Can you appeal unemployment denial from NYS Department of Labor - what's the process?

Yes you can definitely appeal! You have 30 days from the date on your denial letter to file an appeal. You'll need to submit a written request for a hearing - you can do this online through your my.ny.gov account or mail it in. Make sure you gather all documentation that proves you were laid off, not fired for misconduct. Employment letters, layoff notices, any emails about the downsizing, etc.

Yes, you absolutely can and should appeal this! The NYS Department of Labor appeal process is pretty straightforward once you know the steps. You need to file your appeal within 30 days of the denial notice date - don't miss this deadline. You can appeal online through your my.ny.gov account or mail in the appeal form that should have come with your denial letter. For a wrongful termination dispute like yours, gather any documentation you have about the layoff - emails, texts, witness statements from coworkers, anything that proves you were laid off and didn't quit.

I went through this exact same thing last year with NYS Department of Labor. The key is being very specific in your appeal about why the denial was wrong. Don't just say 'I was laid off' - explain the circumstances, include dates, and attach any proof you have. The hearing will be over the phone and you'll get to tell your side of the story. My employer didn't even show up to the hearing so I won automatically.

Keep filing your weekly claims! This is super important - even though you're denied, you need to continue certifying every week during the appeal process. If you win your appeal, you'll get back pay for all those weeks you certified. If you stop filing, you lose those weeks forever.

Mine was over the phone last year. The hearing officer was actually pretty fair and let me explain my side. Make sure you have all your paperwork organized because they'll ask specific questions about dates and what exactly happened. Also if you have any witnesses who can verify you were laid off not fired, see if they'll participate in the hearing.

ugh the appeal process is such a hassle but you gotta do it if they got it wrong. i tried calling nys department of labor like 50 times to get someone to explain my denial and could never get through. ended up using this service called claimyr.com that actually got me connected to a real person at the department. they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. might be worth checking out if you need to talk to someone before filing your appeal

I've been trying to reach someone at NYS Department of Labor about my appeal for weeks now but can never get through. The phone lines are always busy and my messages through the online system go unanswered. Recently found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you actually get connected to a real agent. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. Might be worth checking out if you need to talk to someone about your appeal process.

the whole system is so messed up, they deny people left and right then make you jump through hoops to appeal. took me 3 months to get my benefits after winning my appeal. but dont give up if you know youre right

The NYS Department of Labor appeal system is completely broken IMO. They make it so complicated on purpose to discourage people from fighting denials. But definitely appeal anyway because sometimes they reverse decisions just because the employer doesn't respond or participate in the hearing process.

Same thing happened to my neighbor last month - company called it 'performance issues' but it was really just budget cuts. She appealed and won but it took forever. Make sure you get everything in writing if you can.

Wait I'm confused about something - if you appeal and lose, can you appeal again? Or is that it? Also do you have to keep filing weekly claims while the appeal is processing?

I went through this same situation with NYS Department of Labor about 8 months ago. Definitely appeal - you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. The 30-day deadline is firm, so don't wait. I filed my appeal online through my.ny.gov which was pretty straightforward. The hearing was conducted over the phone and lasted about 20 minutes. The hearing officer asked me to walk through exactly what happened when I was laid off, and I had my layoff notice and final paycheck stub ready to reference specific dates. My former employer didn't even participate in the hearing, which apparently happens a lot. I won my appeal and got about 6 weeks of back payments. The whole process took about 2 months from filing the appeal to getting my first check. Don't let them intimidate you - if you were truly laid off due to business reasons, you deserve those benefits.