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I just want to echo what everyone else has said - definitely file your claim! I was in almost the exact same situation last year (fired after about 10 weeks for "performance reasons") and was convinced I wouldn't qualify. Turns out I was totally wrong. The NY Department of Labor looks at your entire work history, not just your most recent job, so your 14 months at the previous position should absolutely count toward your base period wages. The whole "90 days" thing isn't even a real rule for unemployment eligibility - I think that might be something people confuse with probationary periods at work. Performance issues typically don't rise to the level of misconduct unless you were doing something deliberately wrong or violating company policy. When I filed my claim, I just answered exactly what my employer told me and didn't try to read between the lines or speculate about their real motivations. Got approved within a few weeks. The worst that happens is they say no, but based on what you've described, you have a solid chance. Don't wait - file this week!
@Grant Vikers Thanks for sharing your experience - it s'incredibly reassuring to hear from someone who was in such a similar situation and got approved! The clarification about the 90 "days not" being a real rule for unemployment eligibility is super helpful too. I think you re'right that people myself (included probably) confuse that with job probationary periods. Your advice about just sticking to exactly what the employer said without speculating about their real motivations really hits home for me. I ve'been overthinking this whole thing and worried about saying the wrong thing, but it sounds like the key is just being straightforward and factual. I m'definitely going to file my claim this week - hearing all these success stories has given me the confidence to actually go through with it instead of just assuming I won t'qualify. Thanks again for taking the time to share your story!
I'm a newcomer here but wanted to share my perspective as someone who works in unemployment claims processing. The advice everyone's giving is spot-on - there's absolutely no minimum employment duration required for unemployment benefits in New York. I see cases like yours regularly where people assume they're ineligible due to short tenure, but that's simply not how the system works. Your 14 months of prior employment should easily establish your base period eligibility. The key distinction is between being terminated for performance issues (which you described) versus misconduct - performance problems rarely constitute disqualifying misconduct unless there was willful refusal to work or serious policy violations. File your claim online through ny.gov immediately, answer all questions factually based on what your employer specifically told you, and don't overthink it. The Department of Labor will make the final determination, but based on what you've shared, you have a legitimate claim worth pursuing. Even if your former employer contests it, that's routine and doesn't mean automatic denial.
This is incredibly valuable information from someone who actually works in unemployment claims processing! Thank you for taking the time to share your professional insights. It's really reassuring to hear confirmation that there's no minimum employment duration required - I think so many people (myself included until reading this thread) have this misconception about needing to work somewhere for a certain amount of time. Your explanation about the difference between performance issues and misconduct is especially helpful. I keep second-guessing whether what happened to me might be considered misconduct, but it really was just that they said I wasn't picking things up fast enough, not that I was refusing to work or violating policies. I'm definitely going to file online this week and stop overthinking the whole situation. Thanks again for the professional perspective!
Just completed my unemployment phone interview yesterday, filed claim end of May. Got a text from NYS DOL today at 2:08 PM saying: "Your unemployment insurance (UI) benefits claim can now be paid. More information: https://on.ny.gov/uipay" I filed my claim at the end of May and had to wait until yesterday for my phone interview. Now that I've gotten this text message confirmation that my claim can be paid, I'm wondering how long until I actually see the first payment hit my account? The text doesn't give any timeframe, just says it "can now be paid" and provides a link for more information. Has anyone else gone through this process with NYS Department of Labor recently? How long after receiving this specific text message did you receive your first UI payment? I'm trying to plan my budget accordingly since it's been almost a month since I initially filed.
