Can you get unemployment if you resign from your job in New York?
I'm thinking about quitting my job because my manager has been making my life miserable for months. But I'm worried about being able to pay my bills if I can't get unemployment benefits. Does anyone know if you can get unemployment if you resign in New York? I've heard different things from people and I'm really confused about the rules. My situation is pretty bad at work but I don't know if it would qualify as 'good cause' or whatever they call it.
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Amara Okafor
Generally speaking, if you voluntarily quit your job, you're not eligible for unemployment benefits in New York unless you had 'good cause.' Good cause includes things like harassment, unsafe working conditions, significant changes to your job duties or pay, or other compelling reasons. You'd need to document everything and be prepared to prove your case during the adjudication process if NYS Department of Labor reviews your claim.
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Liam Sullivan
•What kind of documentation do I need? I have some emails but not everything was in writing.
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CosmicCommander
my friend quit last year and got denied initially but then appealed and won. took like 3 months though and she had to go to a hearing
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Giovanni Colombo
The key is whether you can prove you had no reasonable alternative but to quit. Start documenting everything now - hostile work environment, harassment, safety issues, whatever applies to your situation. Save emails, take notes of incidents with dates and times, keep records of any complaints you've made to HR. If you do quit, make sure to clearly state your reasons when you file your claim with NYS Department of Labor.
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
•This is really good advice. I wish I had documented more when I was dealing with my toxic boss. It's so hard to think clearly when you're in that situation.
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Dylan Cooper
honestly the unemployment system is so backed up right now, even if you have a good case it could take forever to get resolved. I've been waiting 6 weeks just for my regular claim to get out of adjudication and I was laid off, not quit
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Sofia Ramirez
•If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to check on your claim status, you might want to try claimyr.com - they help people actually reach unemployment agents by phone. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. I used it last month when I couldn't get anyone on the phone for weeks about my adjudication issue.
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Dmitry Volkov
wait so if you quit you can still get unemployment?? I thought that was automatic disqualification
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Amara Okafor
•Not automatic, but the burden of proof is on you to show you had good cause. It's definitely harder than if you were laid off or fired for reasons other than misconduct.
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Fatima Al-Hashemi
Just want to add that if you do decide to quit, make sure you exhaust all internal remedies first if possible - like filing complaints with HR, requesting transfers, or asking for mediation. The Department of Labor will look at whether you made reasonable efforts to resolve the situation before quitting. Also, keep in mind that even if you qualify for benefits after quitting, there might be a waiting period before payments start. I'd suggest consulting with an employment attorney if the situation is really severe - some offer free consultations and can help you understand if your case would meet the "good cause" standard.
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Mei Chen
•This is excellent advice about exhausting internal remedies first. I'm curious though - what if HR is part of the problem or has already ignored previous complaints? In my experience, some companies just go through the motions with HR complaints but don't actually address anything. Would the Department of Labor still expect you to keep trying internal channels if they've already proven ineffective?
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