


Ask the community...
Make sure you understand the difference between quitting and constructive discharge! If you were forced to quit due to unsafe conditions, that's constructive discharge and you should be eligible for benefits. Bring any witnesses if possible - former coworkers who can testify about the conditions. Also check if your state has specific laws about workplace safety that your employer violated.
Ugh dealing with NYS Department of Labor is such a nightmare. I've been trying to get through to someone for WEEKS about my claim that's stuck in adjudication and their phone lines are always busy. The whole system is broken.
One thing they don't tell you upfront is that unemployment benefits are taxable income. You can choose to have taxes withheld or you'll owe at tax time. Also if you work part-time while collecting, your benefits get reduced but you might still qualify for partial payments.
I had such a hard time getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask questions like this when I was on unemployment. If you need to talk to someone about your specific situation, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually gets you through to a real agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of trying to call.
THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO CONFUSE PEOPLE!! They make it so complicated on purpose so fewer people actually collect what they're owed. Seasonal, regular, partial - they have all these categories just to make it harder to navigate. I worked construction for 15 years and dealt with this seasonal BS every winter.
Wait, so if I work at a beach club that's only open May through September, when I file in October would that automatically be considered seasonal unemployment? Or do I have to specify that somewhere in my application?
NYS Department of Labor will classify it based on your employer's industry code and your work pattern. Beach clubs, seasonal resorts, and similar businesses are typically already flagged in their system. You don't need to do anything special when filing - they'll make the determination based on your employment history.
Fatima Al-Qasimi
To answer your follow-up question - yes, you need to continue your job search even while working reduced hours. You'll report your earnings when you file your weekly claims, and NYS Department of Labor will calculate your partial benefit amount. If you're having trouble getting through to them for specific questions about your situation, I recently discovered this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps people actually reach unemployment agents by phone. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works.
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Giovanni Colombo
•That sounds really helpful! I was worried about not being able to get through to someone if I had questions during the process.
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Dmitry Sokolov
One thing to keep in mind is that if you quit your job to look for something better, you won't qualify. The reduction in hours situation you described should qualify you though since it's not your fault. Just make sure you can document that your employer reduced your schedule significantly.
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