Are unemployment benefits public record in NY - employer trying to access my claim info
My former employer is claiming they can request information about my unemployment benefits through some kind of public records request. They fired me back in October and I've been collecting UI since then. Now they're saying they want to see my payment history and weekly claim certifications because they think I'm working somewhere else and not reporting it. Can they actually do this? Are unemployment benefits considered public record that anyone can just request? I'm really worried because I've been following all the rules and doing my job search requirements but this feels like harassment.
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Sebastián Stevens
No, your individual unemployment benefit information is not public record. NYS Department of Labor keeps that information confidential under state privacy laws. Your former employer cannot just request your payment history or weekly claim details through a FOIL request or anything like that. However, if they suspect fraud, they can report it to NYS Department of Labor for investigation.
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Angelina Farar
•Thank you! That's such a relief. They were being really aggressive about it and made it sound like they could just walk into the DOL office and get my records.
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Bethany Groves
your employer is probably just trying to scare you honestly, mine did the same thing when i filed. they cant see your actual payments but they do get notified about the claim and can contest it if they want
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Angelina Farar
•Did your employer try to contest your claim? I'm worried they might try that next since they can't get my records.
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Bethany Groves
•they tried but it was obviously a bogus termination so nys department of labor sided with me after adjudication
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KingKongZilla
The only records that might be accessible are aggregate statistics - like how many people filed claims or total amounts paid out by region. But individual claimant information is protected. If you're concerned about your former employer's behavior, you might want to document these interactions. If they're calling you directly about this, that could potentially be considered harassment.
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Rebecca Johnston
•This is good advice. I had a similar situation where my old boss kept calling me asking about my benefits. I reported it and they told the employer to stop contacting me directly.
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Nathan Dell
I've been dealing with NYS Department of Labor for months trying to get through to someone about my claim status, and let me tell you - if your employer thinks they can just waltz in and get your info, they're in for a rude awakening. I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me through to a real person at the unemployment office when I couldn't get through myself. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Might be worth checking out if you need to talk to someone at NYS Department of Labor about this harassment situation.
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Angelina Farar
•How does that service work exactly? I've been trying to call NYS Department of Labor for weeks about other issues with my claim.
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Nathan Dell
•They basically handle the calling and waiting for you, then connect you when they get a real person on the line. Saved me hours of being on hold and getting disconnected.
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Maya Jackson
been there! my ex employer tried this same bs with me last year. they were just fishing to see if they could find something to get my benefits cut off. dont let them intimidate you
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Tristan Carpenter
Just curious - are you sure you're reporting everything correctly on your weekly claims? Sometimes employers get suspicious if they hear through the grapevine that someone might be working under the table or something. Not saying you are, just wondering if there's something that triggered their interest.
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Angelina Farar
•Yes, I've been very careful about that. I've done some small freelance work here and there but I always report it on my weekly certification. I think they're just being vindictive because I filed for unemployment after they fired me.
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Jamal Carter
Your former employer is likely just trying to intimidate you. In New York, unemployment benefit records are confidential and protected under state privacy laws. They cannot access your individual payment history, weekly certifications, or any personal details about your claim through public records requests or FOIL. The only information employers typically receive is notification that a claim was filed against their account (which affects their unemployment insurance tax rate) and the opportunity to contest the claim if they believe it was filed inappropriately. If they continue to harass you about this, I'd recommend documenting their communications and potentially reporting the harassment to the Department of Labor. Stay confident - you're protected by privacy laws here.
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