Do furloughed employees have to look for work while on NYS Department of Labor unemployment?
I got furloughed from my retail job 3 weeks ago and they said they'll call me back when business picks up, probably in 6-8 weeks. I'm collecting unemployment benefits right now but I'm confused about the job search requirements. Do I still need to do the 3 work search activities per week if I'm expecting to go back to my job? The NYS Department of Labor website isn't super clear about this situation. I don't want to mess up my claim but also don't want to waste time applying for jobs when I'll hopefully be back at work soon.
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Freya Larsen
Yes, you still need to complete the work search requirements even if you're on furlough. The NYS Department of Labor considers you available for work, so you must actively seek employment. You need 3 work search activities per week and maintain your job search log. The only exception would be if your employer filed for standby status for you, which means they expect to recall you within a specific timeframe.
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Ravi Kapoor
•How do I know if my employer filed for standby status? They didn't mention anything about that when they furloughed us.
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GalacticGladiator
wait I thought if you were coming back you didn't have to look?? this is confusing
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Omar Zaki
•No, that's only if you're on official standby status through your employer. Regular furlough without standby filing means you're treated like any other unemployed person and must search for work.
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Chloe Taylor
I had the SAME issue last year! Spent weeks trying to get through to NYS Department of Labor to clarify this. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to actually reach an agent - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. The agent confirmed I needed to do work search even though I was expecting recall. Saved me from potentially getting disqualified.
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Diego Flores
•Did you actually apply for other jobs while waiting for recall? Seems weird to interview knowing you'll leave when your old job calls back.
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Chloe Taylor
•Yeah I did some applications and even went to a couple interviews. I was honest about my situation and most employers understood. Plus you never know if your old job will actually call you back.
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Anastasia Ivanova
The whole system is ridiculous honestly. They furlough you with a promise to bring you back then make you jump through hoops looking for work you don't even want. NYS Department of Labor needs to fix this nonsense.
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Sean Murphy
•I get the frustration but the work search requirement makes sense. Too many people get strung along by employers who never actually recall them.
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GalacticGladiator
Thanks everyone this helps! I'll start doing my work searches just to be safe. Better than risking my benefits getting cut off.
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Nalani Liu
Just went through this exact situation last month! @Ravi Kapoor definitely do the work searches to be safe. One tip that helped me - I focused on applications that were similar to my furloughed position so if my recall fell through, I'd have backup options in the same field. Also, when you do your weekly certifications, there's usually a question about whether you refused work - if your old employer calls you back, you obviously want to say yes to that recall. The NYS system is confusing but better to over-comply than risk losing benefits over a technicality.
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