Can employers see unemployment claims filed against them in NYS Department of Labor system?

Employers do get notified when you file a claim, but they can't see your personal benefit amount or job search activities. They receive what's called a 'Notice of Claim Filed' that basically tells them someone filed against their account and gives them a chance to respond if they want to contest it. The NYS Department of Labor keeps your benefit payment information and weekly claim details private. They can see basic info like the dates you worked for them and your reason for separation, but not your current benefit amount or job search log.

yeah my old boss told me they just get a notice asking if they want to dispute the claim, they don't see anything else unless there's a hearing or something

Actually, this is an important distinction to understand. Your former employer gets notified through the NYS Department of Labor's employer portal, but the information they see is limited to: 1) That a claim was filed 2) The reason you gave for separation 3) Your work dates with them 4) Whether they want to respond or contest. They do NOT see your weekly benefit amounts, your job search activities, or any other claims you might have from previous employers. The system is designed to protect claimant privacy while giving employers the right to respond to claims against their unemployment insurance account.

I was so paranoid about this when I filed last year! Turns out my manager had no clue about any of my unemployment stuff beyond the initial paperwork HR handled. Don't stress about it affecting future job prospects - it's pretty routine business stuff from their perspective.

The NYS Department of Labor system is really frustrating when you're trying to get specific answers about this stuff though. I spent weeks trying to reach someone to ask about employer notifications and could never get through. If you need to talk to an actual person about your specific situation, I found this service called Claimyr that helps you get connected to NYS Department of Labor agents by phone. Check out claimyr.com - they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Made it so much easier to get my questions answered about what information gets shared.

just file it, they probably won't even notice unless you worked for some tiny company where the owner handles everything personally

From my experience working in HR, I can confirm what others have said - employers really only get basic notification details. When someone files unemployment, we get a form showing the claim was filed, the employee's stated reason for leaving, and their work dates with us. We have to respond within 10 days if we want to contest it. The system doesn't show us benefit amounts, job search activities, or any ongoing claim details. It's designed to be pretty straightforward - we just confirm or dispute the basic facts about the employment separation. Filing for unemployment is a normal part of the process after layoffs, so don't worry about it affecting future opportunities with the company.

I went through this exact situation a few months ago and was worried about the same thing! What really helped ease my mind was learning that the employer notification is handled through their payroll/HR department, not individual managers. So even if you do apply back there later, the person interviewing you probably won't have any knowledge of your unemployment claim unless they specifically went digging through HR records (which would be pretty unusual). The whole process is way more private than I initially thought. Just make sure you're honest about your reason for leaving when you file - that's the one thing they can see and respond to if it doesn't match their records.