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The unemployment system is so broken. Even when you have legitimate reasons to quit they make you jump through hoops to prove it. Meanwhile the harasser probably still has their job and will do it to someone else. Sorry you had to go through this.
Hope this helps! I quit my retail job for similar reasons (different type of harassment) and got benefits approved after about 6 weeks. The adjudication process takes time because they have to contact your former employer and investigate. Just be completely honest and provide every piece of documentation you have.
Honestly the NYS Department of Labor makes these forms so confusing on purpose. Like why do I need to know economic theory just to get my benefits? Just give me my money and let me find a job!
To answer your administrative remedies question - you can file a formal complaint through NYS Department of Labor's internal grievance process, contact the NYS Office of the State Comptroller, reach out to your elected representatives, and if applicable, file complaints with federal agencies if there are civil rights violations. Document everything and keep pushing through official channels. Courts generally won't hear cases unless you've exhausted these options first.
If you're having trouble reaching them about your appeal or need to speak to someone urgently, I used a service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual NYS Department of Labor representative. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really saved me when I was stuck in adjudication limbo.
Nia Wilson
Mine got stuck in adjudication for 7 weeks because my previous employer initially said I quit but then corrected it to layoff. The back and forth was ridiculous! Even though it eventually got approved retroactively, those weeks without income were brutal.
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Anastasia Popova
•That sounds terrible! Did you end up getting all the back payments once it was resolved?
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Nia Wilson
•Yes, got everything backdated to my original filing date. But the stress of not knowing was awful.
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Mateo Martinez
honestly the whole system is a mess... took forever for my cousin last month and she had to jump through so many hoops just to prove she was laid off
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