I'm scheduled for my first unemployment appeal hearing in two weeks and this entire thread has been absolutely invaluable! Like so many others here, I was terminated for supposed "performance issues" that magically appeared after I reported unsafe working conditions to management. Reading everyone's experiences and advice has really helped calm my nerves and given me a solid game plan. I wanted to share one additional resource that might help others - I found out that many local legal aid organizations in New York offer free consultations for unemployment cases, especially when retaliation is involved. They can't represent you at the hearing, but they'll review your documentation and help you organize your arguments. I had a 30-minute phone call with one yesterday and they confirmed that my timeline of safety complaints followed by sudden performance criticism looks like textbook retaliation. A few things I'm planning to do based on all the great advice here: 1) Create that chronological timeline everyone mentioned, 2) Request my personnel file immediately, 3) Practice my testimony out loud, 4) Research my company's written disciplinary policies to see if they followed them, and 5) Organize all my safety complaint emails by date. The most encouraging thing I've learned from this thread is that having documentation puts us in a much stronger position than we might realize. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories - it's made this intimidating process feel much more manageable!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now and this thread has been a lifesaver! I was terminated three weeks after filing a formal complaint about our company ignoring proper lockout/tagout procedures on industrial equipment. Suddenly my five years of solid performance reviews meant nothing and everything became a "performance issue." One thing I learned that might help others - when you request your personnel file, also ask for any emails or communications about you between managers or HR. In my state, they have to provide all records related to your employment. I discovered internal emails where my supervisor told HR to "document everything" starting the day after I filed my safety complaint. It was like having a smoking gun! Also, if you're dealing with anxiety about the hearing (totally normal!), I found it helpful to write out potential questions and practice answering them. Things like "When exactly did you report these safety concerns?" and "Can you describe the specific violations you observed?" Having clear, factual answers ready made me feel much more confident. The retaliation timeline is so crucial - I made a simple two-column chart with "Safety Actions I Took" on the left and "Company Response" on the right. When you see it laid out visually, the pattern becomes undeniable. You've got solid documentation and a clear timeline, which puts you in a really strong position. Hang in there - from everything I've read, cases like ours with documented safety complaints have a good success rate!

I've been dealing with NY unemployment issues for months and this thread is absolutely gold! Reading through everyone's experiences, I'm struck by how similar our struggles are - it really highlights how broken this system is that we all have to become experts in gaming phone queues just to get basic help. I wanted to add my own recent success story to hopefully help others: I finally got through last Friday using a combination of strategies from this thread. I called on Friday at 1:55 PM from a landline (borrowed from a friend), and it took exactly 31 attempts over 3 days. What seemed to help was the timing - I noticed Friday afternoons might be less busy because people assume government offices wind down for the weekend. I also kept a detailed log like others suggested, noting not just when I called but also how long the "high volume" message played before disconnecting (sometimes it was 5 seconds, sometimes 15 - the shorter ones seemed to mean better chances on the next call). One tip I haven't seen mentioned: bring snacks and water for your calling session! Sounds silly but after 2+ hours of redialing, you need fuel. My issue was resolved in 20 minutes once connected. Don't give up everyone - this community's advice really works!

I've been lurking on this thread for days while dealing with my own NY unemployment nightmare, and I just have to say - you all are lifesavers! I've been trying to reach someone about a missing payment for almost 2 weeks now, getting that same infuriating "high call volume" message every single time. Reading through all these detailed strategies has given me actual hope for the first time in weeks. I'm definitely going to try the Tuesday/Wednesday 2:15-2:45 PM window that multiple people have had success with, and I love the idea of keeping a call log to track patterns. The 45-second callback timing tip is so specific and clever - I never would have thought of that! I'm also going to borrow my mom's landline since several people mentioned better success rates with landlines vs cell phones. It's both frustrating and comforting to know this is such a widespread issue affecting so many people. Thank you all for turning what felt like an impossible situation into something manageable with real, tested strategies. This community support means everything when you're dealing with such a broken system!

I'm dealing with this exact same nightmare! Been trying for over a week now and that "high call volume" disconnect is absolutely infuriating - it's like they don't even want us to get help. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been both helpful and depressing. Helpful because of all the amazing tips (definitely trying that 8am sharp strategy @Zoe mentioned!), but depressing because it shows how many of us are stuck in this broken system. It's honestly shameful that we need a whole support group just to figure out how to contact our own state agency! I'm going to try the early morning calls with all my documents ready like @Mei suggested, and if that doesn't work I might look into that Claimyr service @Liam used. The fact that his 2-minute verification fix took weeks to get resolved really shows how backwards this whole system is. Thanks everyone for sharing your strategies - at least we can help each other navigate this bureaucratic mess while hoping NY actually fixes their phone system someday!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now and it's absolutely maddening! Been calling for almost two weeks straight and getting that infuriating "high call volume" message followed by an instant disconnect every single time. What really gets me is how they don't even give you the option to wait on hold - just straight up hang up on you like your time doesn't matter at all. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been both a huge relief (knowing I'm not alone in this nightmare) and completely shocking - the sheer number of people dealing with this shows the NYSDOL phone system is fundamentally broken. I'm definitely going to try that 8am sharp strategy @Zoe mentioned, and I'll make sure to have all my documents ready beforehand like @Mei suggested. It's honestly ridiculous that we need military-level precision just to contact our own state agency! I'm also going to look into that Claimyr service @Liam used if the morning calls don't work out. The fact that your issue was literally a 2-minute verification fix that took weeks to resolve perfectly illustrates how backwards this whole system is. I might also try that TTY line @Ella mentioned as another workaround. Thanks everyone for sharing your strategies and creating this supportive community - we shouldn't have to band together just to figure out how to get basic unemployment assistance, but I'm grateful we can help each other navigate this bureaucratic mess! Will definitely update if I manage to break through with any of these tips.

UPDATE: Just wanted to let everyone know that my payment came through this morning! So it took exactly 3 business days from when I spoke with the DOL representative. Thank you all for your help and advice!

That's such a relief to hear your payment came through so quickly! Three business days is way better than the week+ that some others experienced. I'm in a similar situation right now - missed my appointment last Friday and just got through to someone yesterday. The rep I spoke with also said "it's been noted in the system" but didn't give me a confirmation number. Based on your timeline, I'm hoping to see my payment by early next week. Thanks for following up with the community - it really helps to know what to expect!

The whole appeals process is just another way for them to delay paying out benefits. I went through it twice and lost both times even though I had evidence. NYS Department of Labor hearing officers seem to side with employers most of the time.

I work as a paralegal and have helped several people with unemployment appeals in NY. The success rate really varies by case type, but I'd estimate around 35-40% get overturned or modified. For misconduct cases specifically, you'll want to focus on proving that your actions didn't rise to the level of willful misconduct that would disqualify you from benefits. Those emails you mentioned showing targeting could be really valuable evidence. The appeals process usually takes 4-8 weeks, and you can represent yourself or bring someone to help. Even if the odds aren't perfect, if you believe you have a valid case it's definitely worth pursuing - the worst that happens is you're in the same position you're in now.