I'm new to this community but unfortunately facing this exact situation too - my employer just announced they're relocating from Binghamton to Ohio next summer. Reading through all these experiences has been such a relief! Like everyone else here, my HR department gave me the same misleading information about not qualifying for unemployment if I don't relocate, but it's clear from all your stories that this is just standard misinformation they use to discourage legitimate claims. I can't move because I'm currently my grandmother's primary caregiver - she has Alzheimer's and any disruption to her routine and medical care would be catastrophic for her condition. Plus, I'm in the middle of my master's degree program at a local university that I've been working toward for three years. Ohio is obviously way beyond that 50-mile rule everyone mentioned, and the documentation advice from @Dylan Campbell about keeping everything in writing is incredibly valuable. I've already started screenshotting all the relocation communications and plan to gather medical documentation about my grandmother's care needs. It's so frustrating that employers try these scare tactics, but I'm grateful to have found this thread before making any decisions. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences with NYS Department of Labor - you're helping people like me understand our rights and not get taken advantage of during an already stressful situation!

I'm also new to this community and unfortunately going through the same situation - my employer just announced they're relocating from Rochester to Tennessee in a few months. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring! Like so many others, my HR department used almost identical language about not qualifying for unemployment if I don't relocate, but it's clear from all these stories that this is just a standard script they use to discourage legitimate claims. I can't move because I'm in the middle of cancer treatment here and have an established team of specialists who know my case inside and out. Switching medical teams and insurance networks in the middle of treatment would be dangerous and potentially life-threatening. Tennessee is obviously way beyond any reasonable commuting distance, and the advice about documenting everything has been so helpful - I'm going to start gathering all my medical records and treatment schedules as evidence of why relocation would create severe hardship. It's really frustrating that employers try to mislead workers about their rights during already stressful situations, but I'm so grateful to have found this thread. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences with NYS Department of Labor - you're helping people like me understand that we actually have protections in these situations and don't have to just accept what HR tells us!

I'm going through something similar right now and this thread has been incredibly valuable. One thing I wanted to add based on my research is that NYS DOL also considers constructive discharge situations - where working conditions become so intolerable that a reasonable person would feel forced to quit. This might apply if you're dealing with things like significant reduction in hours/pay, being asked to do work that violates safety regulations, or persistent harassment that management won't address. The key is still documentation though. I've started sending follow-up emails to myself after every verbal interaction with supervisors, just summarizing what was discussed and any concerns raised. That way I have timestamps and records even if they won't put things in writing. Also wanted to mention that some county bar associations outside NYC offer similar free legal clinics - it's worth calling your local bar association to ask about employment law resources in your area.

I just wanted to thank everyone who has shared their experiences here - this has been incredibly educational for those of us facing similar workplace situations. The recurring theme I'm seeing is that successful claims require three key elements: thorough documentation, attempting formal resolution first, and having enough savings to survive the adjudication period. One additional resource I found helpful is the NYS Department of Labor's own website which has a section called "Quitting Your Job" under their unemployment insurance FAQ that outlines specific examples of what they consider good cause. It includes things like domestic violence situations, caring for ill family members, and workplace safety violations that employers won't correct. They also mention that you should apply for benefits immediately after quitting even if you're not sure you'll qualify - apparently waiting too long can hurt your case. Has anyone here had experience with the appeals process if your initial claim gets denied? I'm wondering how much additional documentation or evidence you can submit during an appeal versus what you initially filed with your claim.

I'm dealing with this same situation right now - my BYE is this Sunday too! Reading through everyone's responses has been super helpful. Just to make sure I understand the process correctly: certify for the final week first thing Sunday morning, then file the new claim later that same day, and expect a one-week waiting period for the new benefit year? I've got all my employer info from the past 18 months organized and ready to go. It's reassuring to see so many people have successfully navigated this transition. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

Just wanted to add my experience from when I went through this last year - definitely certify on Sunday for your final week! I was in the exact same boat and was worried about the timing too. The system handled it perfectly fine. One thing I wish someone had told me is to print or save a copy of your final payment confirmation from the old claim, just for your records. Also, when you file your new claim that same day, the system might ask you to verify some information that seems repetitive, but just go through it carefully - it's setting up your new benefit year calculations. The whole process is actually pretty straightforward once you do it. Good luck!

I'm a per diem medical technologist and went through this exact same worry when I started collecting! The thing that really helped me was understanding that the weekly certification is literally asking about just those 7 days - nothing more, nothing less. If no shifts were posted or available during that week, then you genuinely didn't work (0 hours) and there was no work offered for you to refuse. I always answer that I was available because I truly was ready to pick up shifts if any had been offered. I've been doing this successfully for about 6 months now. The only time I had any issues was when I forgot to report some holiday pay correctly, but that was totally my fault. One thing that really gave me peace of mind was realizing that healthcare facilities rely heavily on per diem staff - we're not some edge case the system can't handle. DOL sees claims like ours all the time. Just be consistent, honest about what actually happened each week, and don't let the online horror stories make you second-guess yourself. You've got this!

I'm a per diem radiology tech and I was in your EXACT situation when I first started claiming! I remember staring at those certification questions for like 30 minutes trying to figure out if I was going to accidentally commit fraud or something. Here's what I've learned after doing this for about 4 months: those weekly questions are actually pretty literal. If you worked 0 hours that week because no shifts were available, then you didn't work - simple as that. And since no shifts were offered for you to turn down, you didn't refuse work either. The key is just being consistent and truthful about what actually happened during those specific 7 days. I keep a little note in my phone each week just to remember (like "Week of 3/20: Available Mon-Fri, no shifts posted"). Haven't had any issues so far and my payments come through regularly. The healthcare field is full of per diem workers so the system definitely knows how to handle us - don't let the online horror stories freak you out!

Filing for unemployment was one of the smartest things I did when I got laid off. Even though I waited about 2 weeks myself, I still got benefits for months while job searching. The application process isn't too bad, just make sure you have your employer information and social security number ready.

Sean, I just want to echo what everyone else is saying - file TODAY! I work in HR and see this mistake all the time. People think they have to wait or that there's some complicated process, but you literally just need to go to ny.gov and start the application. The three weeks you've already lost are gone, but don't lose any more time. Also, make sure you have your last employer's information handy (company name, address, dates of employment, reason for separation) and your Social Security number. The system will walk you through everything step by step. You've got this!