I'm in the exact same situation! Filed my claim in early June and had my phone interview on Wednesday. Still no text yet but seeing your post gives me so much hope! The waiting has been absolutely brutal - almost 3 months of uncertainty and stress about whether everything would work out. It's really encouraging to hear that once you get that text from shortcode 41411, the payment typically comes within 2-3 business days. I've been staying on top of all my weekly certifications every Sunday and have my direct deposit information all set up correctly. Thanks for sharing your timeline - it's incredibly helpful to see real experiences from people currently going through this process. Hopefully we both see those backpay deposits hit our accounts very soon! The finish line is finally in sight 🙌
Just wanted to add my experience since I literally went through this exact same thing about 6 weeks ago! Filed my claim in April and had my phone interview in late July. Got that same text message from 41411 on a Friday afternoon and my direct deposit hit Monday morning - so right in that 2-3 business day window everyone's talking about. Since you've been waiting since May, you're definitely going to get a substantial backpay lump sum which will feel incredible after all this waiting! The one thing I wish I had known was to keep a close eye on your bank account because sometimes the deposit hits earlier in the morning than you'd expect. Also make sure you don't change ANYTHING with your payment settings now that you're this close - I've heard horror stories of people accidentally delaying their payments by updating bank info at the last minute. You've made it through the hardest part with that phone interview, now just a few more days of patience! 🎉
I had a similar issue with my claim being stuck in adjudication. What helped me was also contacting my local assemblyperson's office - they have a constituent services department that can sometimes help expedite these situations. I called my assemblyperson's office, explained the situation, and they actually reached out to the Department of Labor on my behalf. Within a week I got a call from an adjudicator to resolve my case. It's worth trying if the direct calling approach doesn't work out. You can find your assemblyperson by entering your zip code on the NY Assembly website.
@Natasha Petrov That s'brilliant advice about contacting the assemblyperson s'office! I never would have thought of that approach. For anyone else reading this, it s'also worth noting that many assemblyperson offices have online forms where you can submit a request for help with state agency issues, so you don t'necessarily have to call. This seems like a great backup plan if the 8 AM calling strategy doesn t'pan out. Thanks for sharing what worked for you!
I'm dealing with the same frustrating situation right now - my claim has been in adjudication for 6 weeks and I can barely get anyone on the phone. Reading through these responses has been super helpful though. I'm definitely going to try the 8 AM calling strategy that Mason mentioned, and if that doesn't work out, reaching out to my assemblyperson's office sounds like a solid backup plan. It's crazy that we have to jump through all these hoops just to get basic help with our claims, but at least now I have some concrete steps to follow instead of just randomly calling throughout the day. Thanks everyone for sharing what actually worked for you!
@Connor O'Neill I totally understand your frustration - 6 weeks is way too long to be stuck in limbo! I'm in a similar boat but only at 3 weeks so far. One thing I noticed from reading through all these responses is that having all your documentation ready seems really important. Mason mentioned they might ask for additional paperwork during the appointment, so maybe it's worth gathering everything now while we're trying to get through. Also, I'm curious if anyone knows whether there are specific days of the week that tend to be better for getting through? The 8 AM strategy sounds promising but I wonder if Mondays are worse because of weekend backlog, or if Fridays are better because fewer people call then?
I just went through this exact same process last week after being in the identical situation! Like many others here, I was initially going to just stop filing weekly claims and cross my fingers, but after reading similar advice online I decided to do it properly. I logged into my.ny.gov and found the "Report Work and Earnings" section right on the unemployment dashboard - it really is exactly where everyone has described it. The form was super quick and straightforward, just needed my new employer details and start date. Got the confirmation email from NYS Department of Labor the next morning which was such a relief! One thing I'd add is to double-check that your employer information is accurate when you fill it out - I almost made a typo on the company name but caught it before submitting. The whole process honestly took less time than it took me to read through this helpful thread! Thanks to everyone who shared their step-by-step experiences - this community knowledge is so much better than trying to navigate the official website blindly. Congrats on the new job @Lucas Kowalski - you're going to be fine with this process!
