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I had such a hard time getting through to the NYS Department of Labor when I needed to check on my claim status after being fired. Spent hours on hold every day for a week. Finally found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that actually got me connected to an agent in like 15 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Super helpful when you need to talk to someone about your specific situation instead of just guessing from the website.
This whole minimum wage thing is such a mess. Companies just cut hours and workers end up worse off than before. At least unemployment benefits exist but it shouldn't have to come to that. NYS Department of Labor should do something about employers who use wage increases as an excuse to slash jobs.
Just make sure you keep documentation of your normal work schedule and any notices they give you about hour reductions. NYS Department of Labor will want to verify that the reduction wasn't voluntary. Also, you'll need to be available for work and continue job searching if you're on partial benefits, so keep that job search log updated even if you're still working reduced hours.
File anyway even if you're not sure! The worst they can say is no and then you can appeal. I thought I wouldn't qualify when I got fired but turned out I was wrong.
UGH the whole system is so frustrating. They fired me for 'attitude problems' which basically meant I asked too many questions about why we weren't following OSHA guidelines. Took FOREVER to get my benefits approved and had to go through an appeal hearing. But I eventually won because my employer couldn't prove actual misconduct.
The whole system is such a mess. I've been dealing with NYS Department of Labor for months and they keep changing the rules or at least that's how it feels. One week they want one thing, next week it's something else. Just document EVERYTHING and hope for the best.
Evelyn Martinez
One thing that really helped us was implementing better hiring practices. Checking references more thoroughly and having a longer probationary period reduced our turnover, which obviously helps with the unemployment claims.
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Isaiah Thompson
•yeah but then you still get stuck when the economy tanks and you have to lay people off through no fault of your own
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Jessica Nguyen
If you're having trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor to get information about contesting claims or understanding your tax rate calculation, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps get through to actual agents. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of being on hold when I needed to contest a questionable claim last year.
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Victoria Jones
•Thanks! The phone system for employers is just as bad as it is for claimants apparently.
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