I went through this exact situation about 8 months ago with my company in NYC. The key thing that helped me was getting a letter from HR confirming that my position was being eliminated due to restructuring, even though I signed a separation agreement. When I filed my unemployment claim, I uploaded that letter along with the separation agreement. NYS Department of Labor approved my benefits without any issues. The severance didn't delay my benefits either since it was a lump sum payment, not ongoing wages. Just make sure you're honest about everything when you file - they can see if you received severance pay anyway, so transparency is your best bet.

I just went through this exact same situation a few months ago! The most important thing is making sure the separation agreement accurately reflects that this was the company's decision, not yours. Since your whole department is being eliminated, that's clearly an involuntary layoff regardless of what paperwork you sign. I'd definitely recommend asking HR to revise any language that makes it sound voluntary - they should be willing to clarify that it's due to business restructuring or department elimination. Also, keep all your documentation (the agreement, any emails about the layoffs, etc.) because NYS Department of Labor may want to review them. In my case, having clear documentation made the approval process much smoother. The severance shouldn't disqualify you as long as it's a lump sum and not structured as ongoing wages.

I've been using Indeed for my unemployment work search for about 6 months now and it's definitely accepted by NYS DOL. One thing I'd recommend is being selective about which jobs you apply to - don't just mass apply to everything. I focus on positions that actually match my experience and skills, and I make sure to customize my applications when possible rather than just using the one-click apply for everything. This way if they ever audit your job search activities, you can show you were being thoughtful and strategic about your applications, not just going through the motions.

I've been successfully using Indeed for my NY unemployment work search requirements for the past 4 months. What really helped me was creating a simple system: I keep a Google Sheet with date, company name, job title, application method (Indeed easy apply vs full application), and a brief note about why I was qualified. When I had my work search review last month, the DOL representative was satisfied with my documentation. Pro tip: if you're having trouble finding enough suitable positions on Indeed to meet your weekly quota, you can also count activities like saving job searches for later review, researching company websites after seeing their Indeed postings, or following up on previous applications. These all show active job search effort!

I was in the exact same situation a few months ago! The timing really is confusing at first. Just to reinforce what others have said - you'll certify this Sunday for the partial week from Tuesday (when you were approved) through Saturday. NYS Department of Labor always has you certify for the week that already ended, never the current week. I found it helpful to think of Sunday as "report day" for the previous week. Also, don't worry if your first certification seems like a short period - that's totally normal when you start mid-week. The payments usually process within 2-3 business days after you certify, so you should see your first payment by Wednesday or Thursday if you certify Sunday morning. You've got this!

I had this same exact confusion when I started my claim! Here's what I learned after going through it: you'll certify this coming Sunday for your partial first week (Tuesday-Saturday). The key is that NYS Department of Labor certification is always retrospective - you're reporting on work status for days that already happened. When you log into my.ny.gov on Sunday, it will clearly display the exact date range you're certifying for, which takes away all the guesswork. I recommend certifying early Sunday morning (around 8 AM) when the system is most stable, and don't worry about the partial week - that's completely normal when starting mid-week. The whole process becomes routine after the first few times!

dont even get me started on trying to reach a human there... literally easier to find bigfoot 👀

Just went through this exact same thing last month! The system definitely shows weird dates sometimes but you're right to be confused. Here's what worked for me: 1. Ignore whatever date it's showing - you're always certifying for the PREVIOUS complete week (Sunday to Saturday) 2. If it's asking about "this week" that's still happening, that's definitely a system glitch 3. Report your hours/earnings from the most recent COMPLETED week only 4. Don't wait - the system won't fix itself and you might miss your certification window The NY unemployment system is notoriously buggy with dates. I've seen it show next week, last month, even random dates from 2023 lol. Just stick to the rule: previous complete week only. If you're still getting errors or weird behavior, screenshot everything and try certifying during off-peak hours (like 6am or after 10pm). The system seems to work better when fewer people are on it. Hope this helps! The whole process is frustrating but once you get the hang of it, it gets easier.

Maya, you're absolutely making the smart choice by questioning that warehouse offer! I just went through this exact situation about 2 months ago - was making $19/hour in customer service management and got offered a $14/hour warehouse position. The stress was real because I didn't want to lose my benefits, but declining it was definitely the right call. That $5/hour pay cut you're looking at represents a significant reduction from your retail management salary, and combined with having zero warehouse experience, this is clearly unsuitable work under NYS Department of Labor standards. At 6 weeks into your claim, you're still in the early period where they absolutely expect you to hold out for work that matches your professional background and pay level. I kept detailed records when I declined similar offers and never had any problems with my benefits. Focus your energy on finding assistant manager or retail supervisor positions where your management experience will actually be valued - there are definitely opportunities out there that won't require you to take such a huge step backwards in pay and career progression. Document this warehouse offer and your reasons for declining it, but don't stress about saying no!

Maya, you're definitely safe to decline that warehouse job! I went through something really similar about 3 months ago when I was between retail jobs. Got offered a position that was $6/hour less than what I was making before and it was in a completely different field. The anxiety about losing benefits was so real, but I'm so glad I trusted my gut and said no. That $5/hour drop from $18 to $13 is about a 28% pay cut, which is way beyond what NYS Department of Labor considers reasonable this early in your claim. Plus warehouse work has literally nothing to do with your retail management background - you'd basically be starting over from scratch. At 6 weeks in, you're still in that sweet spot where they expect you to be selective about offers that actually match your experience level. I ended up finding an assistant manager role at a different store that paid even better than my old job. Keep records of that warehouse offer and why it doesn't fit (huge pay cut, no relevant experience, waste of your management skills), but definitely don't feel pressured to take something that would set your career back just because it's available!