Thank you all for the helpful responses! I'm going to: 1) Talk to my boss about the NY Paid Sick Leave law they might not know about, 2) Look into disability benefits even though the 7-day waiting period might make it impractical, and 3) Use Claimyr to reach someone at DOL if I can't get through on my own tomorrow. I really appreciate all the guidance - this community is amazing!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share my recent experience since it might help. I had COVID in February and was out for 6 days. Like you, I work for a small business (8 employees) and they claimed they didn't offer paid sick leave. After reading about NY's Paid Sick Leave law, I approached my boss with the info and it turns out they genuinely didn't know about the requirement! They ended up paying me for those days retroactively. It's worth having that conversation - many small business owners aren't trying to be malicious, they just don't know all the labor laws. Also, I did apply for NY Disability Benefits as a backup but you're right about the 7-day waiting period being a problem for shorter illnesses. Hope you feel better soon and get this sorted out!

Welcome to ny unemployment, where everything is made up and the explanations don't matter 🤡

Ugh this is so relatable! I went through the exact same runaround last month. After getting transferred 4 times and disconnected twice, I finally got someone who explained they needed my claim confirmation number (the one from when you first filed), plus all the usual stuff like SSN and DOB. But here's the kicker - they also wanted the EXACT dollar amount of my last benefit payment. Like who keeps track of that?? I had to log into my account while on the phone to find it. The whole system is designed to frustrate people into giving up, I swear. Keep trying though, persistence is the only thing that works with NY unemployment!

its crazy how this whole process is such a black box. we literally have no idea whats happening with our claims until someone decides to tell us. meanwhile bills piling up and we just gotta wait 🤦‍♂️

This is super helpful, thank you for sharing all the details! I'm currently stuck in the same "under review" limbo for about 3 weeks now. The info about the area codes is gold - I've definitely been ignoring calls thinking they were spam. Going to try calling early tomorrow morning at 8am sharp. It's encouraging to hear that someone actually got through and received useful information. Fingers crossed the rest of us start seeing some movement soon too! 🤞

One thing that helped me was reaching out to my old network. I was embarrassed at first but people were surprisingly understanding and helpful. Sometimes it's not about what you know but who you know, especially when you're trying to explain an employment gap.

I'm in a similar situation - been unemployed for about 10 months and the anxiety is real. One thing that's helped me is treating job searching like a part-time job itself. I block out 4-5 hours each weekday for applications, networking, and skill building. It makes me feel more productive and gives structure to my days. Also, I started a simple spreadsheet to track my applications and any responses - it helps me see that I am making progress even when it doesn't feel like it. The NYS DOL portal lets you log these activities easily for your weekly claims. Don't give up - we're all in this together.

Just wanted to add that the rates can change if your state has outstanding federal loans. New York usually stays current so you get the full credit, but it's worth double-checking each year.

This is really helpful information! I'm also dealing with payroll setup for a small business. One thing I'm wondering about - do these NYS Department of Labor rates apply from the very first employee you hire, or is there a minimum threshold? I know some states have exemptions for very small employers, but I want to make sure we're compliant from day one.