Can I claim NY unemployment for a week with reduced hours at my job?

Yes, you can file for partial unemployment. If your hours are reduced below your normal working hours, you can file for the days you didn't work. Make sure when you certify you report the 2 days you worked and the money you earned. The system will calculate if you're eligible for a partial payment based on what you earned those 2 days.

After dealing with reduced hours at my job, I was in the same position as you. Spent days trying to call ny unemployment with no answer. Then I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) and they actually got me connected to a real person at unemployment within an hour. Talking to an agent got my partial benefits started within days instead of weeks. Best move I made to finally get my money! Check out this video about how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

The real question is: will you earn less than your weekly benefit amount? If your 2 days of work pays you more than what you'd get from unemployment, probably not worth the hassle. If less, then def file.

When you certify, just be careful about how you answer the questions about days worked. NY counts ANY work on a day (even 1 hour) as a full day worked. So if you worked 2 separate days, even if just a few hours each, thats 2 days worked and you'd get 50% of your benefit. If you worked 2 full days then that's correct anyway.

I wouldnt bother for just 1 week of reduced hours tbh. The system is so backlogged that by the time they process ur claim, you'll probably be back to normal hours. Unless ur employer tells u its gonna be ongoing?

Here's what you need to know about NY's partial unemployment system: It uses a day-based approach, not hours-based. Each day you do ANY work counts as a full day, even if it's just an hour. - 0 days worked = 100% of your benefit rate - 1 day worked = 75% of your benefit rate - 2 days worked = 50% of your benefit rate - 3 days worked = 25% of your benefit rate - 4+ days worked = 0% of your benefit rate You also need to earn less than $504 in a week to qualify for partial benefits. You can certify for benefits by going to labor.ny.gov or calling their automated phone system. Just be 100% accurate when reporting days worked and wages earned. If you're having trouble getting through to an agent (which is VERY common), try using Claimyr.com - it's a service that waits on hold for you and connects you with an agent when they answer. Saved me hours of frustration when I had an issue with my claim. Remember that you need to certify WEEKLY, even for partial benefits.

Make sure you're actually eligible for benefits in the first place. Did you work enough in your base period to qualify? If you haven't been on unemployment before, they look at your earnings from about 5-17 months before your claim.

Just watch out... if your boss gives you more hours next week, make sure you update your certification. I got stuck with an overpayment notice because I didn't report when my hours went back up. Complete headache to fix 😩

ny unemployment system still makes me enter my ssn wrong 3 times before it lets me in 🤡 good luck actually getting any money for just one week though

The best thing to do is call and speak to a real person at unemployment. That way you're not guessing. I've been given wrong info on here before and it messed up my claim.

i wonder if anybody at the ny unemployment office has ever tried calling their own phone line 😂 they would fix that disaster real quick

What industry are you in? If it's something seasonal like construction or landscaping, they might be used to these kinds of claims. My brother does roofing and goes on-and-off unemployment all winter long with no problems.

definitely file! you paid into the system, use it when you need it. That's what its there for.

The NY DOL website actually has a decent calculator that can help you figure out what you might get with partial unemployment. Just google "NY partial unemployment calculator" and it should come up.

Document EVERYTHING. Screenshots of your schedule change, emails from boss, etc. NY unemployment loves to make u prove stuff later and if u dont have records ur screwed.

i helped my mom with this exact situation last month. here's what happen: she certified for the week with reduced hours, got a partial payment. then a week later they sent her a questionnaire asking why her hours were reduced. she explained and they approved it. just be prepared to answer questions about why your hours got cut.

For just 1 week with reduced hours?? Meh, sounds like more trouble than its worth. The unemployment system is designed to make you give up.

Partial unemployment saved me during covid when my restaurant cut everyone to like 10 hours a week. If ur eligible, definitely claim it!!

whatever you do NEVER lie about your earnings when certifying. they WILL find out and then you'll be paying it back with penalties and possibly banned from future benefits. not worth it.

If you need to talk to an agent and don't want to waste your entire day on hold (because we all know trying to call NY unemployment is like trying to win the lottery 🙄), check out claimyr.com - they'll wait on hold for you and call when they get a human. I was skeptical but it actually worked and saved me hours of frustration.

FYI if this is a regular thing (like if ur hours get cut regularly) you might qualify for something called Shared Work where both you and your employer apply for partial unemployment. Way more stable than regular partial UI but ur employer has to be on board.