Can you collect unemployment if your employer relocates - NYS Department of Labor question

Good news - in NY, if your employer relocates to a location that would require you to commute more than what's considered reasonable, you can qualify for unemployment benefits. NYS Department of Labor typically considers anything over 50 miles or significantly longer commute time as good cause to quit and still receive UI benefits. You'll need to document that the relocation creates an unreasonable hardship.

wait really?? my old job tried to tell me the same thing when they moved from buffalo to rochester and i just took their word for it and didnt file

I went through this exact scenario last year with NYS Department of Labor. My employer relocated from Albany to North Carolina and I couldn't move due to my elderly parents needing care. Here's what you need to do: 1) Get written notice of the relocation from your employer, 2) Document your reasons for not being able to relocate (family obligations, spouse's employment, etc.), 3) File your claim immediately after your last day of work, 4) Be prepared to explain the situation during your eligibility interview. NYS Department of Labor approved my claim without any issues.

UGH this happened to my friend and she had such a nightmare trying to get through to someone at NYS Department of Labor to explain her situation. She kept getting disconnected and the online system didn't have a clear way to explain the relocation issue. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped her actually reach a real person at NYS Department of Labor to walk through her case. There's even a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. Might be worth checking out if you run into issues getting through to explain your situation.

Just want to add that you should also check if your employer is offering any relocation assistance or severance packages. Sometimes they'll provide severance to employees who can't relocate, which might affect your unemployment timing. But definitely don't let them convince you that you're not eligible for benefits - that's not their call to make, it's NYS Department of Labor's decision.

Yep this is a clear case of constructive dismissal. The company is essentially forcing you to quit by making continued employment unreasonably difficult. NYS Department of Labor recognizes this and you should absolutely be eligible for unemployment benefits. Don't let your employer's HR department scare you out of filing.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - my employer is relocating from Syracuse to Florida next month. I've been stressing about this for weeks, but reading through all these responses is giving me hope that I won't lose my unemployment eligibility. The 50-mile rule that someone mentioned earlier is really helpful to know. My situation is that my kids are settled in their schools here and my husband just started a new job, so relocating would create major hardship for our family. It's frustrating that employers try to make it sound like we have no options, but it sounds like NYS Department of Labor actually protects workers in these situations. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this thread is a lifesaver!

I've been following this thread as someone who went through a similar relocation situation with my employer last year. Just wanted to add that it's really important to keep all your communication with HR and management in writing about the relocation. When I filed with NYS Department of Labor, they specifically asked for documentation showing that the employer was requiring relocation and that I had legitimate reasons for not being able to move. Email chains, official relocation notices, and any responses you send explaining your inability to relocate all become important evidence. Also, don't quit before your official last day - let them terminate your employment when you don't relocate. This makes it clearer that it's not a voluntary resignation. The whole process was much smoother than I expected once I had all my documentation in order.

I just wanted to chime in as someone who works in HR (not for your company!) - what your HR department is telling you is absolutely wrong and unfortunately very common. Employers often try to discourage unemployment claims by providing misleading information about eligibility. The reality is that NYS Department of Labor makes the final determination, not your employer. When a company relocates beyond a reasonable commuting distance, it's considered constructive dismissal even if they "offer" you a position at the new location. Your 6 years of employment history and the legitimate hardship of not being able to relocate due to family obligations should definitely qualify you for benefits. Don't let them intimidate you out of filing - you've earned those benefits through your years of work and contributions to the unemployment insurance system.

I'm dealing with this exact situation right now too - my employer announced they're moving from Rochester to Texas next month. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring. I was panicking when HR told me I wouldn't qualify for unemployment if I didn't relocate, but it's clear they were trying to mislead me. The documentation tips from @Dylan Campbell and @Jasmine Quinn are especially helpful - I'm going to start gathering all my written communications with management about the relocation requirement right away. It's such a relief to know that NYS Department of Labor recognizes these situations as constructive dismissal. Between my mortgage here and my kids being in the middle of the school year, relocating to Texas would create massive hardship for my family. Thank you everyone for sharing your knowledge and experiences - this thread should be required reading for anyone facing employer relocation!

I'm new to this community but going through something similar - my employer is relocating from Long Island to North Carolina in a few months. Reading through all these responses has been such a huge help! I had no idea about the 50-mile rule or that this could be considered constructive dismissal. My company's HR department gave me the same line about not qualifying for unemployment if I don't relocate, but it's clear from everyone's experiences that this is just not true. The advice about documenting everything and not quitting before the official termination date is gold. I've already started saving all my emails about the relocation announcement. It's so frustrating that employers try to mislead workers about their rights, but I'm grateful to have found this thread before making any hasty decisions. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences with NYS Department of Labor - you're helping more people than you probably realize!

