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yeah I quit too because of hostile work environment and got denied initially but won on appeal. The key is having witnesses who will back up your story. Get statements from coworkers if you can, even if they're just willing to confirm the manager's behavior. NYS Department of Labor takes workplace harassment seriously if you can prove it happened.
wait so you can get unemployment for quitting?? I thought that was impossible. my friend told me you have to get fired to qualify
@Statiia Aarssizan No, that s'a common misconception! You can potentially get unemployment after quitting, but only if you can prove you had good "cause -" like harassment, unsafe conditions, or other serious workplace issues. It s'definitely harder to get approved than if you were laid off, but it s'not impossible. The NYS Department of Labor will review each case individually to see if your reason for quitting was justified.
I've been dealing with NYS Department of Labor for months trying to get through their phone system to check on my claim status. If you're having trouble reaching them, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually gets you connected to real agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of busy signals and getting disconnected.
The whole system is such a mess honestly... they spend billions but cant even keep their phone lines working properly or process claims without months of delays. Where's all that administrative money going??
Another option nobody's mentioned - some credit unions will cash government checks even if you're not a member. My friend used SEFCU (now Broadview) and they didn't charge him anything. Might be worth calling a few local credit unions to ask.
Thanks everyone for all the helpful advice! I tried KeyBank this morning and successfully cashed my check with just my driver's license. The line wasn't too bad (about 20 minutes) and they didn't charge any fees. For anyone else in this situation, just make sure to bring a government-issued photo ID and be prepared to have your thumbprint taken on the check. They were actually really nice about it!
also make sure you check your debit card balance online not just wait for a text notification, sometimes those are delayed
One thing that helped me track my payments better was setting up text alerts through the KeyBank debit card system (if you're using the standard NY unemployment card). You get notified immediately when funds are deposited, which takes the guesswork out of checking your balance constantly. Also, payments typically don't process on weekends or holidays, so if you certify late in the week, you might be waiting until the following Tuesday or Wednesday for the deposit.
Michael Green
The job listings are hit or miss honestly. But sometimes they post about job fairs or training programs that aren't advertised elsewhere. I ended up getting a lead through a virtual job fair they posted about. Worth checking weekly at least.
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Maya Jackson
I'm in a similar boat - just hit my max benefit amount with months left on my BYE date. It's really discouraging when you're still actively looking for work. One thing I learned from calling around to different agencies is that some local workforce development centers have emergency assistance programs or can connect you with temporary work opportunities while you're between benefits. It might be worth reaching out to your local American Job Center or One-Stop Career Center to see what resources they have available. They sometimes know about programs that aren't widely advertised.
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NeonNomad
•That's really helpful, thanks! I didn't even know about American Job Centers. I'll definitely look into what's available in my area. It's frustrating that we have to dig around to find these resources when we're already stressed about running out of benefits, but I appreciate you sharing what you learned.
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