Can I collect unemployment if my hours are reduced - NYS Department of Labor eligibility?

Yes, you can file for partial unemployment benefits in New York! When your hours are reduced through no fault of your own, you're eligible to collect the difference between your reduced earnings and your weekly benefit amount. You'll file a regular unemployment claim through my.ny.gov and report your reduced weekly earnings when you file your weekly claims. The NYS Department of Labor will calculate your partial benefit based on their formula.

same thing happened to me last year, i was getting like $150 a week in partial benefits when they cut me from full time to part time

Make sure you keep documenting your actual hours worked each week. When you file your weekly claims, you'll need to report your gross earnings for that week. The NYS Department of Labor uses a formula where they subtract a portion of your earnings from your weekly benefit amount. Also important - you still need to be available for full-time work and actively searching for jobs to maintain eligibility.

I had a nightmare trying to get through to NYS Department of Labor when I had questions about my partial claim. Spent hours on hold and kept getting disconnected. Finally found this service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual agent - check out claimyr.com. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Made the whole process so much easier when I needed to clarify my job search requirements.

Just want to add that if your employer tries to say the hour reduction was due to your performance or something like that, make sure you have documentation showing otherwise. The NYS Department of Labor will investigate if there's any question about the reason for the reduction. Business slowdown is definitely a valid reason for partial unemployment.

I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago when my restaurant cut everyone's hours due to slower winter business. The partial unemployment really helped bridge the gap! One tip - when you file your weekly claims, make sure you're reporting your gross earnings (before taxes) for that week, not your take-home pay. I made that mistake initially and it messed up my benefit calculation. Also, keep all your pay stubs as documentation. The whole process was actually pretty straightforward once I got started on my.ny.gov. Good luck Mary!

@Mary, I'm sorry to hear about your hour reduction - that's really stressful! Just wanted to add that when you file your initial claim, you'll want to have your employment history ready including your employer's information, your Social Security number, and details about your wages from the past 18 months. The system will ask about the reason for your claim, and you'll select something like "reduction in hours" rather than "laid off." Also, don't wait to file - you can apply for benefits as soon as your hours are reduced, even before your first reduced paycheck. The sooner you file, the sooner your claim can be processed. You've got this!

Just wanted to share my experience - I went through something similar when my hours got cut from 35 to 15 per week at my office job. The partial unemployment benefits really made a difference! One thing that helped me was setting up direct deposit for the benefits right from the start - it made receiving payments much smoother. Also, keep a simple calendar or notebook to track your work hours each week since you'll need to report this accurately when filing your weekly claims. The NYS system is pretty user-friendly once you get the hang of it. Don't stress too much about the application process - they walk you through each step pretty clearly. The hardest part is just getting started, but once your claim is approved, the weekly filing becomes routine. Hang in there Mary, this temporary setback will get better!