Can I collect unemployment if I resign from my job in NY?

Generally speaking, if you voluntarily quit your job, you won't be eligible for unemployment benefits unless you can prove you had 'good cause' for leaving. In New York, good cause includes things like harassment, unsafe working conditions, significant changes to your job duties or pay, or domestic violence situations. You'd need to document everything and be prepared to explain your reasons during the application process.

Generally speaking, if you voluntarily quit your job you won't be eligible for unemployment benefits through NYS Department of Labor. However, there are some exceptions if you can prove you had 'good cause' for leaving. This includes things like unsafe working conditions, harassment, or significant changes to your job duties or pay. You'd need to document everything and be prepared to explain your situation during the adjudication process.

i quit my last job and got denied for benefits. they said it was voluntary separation. had to appeal and everything. was a nightmare dealing with NYS Department of Labor

my friend quit her job last year because of a hostile work environment and she got approved for UI benefits but it took like 6 weeks because they had to investigate everything. she had to provide emails and witness statements

The key is proving constructive discharge or good cause. Save all emails, document incidents with dates and witnesses, and if possible try to get HR involved first so there's a paper trail. If your employer is creating a hostile work environment or violating labor laws, that could qualify as good cause. But honestly, it's an uphill battle - NYS Department of Labor tends to side with employers on voluntary quits.

You need to be very careful here. If you quit without proper documentation of good cause, NYS Department of Labor will likely deny your claim and you could face a disqualification period. Before you resign, I'd suggest filing complaints with HR about the harassment, keeping copies of everything, and maybe consulting with an employment attorney. The burden of proof is on you to show you had no reasonable alternative but to quit.

Had a friend go through this nightmare trying to reach someone at NYS Department of Labor to explain her situation after quitting due to harassment. Kept getting disconnected or put on hold forever. She ended up using some service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped her get through to an actual agent. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Might be worth checking out if you need to talk to someone about your specific circumstances.

I've been trying to get through to NYS Department of Labor for weeks about my own claim issues and it's impossible. If you're thinking about quitting, you might want to consider using a service like Claimyr (claimyr.com) to help you get through to an actual agent when you need to discuss your situation. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. I wish I'd known about it earlier when I was dealing with my adjudication nightmare.

Whatever you do, don't just walk out without trying to work with your employer first. Document everything, file complaints with HR, and try to get them to fire you instead if possible. It's messed up but that's how the system works.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS RIGGED AGAINST WORKERS!! They make it nearly impossible to get benefits even when you have legitimate reasons for leaving. I tried to get UI after quitting a job where I was being sexually harassed and they STILL made me jump through hoops for months. Documentation this, witness statements that - it's all designed to discourage people from filing claims.

hang in there! workplace harassment is real and you shouldn't have to put up with it just to keep a job. even if UI is uncertain at least start documenting everything now in case you do decide to quit

Yeah I agree with everyone saying document everything. Also look into whether your situation might qualify under New York's expanded good cause definitions. They've updated some rules in recent years.

I went through something similar last year and was able to get unemployment after quitting due to a hostile work environment. The key things that helped me were: 1) I documented every incident with dates, times, and any witnesses, 2) I sent an email to my supervisor outlining the issues and asking for them to be addressed (which they ignored), and 3) I kept screenshots of inappropriate messages/communications. When I applied for UI, I had to do a phone interview where I explained everything in detail. It took about 4 weeks to get approved, but having all that documentation made the difference. Don't just quit without building a paper trail first - NYS Department of Labor really does need proof that you tried to resolve the issues before leaving.