Can I collect unemployment if I quit a job - NYS Department of Labor eligibility question

Generally speaking, if you quit voluntarily you won't qualify for unemployment benefits through NYS Department of Labor. However, there are exceptions for what they call 'good cause' situations. Things like unsafe working conditions, significant changes to your job duties or pay, harassment, or constructive dismissal might qualify. The key is being able to prove that you had no reasonable alternative but to quit.

You need to document everything before you quit! Keep records of schedule changes, any hostile interactions, reduction in hours - anything that shows the working conditions became unreasonable. NYS Department of Labor will review your case and may conduct interviews with you and your employer. If they determine you had good cause to quit, you can get benefits. But if you just quit because you don't like the job, you'll be disqualified.

ugh this happened to me too last year... my manager was awful and kept cutting everyones hours. i ended up quitting and got denied for unemployment at first but then appealed it and won! you have to really prove that quitting was your only option

I had a similar situation where I needed to reach NYS Department of Labor to discuss my case after quitting. The phone lines are always busy and I kept getting disconnected. I ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. It was really helpful to talk to someone who could explain exactly what documentation I needed for my good cause claim.

The whole system is rigged against workers anyway. They make it nearly impossible to prove good cause and even if you do they'll probably find some other reason to deny you. I quit my job last year due to harassment and it took months to get approved even with documentation. NYS Department of Labor always sides with employers first.

Have you considered talking to your manager first about the issues? Sometimes they don't realize how their actions are affecting employees. Plus if you document that conversation and they refuse to address the problems, that could help your case if you do decide to quit and file for unemployment.

I went through something similar about 6 months ago. The key thing is that NYS Department of Labor looks at whether you had "good cause" to quit - and from what you're describing (major hour cuts, constant schedule changes without notice, hostile supervisor) you might actually have a case. The reduction from 35 to 15 hours alone could be considered constructive dismissal if it's a significant change from your original job terms. Start documenting everything NOW - take screenshots of your schedule, write down specific incidents with dates/times, and if possible get any communications in writing. When you apply, you'll need to clearly explain that you had no choice but to quit due to these unreasonable working conditions. Don't just say you quit because of a "toxic environment" - be specific about how the conditions made it impossible for you to continue working there.