Also make sure ur checking ur unemployment messages every day!! sometimes they send weird questionnaires u gotta answer right away or they stop ur payments!!!

Just want to echo what everyone else is saying - definitely don't file a new claim! I work part-time for a small business that has seasonal shutdowns, and I've been through this exact situation multiple times. The key is to stay on your current claim and just accurately report your work status each week. During the renovation weeks, you'll report zero work days and zero earnings, and you should receive your full weekly benefit amount. When you return to work after renovations, just start reporting your work days again normally. The system handles these temporary work interruptions really well as long as you don't try to start a new claim. Your supervisor probably means well but like others mentioned, most employers don't really understand the technical side of unemployment claims. Stick with your current claim and you'll be fine!

Just remember you need to keep filing your weekly claims even while waiting for the initial determination. A lot of people don't realize this and then miss out on payments for those weeks. The weekly claim filing keeps your place in line basically.

I just went through this process recently and got approved after about 2.5 weeks. One thing that really helped was making sure I had all my employment documentation ready - like pay stubs and the separation notice from my employer. Since your store closed, that should actually work in your favor because it's clearly not a voluntary quit or termination for cause. Just keep checking your my.ny.gov account daily and respond immediately to any requests for additional info. Also, definitely start filing your weekly claims like others mentioned - I almost missed doing that at first!

Had the exact same issue last week! What finally worked for me was using a different device entirely - tried my phone instead of laptop and it went through immediately. Also make sure you're using the correct URL (labor.ny.gov/signin) because there are some fake lookalike sites that will mess with your login attempts. If all else fails, definitely try that claimyr service people are mentioning - heard good things about it from others in this group.

I've been dealing with this for weeks and finally got through! Try using the mobile app instead of the website - for some reason it's way more stable. Also, if you have any special characters in your password (like @, #, etc.), try changing it to just letters and numbers. The system seems to have issues with special characters even though it allows them when you create the password. Super frustrating but hopefully one of these solutions works for you!

I heard the ny unemployment system hired a bunch of new people but didnt train em properly so half of em don't even kno what there doing when u get em on the phone. my cousin works there and says its a mess behind the scenes

I went through the same nightmare last month - missing $2,100 in payments and getting nowhere with the regular channels. What finally worked for me was contacting my state senator's office (not assembly, but senator). They have a constituent services team that handles unemployment issues specifically. I found my senator through nysenate.gov, filled out their online form describing the problem, and got a callback within 48 hours. The senator's office contacted NYSDOL directly and my payments were released within a week. Also, keep detailed records of every call attempt - date, time, how long you waited, what happened. This documentation helps when you escalate. Don't give up, the system is broken but there are ways around it if you know the right pressure points.

Same boat here, been waiting since December for my standby status to be approved. The system definitely needs major reforms but in the meantime we're all just stuck dealing with it. At least knowing other people are going through the same thing makes me feel less alone in this mess.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now - filed my claim in March and still waiting in adjudication. What's really frustrating is how the NYS DOL website gives you zero information about what's actually happening with your case or how much longer it might take. I've tried calling dozens of times and either get disconnected or told to "keep waiting." It feels like they designed this system to discourage people from getting their benefits. Has anyone had luck contacting their local assembly member's office? I'm thinking about trying that route since the regular channels aren't working at all.