I'm new to this community but currently facing the exact same situation! My employer just announced they're relocating from Buffalo to Arizona and I've been losing sleep over this for weeks. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly eye-opening - I had no idea that NYS Department of Labor actually protects workers in these situations. My company's HR department used almost the exact same language about not qualifying for unemployment if we don't relocate, which now seems like a standard script they all use to discourage claims. The advice about the 50-mile rule and keeping everything documented is so valuable. I can't relocate because I'm the primary caregiver for my disabled brother and we have an extensive support network here that took years to build. Arizona might as well be on another planet for us! It's such a relief to know this qualifies as constructive dismissal and that I won't lose my unemployment benefits. Thank you everyone for sharing your stories - you've probably saved me from making a huge mistake by just accepting what HR told me!

I'm new to this community but unfortunately dealing with a very similar situation - my employer just announced they're relocating from Albany to Georgia next spring. Like many others here, HR tried to tell me I wouldn't qualify for unemployment if I didn't make the move, but after reading through all these experiences, it's clear that's just not accurate information. What really struck me is how consistent the misinformation from HR departments seems to be across different companies - it's almost like they're all using the same playbook to discourage unemployment claims. I can't relocate because I'm currently caring for my elderly mother who has dementia, and disrupting her routine and medical care would be devastating for her health. Georgia might as well be on the moon given our circumstances. The advice about the 50-mile rule and documenting everything has been incredibly helpful. I've already started saving all communications about the relocation announcement and plan to document my caregiving responsibilities as well. It's such a relief to know that NYS Department of Labor actually recognizes these situations as legitimate hardship and constructive dismissal. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - you've probably saved me from accepting bad information and missing out on benefits I've rightfully earned through years of work!

I'm new here but unfortunately going through the same situation - my company just announced they're moving from Syracuse to Virginia and I've been stressed about this for days. Reading through everyone's experiences has been such a huge relief! Like so many others, my HR department gave me the exact same line about not qualifying for unemployment if I don't relocate. It's incredible how widespread this misinformation seems to be - they must all be using the same playbook. I can't move because my spouse just got promoted at their job here and we just bought our first house six months ago. The financial impact of trying to sell and relocate would be devastating. The documentation advice from everyone is so helpful - I'm going to start gathering all my written communications about the relocation immediately. It's reassuring to know that NYS Department of Labor actually protects workers in these situations and recognizes this as constructive dismissal. Thank you everyone for sharing your knowledge and experiences - this thread has probably saved me from making a huge mistake by just accepting what HR told me!

I'm also new to this community but going through this exact situation right now - my employer just announced they're relocating from Westchester to Delaware in February. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly enlightening! Like everyone else, my HR department used the same misleading language about unemployment eligibility, but it's clear from all your experiences that NYS Department of Labor actually protects workers in these situations. I can't relocate because I'm a single parent with two kids in high school who are heavily involved in sports and activities here, plus my ex and I share custody so I legally can't just move them out of state without court approval. The advice about documenting everything and the 50-mile rule has been so helpful - Delaware is definitely beyond reasonable commuting distance! It's frustrating that employers seem to use these scare tactics, but I'm so grateful to have found this thread before making any decisions. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences with NYS Department of Labor - you're helping so many people understand their rights in these difficult situations!

I'm new to this community but unfortunately dealing with a very similar situation - my employer just announced they're moving operations from Utica to South Carolina this spring. Like so many others here, HR tried to convince me that I wouldn't qualify for unemployment benefits if I chose not to relocate, but reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly eye-opening! It's almost shocking how consistent this misinformation seems to be across different companies - they really must all be using the same playbook to discourage workers from filing legitimate claims. I can't relocate because I'm currently going through a divorce and the custody arrangement for my kids requires me to stay within the county. Plus, my elderly father just moved into assisted living here after we spent months finding the right facility for his needs. South Carolina might as well be on another continent given my circumstances. The documentation advice from @Dylan Campbell and others has been invaluable - I've already started saving all communications about the relocation announcement and plan to gather documentation about my custody situation and my father's care needs. It's such a relief to know that NYS Department of Labor actually recognizes these situations as constructive dismissal and that the 50-mile rule applies here. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - you've probably saved me from accepting bad information and helped me understand my rights as a worker who's contributed to the unemployment system for years!