The system is so unfair honestly. People make mistakes and then they can't even get help when they lose their job because of it. I get that there have to be rules but sometimes life happens and people need support to get back on their feet.

I've been through a similar situation and wanted to share what I learned. Your friend should definitely file for unemployment benefits regardless - it's free to apply and the worst case is getting denied. When I went through this process, I discovered that NYS Department of Labor looks at several factors beyond just the failed test itself. They consider things like whether proper procedures were followed, if the employee was given adequate notice of the drug testing policy, and whether the role was safety-sensitive. Even if initially denied, the appeals process can sometimes uncover procedural issues that work in the claimant's favor. The key is to be completely honest on the application and provide any relevant documentation they might have about the circumstances.

have you tried logging out and logging back in? sounds stupid but sometimes the payment history doesn't update properly unless you do a full refresh of your account.

This exact same thing happened to me a few weeks ago! I certified on my usual day (Wednesday) and by the following Tuesday still had no payment showing. Turns out my claim got flagged for a "routine employment verification" that I never received any notice about. Only found out when I finally got through to an agent after calling literally 73 times over 3 days. The agent cleared it up immediately and my payment was released within 24 hours. Definitely try to get someone on the phone ASAP - these random holds seem to be happening more frequently lately and they won't resolve on their own. Keep certifying while you wait though, don't skip any weeks or it'll create even more problems!

Getting through to NYS Department of Labor on the phone to ask questions about your benefit amount can be really frustrating with their call volume. I was stuck trying to reach them for days until I found Claimyr - it's a service that helps you get connected to actual agents. Check out claimyr.com and they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Made it so much easier to get my questions answered about my weekly benefit calculation.

Just wanted to share my experience - I was making around $48k at a retail management job and my weekly benefit came out to $368. The process took about 3 weeks from filing to getting my first payment, but once it started it's been pretty consistent. One thing that helped me was setting up direct deposit right away instead of waiting for the debit card - payments hit my account faster that way. Also make sure you certify for benefits every week on time, even if there are technical issues with the website. You can always call to certify if the online system is down.

one thing nobody mentioned - when u DO get the new card, you have to activate it AND set a new PIN before you can use it. I didn't realize this and tried using mine at an ATM like 5 times and got locked out 🤦‍♂️

I'm going through this exact same nightmare right now! Lost my card 6 days ago and I'm checking the mailbox like a crazy person every single day. Reading through all these responses is both helpful and terrifying - sounds like it could be anywhere from 8 days to 3+ weeks depending on how backed up they are. I'm definitely going to try calling tomorrow to ask about expedited shipping like @Hugo Kass suggested. The fact that some people had to wait almost a month is just insane when you're relying on that money for basic necessities. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, at least now I know I'm not the only one dealing with this mess!

I went through this exact same situation last year! You absolutely need to report that you're working - select "yes" when it asks if you returned to work, then it will prompt you to enter your hours and gross earnings for that week. The system is actually set up to handle partial unemployment situations like yours. As long as you're under 30 hours and your earnings don't exceed the threshold (your weekly benefit rate + $504), you'll still get reduced benefits. Don't stress about it cutting off your claim completely - that only happens if you're working full-time or earning too much. Just be honest about your hours and pay, and you should be fine!

I'm in a really similar situation right now! Just started a new job last week and they have me doing paid training at about 20 hours per week. I was terrified about how to handle the certification too, but after reading everyone's advice here I feel much better. It sounds like as long as we're honest about the hours and earnings, we should still get partial benefits since we're under that 30-hour threshold. The day-based calculation system seems really confusing though - I had no idea it worked that way! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, this thread has been super helpful for understanding how to navigate this whole process without messing up our claims.