Can substitute teachers file for unemployment between school assignments - NYS Department of Labor eligibility?
I've been working as a substitute teacher in various districts around Albany for the past two years. Right now it's summer break and I won't have any regular assignments until September, maybe October depending on how things go. My friend told me substitute teachers might be able to file for unemployment during gaps between assignments, but I'm not sure if that's actually true with NYS Department of Labor rules. Has anyone successfully filed UI benefits as a sub teacher? I'm worried they'll deny my claim since technically I'm not 'laid off' from a specific job.
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Ethan Moore
Yes, substitute teachers can absolutely file for unemployment in NY! The key is that you need to meet the earnings requirements and be able and available for work. Since you're not under contract during summer months, you should qualify. Make sure to register with the job search system and keep applying for sub positions to show you're actively seeking work.
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Aisha Ali
•Thank you! Do I need to list all the different school districts I subbed for as separate employers? I worked in like 6 different districts this past year.
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Yuki Nakamura
i filed last summer as a sub and it went through fine. just make sure you report any summer school work if you pick up any shifts
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StarSurfer
The tricky part with substitute teaching is proving you're genuinely available for work. NYS Department of Labor will want to see that you're actively seeking substitute positions and not just waiting for September. Keep documentation of all your applications to different districts and any substitute services you register with. Also, if you get called for a sub job during your claim period, you MUST take it or risk disqualification.
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Carmen Reyes
•Wait, what if the sub job is like 2 hours away? Do I really have to take ANY sub position they offer me?
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StarSurfer
•Generally you need to accept work within reasonable commuting distance. What's 'reasonable' can vary, but 2 hours each way would probably be considered excessive unless that's your normal commuting pattern.
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Andre Moreau
I tried calling NYS Department of Labor about this exact situation last month and kept getting disconnected after waiting forever. Finally found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that actually got me through to speak with someone at the unemployment office. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Totally worth it when you need to talk to an actual person about substitute teacher eligibility.
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Aisha Ali
•How much does something like that cost? I'm trying to file because I need money, not spend more of it lol
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Andre Moreau
•It's really affordable and honestly saved me weeks of trying to get through on my own. Much cheaper than missing out on benefits while waiting for answers.
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Zoe Christodoulou
The substitute teacher situation is SO frustrating with unemployment. They act like we're choosing not to work when really there just aren't positions available during certain times of year. Make sure you emphasize in your application that you're ready and willing to work immediately if called for substitute positions.
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Jamal Thompson
just a heads up - they might ask for proof of your substitute certification and stuff like that during the application process so have all your paperwork ready
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Andre Moreau
I went through this exact situation last year as a substitute teacher in the Rochester area. The application process was actually pretty straightforward once I understood what they needed. You'll definitely want to list all the districts you worked for - I had to provide employer information for 8 different school districts. The wage verification took a few weeks since they had to contact each district separately, but my claim was approved. One thing that helped me was keeping a detailed log of all the sub jobs I applied for during my claim period, including screenshots of online applications and emails. Also, don't forget that you can work part-time while on unemployment - so if you pick up occasional summer tutoring or camp work, just report those earnings when you certify each week.
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Miguel Silva
•This is super helpful! Did you have any issues with them questioning whether you were truly "available" for work during summer? I'm worried they'll think I'm just trying to get benefits while on vacation or something. Also, when you say you kept a log of sub jobs you applied for - were these actual open positions or just general applications to be on substitute lists?
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Kai Santiago
•@Andre Moreau That s'really encouraging to hear! I m'in a similar boat with multiple districts. Quick question - when you listed all 8 school districts as employers, did you have to provide specific dates and hours for each individual sub assignment, or just the overall period you worked for each district? I m'worried about having to track down exact records for every single day I subbed over the past year.
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