Can you qualify for NYS Department of Labor unemployment if you quit your job?

You can qualify for unemployment after quitting, but only under specific circumstances. NYS Department of Labor calls this 'good cause' and it includes things like unsafe working conditions, harassment, significant changes to your job duties or pay, or if your employer violates labor laws. You'll need to document everything - keep records of the schedule changes, any written communications about the problems, and try to address the issues with your employer first if possible. When you file your claim, you'll need to explain why you quit and provide evidence.

I quit my last job because they kept changing my schedule with less than 24 hours notice and I got approved for benefits. The key is documenting everything. Take screenshots of your schedule changes, save any emails or texts about the problems, and write down dates and times when things happen. When you file with NYS Department of Labor online, there's a section where you explain why you left - be detailed and specific about how the working conditions became impossible.

Just be really careful about this. I thought I had good cause when I quit because my manager was being awful to me, but NYS Department of Labor denied my claim. They said I should have tried to resolve it through HR first. I'm still fighting it through the appeal process but it's been months now and I still haven't gotten any benefits. Maybe try documenting everything and see if you can get them to fire you instead?

If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask questions about this, I used claimyr.com recently when I needed to speak to someone about my claim status. They have this system that waits on hold for you and then calls you back when they get through. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Was way easier than spending hours trying to call myself and getting hung up on.

honestly the whole system is set up to deny claims anyway so you might as well try. worst case they say no and youre in the same spot you are now

I was in almost the exact same situation last year with schedule changes and my manager making work impossible. What helped me was keeping a daily log of every incident - when they changed my schedule, what they said to me, how it affected my ability to do my job. When I finally quit and filed for unemployment, I had three months worth of detailed records. NYS Department of Labor approved my claim and said the documentation really helped my case. Start keeping records now even if you haven't decided to quit yet.