Can I file unemployment if I quit my job in New York?
I'm thinking about quitting my job because my boss has been making the workplace really hostile and I can't take it anymore. But I'm worried about money and wondering if I can still file for unemployment benefits if I quit voluntarily? I know there are some exceptions but I'm not sure what they are or how to prove them. Has anyone successfully gotten unemployment after quitting? What do I need to document?
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Connor O'Neill
Yes, you can potentially qualify for unemployment if you quit for what NYS Department of Labor considers 'good cause.' This includes things like hostile work environment, harassment, unsafe working conditions, or substantial changes to your job. The key is documenting everything - save emails, write down incidents with dates, get witness statements if possible. When you file your claim, you'll need to explain your reasons in detail during the adjudication process.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•Thank you! Should I try to resolve things with HR first or can I just quit and file?
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LunarEclipse
I quit my job last year due to harassment and got approved for UI benefits. The adjudication took about 3 weeks but they ultimately ruled in my favor. Make sure you document EVERYTHING - I kept a detailed log of every incident, saved all text messages and emails, and even recorded some conversations (which is legal in NY with one-party consent). The NYS Department of Labor will want concrete evidence, not just your word against theirs.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•That's really helpful! Did you have to go through a hearing or was it just the initial adjudication?
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LunarEclipse
•Just the initial adjudication. They called me once to ask some follow-up questions about the timeline, but no formal hearing was needed since I had solid documentation.
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Yara Khalil
be careful though because if they deny your claim you might not be able to appeal successfully without really strong evidence. i tried to get benefits after quitting due to scheduling issues and got denied. apparently that's not considered good cause even though they kept changing my schedule last minute
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Connor O'Neill
•Schedule changes can sometimes qualify as good cause if they're substantial enough or if you couldn't reasonably accommodate them due to childcare or other commitments. Did you try appealing the decision?
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Keisha Brown
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask about your specific situation, I had luck using Claimyr recently. It's a service that helps you get connected to actual agents - you can check it out at claimyr.com. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting hung up on when I needed to check on my adjudication status.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•Thanks, I'll look into that if I need to speak with someone directly about my situation.
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Paolo Esposito
Good cause is really hard to prove though. The NYS Department of Labor sets a pretty high bar. You basically need to show that any reasonable person would have quit under those circumstances. Document everything like the others said, but also be prepared that it might take a while to get a decision.
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Amina Toure
yeah definitely document stuff but also make sure you understand what counts as good cause. unsafe work conditions, harassment, discrimination, significant pay cuts, major job duty changes - stuff like that. just being unhappy with your boss or coworkers usually doesn't qualify unfortunately
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