Does NYS Department of Labor contact your employer every week when collecting unemployment?
I just started collecting unemployment benefits after being laid off from my restaurant job last month. My former manager mentioned something about NYS Department of Labor contacting them regularly to verify my claim status. I'm worried because I left on somewhat bad terms (nothing major, just scheduling conflicts) and I don't want my old boss getting annoyed with constant calls from the unemployment office. Does NYS Department of Labor actually contact your previous employer every single week while you're filing weekly claims? I've been doing my weekly certifications online but nobody explained this part to me during the application process.
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Alexander Evans
No, NYS Department of Labor doesn't contact your employer every week. They typically only reach out during the initial claim verification process and sometimes during adjudication if there are questions about your separation reason. Once your claim is approved and you're filing weekly claims, employers usually don't hear from them unless there's a specific issue that needs investigation.
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Ruby Garcia
•That's a relief! So they probably already contacted my old job when I first filed and won't bother them again unless something comes up?
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Evelyn Martinez
your manager is probably just trying to mess with you lol. i've been on UI twice and my employers never mentioned getting weekly calls from the state. they might get something at the beginning but thats it
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Benjamin Carter
The employer typically receives a notice when you file your initial claim, and they have about 10 days to respond if they want to contest it. After that, NYS Department of Labor only contacts them if there's a specific reason - like if you report working part-time for them or if there's an investigation. The weekly certification you do online is mostly just confirming you're still unemployed and available for work.
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Maya Lewis
•Wait, so if I work a few hours at my old job while on unemployment, THEN they would contact my employer? I've been avoiding picking up shifts because I wasn't sure how that works.
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Benjamin Carter
•You can work part-time while on unemployment! You just need to report those earnings on your weekly claim. NYS Department of Labor will reduce your benefit amount based on what you earned, but you won't lose your claim entirely. They might verify the earnings with your employer occasionally.
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Isaac Wright
I had trouble reaching someone at NYS Department of Labor when I needed to clarify something similar about employer contact. Kept getting busy signals and disconnected calls. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Made it so much easier to get accurate information instead of worrying about what might happen.
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Ruby Garcia
•Thanks for the suggestion! Did they charge you for that service or is it free to use?
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Isaac Wright
•There is a cost but it was worth it for me since I wasted so much time trying to call on my own. Plus I got the peace of mind of talking to an actual NYS Department of Labor rep instead of just guessing.
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Lucy Taylor
honestly the whole system is designed to make you paranoid. they want you to think someones always watching so you dont try to cheat. but really theyre too understaffed to be calling every employer every week for every claim
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Connor Murphy
Same boat here - worried about my old supervisor getting bothered! But like others said, they probably only heard from unemployment when I first filed. Been collecting for 6 weeks now and haven't heard anything about them getting calls.
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