Just make sure you're staying current on those payments! I've seen small businesses get behind on payroll taxes and it becomes a nightmare with penalties and interest. The IRS and NYS Department of Labor don't mess around with late payments.

As someone who's been through several NYS Department of Labor audits, I'd also recommend keeping detailed records of when you accrue vs when you pay these taxes. The timing differences can get tricky during audits - they want to see that you're properly matching the liability recognition with the actual payroll periods. Setting up a simple spreadsheet alongside your accounting entries can save you headaches later if questions come up about your unemployment tax compliance.

Ugh, I'm so sorry you're dealing with this. I was in your shoes last year and it was awful. Sending you good vibes and hope you get it sorted soon! ❤️

I went through something similar a few months back - 8 weeks of waiting and constant busy signals. What finally worked for me was calling the Spanish-language line (even though I don't speak Spanish fluent) and asking for an English translator. The wait times were much shorter and they were able to help me just the same. Also, try calling their disability line and explaining your situation - sometimes they can transfer you to the right department without you having to go through the main queue. The whole system is a mess, but don't lose hope! Keep documenting everything like Sofia mentioned - that paper trail saved me when I finally got through.

Just to add - your rate also depends on your NAICS code (industry classification). Construction and seasonal businesses tend to have higher base rates than office-based businesses. Make sure your payroll company has the right industry code for your business because that affects your starting rate calculation.

The 4.1% rate your payroll company quoted sounds correct for a newer employer. New York uses what's called a "standard rate" for businesses that haven't been operating long enough to establish an experience rating. After about 3-4 years of paying into the system with no claims, you should see that rate drop significantly - I've seen rates go as low as 0.3% for businesses with clean records. Just make sure your payroll company updates your rate when you get your annual notice from NYS DOL, because some don't automatically adjust it and you could end up overpaying.

If you're having trouble getting clear answers from NYS Department of Labor about how wages affect your claim, I had good luck using Claimyr to actually talk to someone. They helped me get through to an agent when I had questions about my benefit calculation. Check out claimyr.com - there's even a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Way easier than trying to call the regular number.

This whole system is so needlessly complicated!! Why can't they just have ONE wage limit instead of making employers deal with federal AND state limits? No wonder payroll departments are always screwing things up.

The unemployment system is so frustrating! They make it seem like you can never quit but then there's all these exceptions that nobody tells you about. I wasted months at a terrible job because I thought I'd lose benefits if I left.

Before you quit, I'd strongly recommend documenting everything and maybe consulting with a worker's rights organization. A reduction from 35+ hours to 8-10 hours is pretty dramatic - that's basically going from full-time to barely part-time. NYS Department of Labor considers this type of significant hour reduction as potentially qualifying for "constructive dismissal" but you'll want to build a strong paper trail. Save all your schedules, paycheck stubs showing the income drop, and any communications about the hour changes. You might also want to formally request in writing (email works) that your hours be restored to previous levels - if they refuse or ignore you, that strengthens your case that the reduction was involuntary on their part.