Whatever you do, don't just walk out. Try to get them to fire you instead if possible. Much easier to get UI benefits when you're terminated versus when you quit, even with good cause.

I went through something similar with a toxic supervisor cutting my hours unpredictably. When I filed for unemployment after quitting, I had to attend a phone hearing where they asked detailed questions about each incident. The key things that helped my case were: 1) I had screenshots of my schedule changes, 2) I wrote down specific dates when I was sent home early, and 3) I had a coworker who witnessed the verbal abuse. The NYS Department of Labor approved my claim for "constructive dismissal" since the working conditions became intolerable. Start documenting everything now - even write down what happened yesterday with the screaming incident while it's fresh in your memory. Include the date, time, what was said, and who witnessed it.

That's excellent news! Glad you got it resolved. It's almost always some small technical issue that's causing the delay. Make sure to certify this coming week too so there's no interruption once the payments start flowing.

So glad to hear you got it resolved, Chloe! Your story gives me hope - I've been waiting 4 weeks now and getting really anxious. The discrepancy between your last day of work and what your employer reported is exactly the kind of thing that can slip through the cracks but cause major delays. For anyone else still waiting, this is a good reminder to double-check all the dates you entered when filing your claim against your final paystub or termination paperwork. Sometimes it's just a simple date mismatch that's holding everything up.

Keep filing those weekly claims no matter what! Even if your initial claim is still pending. That's super important.

I went through this same process about 3 months ago. Filed on a Wednesday and got my first payment exactly 16 days later (so just over 2 weeks). The key is making sure you have all your employment documentation ready in case they ask for it. Also, set up direct deposit if you haven't already - it's faster than waiting for a debit card to arrive in the mail. Don't stress too much about the timing, just keep doing those weekly certifications and check your online account regularly for any requests for additional info.

Just to add - if you're ever dealing with NYS Department of Labor and need to actually talk to someone about your claim status or benefits, I had success using claimyr.com to get through their phone lines. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Way easier than trying to call myself and getting disconnected constantly.

This is really helpful info! I just started my first job and was also confused about all the tax deductions. So just to confirm - the only unemployment-related deduction I should see on my NY paystub is the state unemployment insurance (SUI), and that's usually a pretty small amount? I want to make sure I'm not missing anything when I review my pay stub.

just wanted to add that if you had ANY taxes withheld from your UI benefits you'll see that on the 1099-G too. i made the mistake of not having anything withheld and ended up owing like $800 at tax time

The whole unemployment tax situation is ridiculous if you ask me. They take forever to process claims, make you jump through hoops for your benefits, and then want to tax you on money you received because you LOST YOUR JOB. It's like getting kicked while you're down.