Do employers pay unemployment benefits in NY - confused about how NYS Department of Labor funding works
I'm trying to understand how unemployment insurance actually works in New York. When I collect benefits from NYS Department of Labor, is my former employer directly paying for my weekly claims? My ex-boss made some comment about how much my claim was going to 'cost him' and now I'm worried about applying. Does the employer have to write a check every week or something? I don't want to cause financial problems for the small business where I used to work, but I also need these benefits to survive while job hunting.
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Natasha Kuznetsova
Your employer doesn't pay your weekly benefits directly. They pay into the NYS Department of Labor unemployment insurance fund through quarterly taxes based on their payroll. Think of it like insurance premiums - they pay whether employees file claims or not. Your individual claim doesn't come out of their bank account.
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Oliver Wagner
•Oh that makes sense! So it's more like they already paid into a pool and now I'm drawing from that pool? That's a relief.
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Javier Mendoza
Employers in NY pay unemployment insurance taxes to fund the system. The rate depends on their 'experience rating' which is based on how many former employees have filed claims. So while they don't pay your specific benefits, having claims can increase their future tax rates. But don't let that stop you from filing - you earned those benefits through your work.
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Emma Thompson
•exactly this! my old manager tried to guilt trip me too but I had every right to file after getting laid off
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Malik Davis
I had trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor to get clarification on this exact question last month. If you need to speak with an agent about how employer contributions work or any other UI questions, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to someone quickly. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Way better than sitting on hold for hours.
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Isabella Santos
•How much does something like that cost? I'm already tight on money.
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Malik Davis
•It's worth checking out their site for details, but I found the value was definitely there given how impossible it is to reach NYS Department of Labor otherwise.
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StarStrider
Your boss sounds like he's trying to make you feel bad for claiming benefits you're entitled to. That's manipulative behavior and you shouldn't feel guilty about filing. The unemployment system exists specifically for situations like yours.
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Oliver Wagner
•Thank you for saying that. I was starting to second-guess myself about filing.
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Ravi Gupta
yeah employers pay taxes but dont let them guilt u about it!! thats literally what the system is for
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