Can you still get unemployment benefits if you quit your job in New York?
I'm really confused about whether I can still get unemployment benefits after quitting my last job. I worked at a restaurant for 8 months but had to quit because my manager was cutting my hours down to like 10 hours a week and I couldn't afford to live on that. My coworker said something about 'good cause' but I don't really understand what that means for NYS Department of Labor. Has anyone been in a similar situation? I'm worried about filing if I'm just going to get denied.
10 comments
Join the conversation
Aisha Hussain
You might qualify under 'voluntary quit with good cause' if your hours were reduced significantly. NYS Department of Labor considers substantial reduction in work hours as potentially qualifying good cause. You'll need to document the hour reduction - keep any schedules, texts, or emails showing the cuts. When you file, make sure to explain the circumstances clearly in your application.
0 coins
Mateo Martinez
•Thank you! I do have some old schedules saved on my phone. Should I mention the exact hours I was getting before vs after?
0 coins
Ethan Clark
yeah i quit my job last year and still got benefits, just took longer to process
0 coins
StarStrider
The key is proving 'good cause' to NYS Department of Labor. Substantial reduction in hours can qualify, but you need documentation. Also be prepared for adjudication - they'll review your case more carefully since you quit. If you get stuck trying to reach someone at NYS Department of Labor about your case status, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me through to an agent when I couldn't get through myself. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works.
0 coins
Yuki Sato
•Is that legit? I've been trying to call NYS Department of Labor for weeks about my adjudication and can never get through.
0 coins
StarStrider
•Yeah it worked for me when I was dealing with a similar quit situation. Much easier than spending hours on hold.
0 coins
Carmen Ruiz
Wait, I thought if you quit you automatically can't get unemployment? That's what my friend told me when I was thinking about leaving my toxic job.
0 coins
Aisha Hussain
•That's a common misconception. NYS Department of Labor does allow benefits for voluntary quits in certain circumstances - good cause, constructive dismissal, unsafe working conditions, etc. It's just harder to prove than if you were laid off.
0 coins
Andre Lefebvre
THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN! I quit for good cause too and they STILL denied me initially. Had to appeal and it took 3 months to get it overturned. Document EVERYTHING because they will try to deny you first.
0 coins
Zoe Alexopoulos
Just wanted to say good luck with your claim! Going from full-time to 10 hours sounds really rough.
0 coins