Can I go on unemployment if I quit my job in New York?
I'm thinking about quitting my retail job because my manager keeps scheduling me for shifts I told them I can't work due to my college classes. They said they can't accommodate my school schedule anymore and are basically forcing me to choose between work and finishing my degree. If I quit, would I be eligible for NYS Department of Labor unemployment benefits? I've been working there for about 8 months and really need the income while I look for something more flexible.
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Isabella Ferreira
Generally, if you quit voluntarily, you won't qualify for unemployment benefits. However, NYS Department of Labor does recognize 'good cause' reasons for quitting that can make you eligible. Your situation might qualify as constructive dismissal if your employer changed your work conditions significantly. You'd need to document that you tried to work with them on scheduling and they refused reasonable accommodation.
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Malik Johnson
•I did email my manager twice about the scheduling conflicts and got no response. Would that count as documentation?
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Ravi Sharma
You need to be really careful here. NYS Department of Labor will investigate why you quit during the adjudication process. If they determine you quit without good cause, you'll be disqualified from receiving benefits. Good cause usually means unsafe working conditions, harassment, or significant changes to your job that weren't agreed upon. A scheduling dispute might not qualify unless you can prove they fundamentally changed your work agreement.
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Malik Johnson
•The job posting originally said 'flexible scheduling for students' so maybe that helps my case?
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Freya Thomsen
I had a similar situation last year when I couldn't reach anyone at NYS Department of Labor to get clarity on my disqualification. Spent weeks calling and getting nowhere. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me through to a real person who explained exactly what documentation I needed for my appeal. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Might be worth checking out before you make any decisions.
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Omar Zaki
•Never heard of that but honestly anything is better than sitting on hold for hours with NYS Department of Labor
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AstroAce
dont quit!!! make them fire you instead. just stop showing up for the shifts you cant work and let them terminate you. then you can claim unemployment no problem. thats what i did when my boss was being unreasonable
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Isabella Ferreira
•That's terrible advice. If you deliberately don't show up for scheduled shifts, that's considered misconduct and you'll be disqualified from unemployment benefits anyway. NYS Department of Labor will see right through that strategy.
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Chloe Martin
Been there with school vs work conflicts, it's so stressful! Have you talked to your school's career services? Sometimes they have work-study programs or can help negotiate with employers about student schedules.
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