Can I collect unemployment if my company moves location in NY?
My employer just announced they're relocating our office from Syracuse to Buffalo next month and I can't realistically make that commute or move my family. HR is saying this counts as a voluntary quit so I won't be eligible for unemployment benefits. Is this actually true? I thought there were exceptions when companies relocate beyond a reasonable distance. Has anyone dealt with this situation with NYS Department of Labor before? I've been with this company for 4 years and really don't want to lose my eligibility.
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Rita Jacobs
You may actually qualify for unemployment benefits in this situation! NYS Department of Labor considers it 'good cause' to quit when your employer relocates beyond reasonable commuting distance. Generally anything over 50 miles or significantly increases your commute time can qualify. When you file your UI claim, make sure to explain the relocation circumstances clearly in your application.
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Manny Lark
•Thank you! That's such a relief to hear. Syracuse to Buffalo is definitely over 50 miles. Do I need any documentation from my employer about the move?
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Khalid Howes
I went through this exact same thing 2 years ago when my company moved from Rochester to Elmira. NYS Department of Labor approved my claim but it took about 3 weeks for adjudication because they had to verify the relocation details. Make sure you keep all the emails and notices about the move as documentation.
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Ben Cooper
•Did they ask for specific proof or just your word about the distance being unreasonable?
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Khalid Howes
•They wanted the company notice about the relocation and I had to explain why the new location wasn't feasible for me. The adjudication process was pretty thorough but fair.
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Naila Gordon
Wait I'm confused - I thought quitting always disqualifies you from unemployment? This would be huge for me because my job might be moving to Long Island soon and there's no way I can afford to live there.
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Rita Jacobs
•No, there are several 'good cause' reasons that allow you to quit and still collect benefits. Employer relocation is one of them, along with things like unsafe working conditions or significant changes to job duties.
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Cynthia Love
The NYS Department of Labor phone lines are impossible to get through to verify this stuff. I spent literally 2 hours on hold last week trying to ask about my weekly claim certification. If you need to talk to someone about your specific situation, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually gets you connected to a real NYS Department of Labor agent. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me so much frustration!
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Darren Brooks
•Interesting, never heard of that service before. Did it actually work for getting answers about eligibility questions?
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Cynthia Love
•Yeah it was legit, got connected within like 10 minutes and the agent was able to look up my claim status and answer questions about my job search requirements. Way better than sitting on hold forever.
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Rosie Harper
Just make sure you don't quit before the actual move happens! I made that mistake and it complicated my claim because NYS Department of Labor said I quit prematurely. Wait until you have the official relocation date and then you can quit with good cause.
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Manny Lark
•Good point, they gave us 30 days notice so I'll wait until closer to the actual move date. Thanks for the heads up!
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Fatima Al-Sayed
I just went through something similar when my company relocated from Albany to NYC. The key thing is that NYS considers it "constructive dismissal" when the relocation makes it unreasonable for you to continue working there. In my case, I had to demonstrate that the commute would be over 2 hours each way or that relocating wasn't financially feasible. Keep all documentation about the move announcement, including emails about the timeline and new location. When you file, be very specific about why the relocation creates an undue hardship - whether it's distance, commute time, or family obligations that prevent you from moving. The adjudication process took about a month for me but I was ultimately approved. Don't let HR discourage you - they often don't know the specific unemployment regulations.
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