that so many people have mentioned. I'm also going to clear all my browser data and try accessing my account from my laptop instead of my phone. If those don't work, I think I'll have to bite the bullet and try Claimyr - it seems like multiple people have had success with it even though it's ridiculous we should have to pay extra just to access our own benefits. Thank you all SO much for sharing your experiences and solutions. Knowing I'm not alone in this nightmare actually helps me feel less crazy. This system is clearly broken but at least we're helping each other navigate through it!

I'm in the exact same boat as everyone else here! Been trying to certify for 3 days now and it's absolutely ridiculous. The phone system won't even let me wait on hold - just gives me that "all representatives are busy" message and immediately disconnects. My online account keeps showing "security verification pending" but doesn't tell me what I need to do to verify anything. What's really frustrating is that I've been certifying smoothly for months and now suddenly during crunch time the system completely locks me out. I'm supposed to be looking for work, not spending entire days just trying to access the unemployment system! After reading through all these experiences, I'm definitely going to try calling right at 7:58am tomorrow morning like several people suggested. Also going to clear my browser cache and try from a different device. If those don't work, I might have to consider that Claimyr service too - it's annoying to potentially pay extra but if it gets me through to a real person it might be worth it. Thanks to everyone for sharing their tips and frustrations - at least we know this is a widespread system problem and not something we're doing wrong. The fact that so many people are dealing with this exact same issue just proves how broken the NYSDOL system really is right now!

I've been collecting NY unemployment for 2 months now and had a similar issue with my KeyBank card in February. What I discovered is that sometimes there's a security hold if there's unusual activity. In my case, I had tried using the card at 3 different ATMs in one day (because the first two weren't working properly). This triggered some kind of fraud alert. You might want to check if you've done anything that could be considered "unusual" - like trying to withdraw a larger amount than normal, using the card in a different location, or making multiple transactions in a short time. When I finally reached someone at KeyBank (took forever!), they told me the security department had put a hold on my funds. They transferred me to that department who verified my identity and released the money immediately. Hope this helps! The situation is incredibly frustrating, I know.

Just wanted to follow up - were you able to get through to someone at KeyBank? If not, another trick I've heard works is calling right when they open in the morning. Their customer service opens at 8am EST Monday-Friday, and apparently the wait times are much shorter if you call right at 8.

system is such a mess. took me 3 weeks just to get someone on the phone about this same issue

Had a similar situation last month. Definitely notify them beforehand - I sent a secure message through the NY.gov portal explaining my travel dates and reasons. Also made sure to NOT certify while I was out of the country. When I got back, I called to handle that week's certification. The rep said as long as you're transparent about it upfront, they're usually understanding. Just don't try to certify from abroad or they'll flag your account for sure.

Oh wow, reading through all these responses is both helpful and terrifying at the same time! It sounds like I'm in for quite the battle. I'm definitely going to try multiple approaches - calling that 835-905-5682 number first thing tomorrow morning, reaching out to my assembly person AND state senator, and maybe even trying the Twitter DM thing. The fact that so many of you have been through similar situations makes me feel less alone in this mess, but also really frustrated that this is such a common problem. It's ridiculous that we have to jump through so many hoops just to get the benefits we're entitled to. Thank you all for taking the time to share your experiences and advice - this community is honestly a lifesaver when dealing with such a broken system!

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago! The stress is unreal when your benefits just disappear like that. Here's what worked for me: I called 835-905-5682 (which seems to be the consensus number from everyone's responses) but also simultaneously sent a message through the NY.gov unemployment portal explaining the missed call situation. The key is to be persistent but polite - I ended up getting through on my 15th call attempt by calling right at 8:02 AM. When I finally spoke to someone, I immediately asked for a tier 2 specialist and explained that I had called back the same day I missed the interview but never got a response. They were able to reinstate my benefits and even backdated the payments I'd missed. The whole process took about 3 weeks but I did get all my money. Don't let them intimidate you - you have every right to those benefits! Also keep calling that original number they left in the voicemail if you can still make it out, sometimes that direct line works better than the general callback number.