@Finnegan Gunn Thanks for sharing your experience and the tip about double-checking employer information! I just joined this community because I m'literally in the exact same situation - got a job offer yesterday and start Monday. This entire thread has been absolutely incredible! I was completely panicking about how to handle my unemployment claim properly and was definitely going to make the mistake of just stopping weekly claims. Reading through everyone s'detailed step-by-step experiences has given me so much confidence. The fact that you got your confirmation email from NYS Department of Labor the very next morning is so reassuring! I m'going to log into my.ny.gov this weekend and follow all the amazing guidance everyone has shared about finding the Report "Work and Earnings section." It s'incredible how this community has created such a comprehensive resource - way better than anything I could find on the official website. Thanks to you and everyone else for turning what seemed like a bureaucratic nightmare into a simple process!
I just went through this exact situation three weeks ago and can confirm everything everyone has shared here! After reading through all the helpful advice in this thread about using the "Report Work and Earnings" feature on my.ny.gov, I was able to complete the process in under 5 minutes. Like @Chris King mentioned, it's so important to have your return to work officially documented with NYS Department of Labor rather than just stopping weekly claims. I found the reporting section right on my unemployment dashboard exactly where @Luca Marino and others described. The confirmation email came within an hour and my weekly certification reminders stopped automatically. One small tip for anyone doing this - make sure you're reporting your actual FIRST day of work (as @Genevieve Cavalier pointed out), not when you accepted the offer or your last day of benefits. Having gone through the stress of not knowing the proper process, I can't emphasize enough how much peace of mind you get from doing it officially. This thread is honestly gold - bookmark it for anyone else going through this transition! Congrats to everyone starting new jobs!
Malik Johnson
I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now - been at my first office job for about 5 months and just got called into a meeting about my productivity numbers being below target. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a relief! I had absolutely no idea that poor performance was treated differently than misconduct for unemployment purposes. Like many of you, I've been putting in genuine effort - asking questions, staying late when needed, taking notes during training - but I'm still not hitting the benchmarks they want. It's incredibly reassuring to hear so many success stories from people who got their claims approved after performance-related terminations. The distinction between struggling to meet standards versus deliberately not doing your job makes total sense. I'm definitely going to start keeping detailed records of everything now - performance reviews, training completion, feedback sessions. Thank you all for sharing your stories so openly - it's comforting to know that if the worst happens, there's still support available while we figure out our next steps!
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Douglas Foster
•@Malik Johnson I m'in such a similar position at my warehouse job - also about 5 months in and struggling with productivity metrics despite genuinely trying my best. This entire thread has been like finding a treasure trove of hope! I had the same fear that any performance-related termination would leave me completely out of luck with unemployment benefits. It s'amazing how many of us recent workers are dealing with these same challenges - makes me feel way less alone in this struggle. Your approach of keeping detailed records sounds really smart, especially after reading how much it helped other people here. I m'going to start my own documentation system today. It s'such a relief knowing that the system actually recognizes when people are making genuine efforts but just struggling to meet expectations. Hang in there - sounds like you re'handling this really maturely!
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Sophia Carson
I'm currently going through this exact situation at my first job out of college - been working at a call center for about 4 months and just received my first formal warning for not meeting average handle time and customer satisfaction scores. This entire discussion has been absolutely invaluable to discover! I genuinely believed that any termination related to performance would automatically make me ineligible for unemployment benefits, so learning about the clear distinction between poor performance and willful misconduct has been such a game-changer for my anxiety levels. Like so many others here, I've been genuinely working hard to improve - attending every optional training session, asking my team lead for regular feedback, practicing scripts during breaks, and even watching customer service tutorials at home - but I'm still struggling to balance speed with quality in a way that meets their metrics. Reading all these positive outcomes from people who successfully received benefits after similar performance-related terminations has given me so much hope that there's actually a safety net if this doesn't work out. I'm definitely taking everyone's documentation advice seriously and starting to organize all my performance reviews, training certificates, and feedback emails into a comprehensive folder. Thank you everyone for being so transparent about your experiences - it's incredible to realize how many people understand exactly what this stress feels like and that there are real protections in place for those of us who are genuinely trying our best but struggling with job requirements!
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