Does NYS Department of Labor contact your employer when you file unemployment?
I'm thinking about filing for unemployment benefits since my hours got cut to part-time and I'm barely making ends meet. But I'm worried - does unemployment contact your employer when you file? My boss has been pretty unpredictable lately and I don't want to make things worse at work if they find out I filed. I still have the part-time job but need the extra help to pay my bills. Can anyone tell me what NYS Department of Labor's process is for employer contact?
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Amaya Watson
Yes, NYS Department of Labor will contact your employer as part of the claims process. They need to verify your work history, wages, and the reason you're filing. Your employer gets notified and has the opportunity to respond about whether they agree with your claim. This is standard procedure for all unemployment claims in New York.
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Tristan Carpenter
•Oh no, that's what I was afraid of. Do they contact them right away or is there a delay? I'm trying to figure out the timing.
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Grant Vikers
They usually send the employer a notice within a few days of you filing. The employer has 10 days to respond if they want to contest your claim. Since you're still working part-time, make sure you report your hours and wages correctly on your weekly claims or you could get in trouble for overpayment later.
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Giovanni Martello
•This happened to me last year. My boss wasn't happy about getting the notice but there wasn't much they could do about it since I was legitimately entitled to partial benefits.
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Cedric Chung
Yes, NYS Department of Labor does contact employers as part of the standard claim verification process. They send what's called a 'Notice of Unemployment Insurance Claim Filed' to your former employer within a few days of you filing. The employer has 10 days to respond with information about your separation reason, wages, and whether they contest the claim.
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Hailey O'Leary
•Oh no, so there's no way to avoid them finding out? What exactly does that notice tell them about why I'm filing?
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Talia Klein
The notice doesn't go into personal details about your situation. It basically just notifies them that you filed for UI benefits and asks them to verify your employment dates, final wages, and reason for separation. If there's no dispute about eligibility, it's pretty routine paperwork for most employers. They deal with these notices regularly.
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Maxwell St. Laurent
•exactly this happened to me last year when I got laid off, my old boss said they get these forms all the time and its no big deal
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PaulineW
Just be honest on your application about the separation reason. If you put down 'quit' vs 'fired' vs 'laid off' incorrectly and it doesn't match what your employer reports, that's when you might run into adjudication issues. The NYS Department of Labor will investigate any discrepancies and that process takes way longer.
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Savannah Weiner
Wait, I'm confused - can you even get unemployment if you're still working? I thought you had to be completely unemployed to qualify for benefits from NYS Department of Labor.
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Amaya Watson
•You can get partial unemployment benefits if your hours or wages were reduced through no fault of your own. As long as you're working less than 4 days a week and earning less than your weekly benefit amount, you may qualify.
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Levi Parker
I had major issues trying to reach NYS Department of Labor when my employer contested my claim. Kept getting busy signals for weeks. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me through to a real person at the unemployment office. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me so much frustration trying to get my questions answered.
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Tristan Carpenter
•That sounds really helpful! How quickly were you able to get through to someone?
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Levi Parker
•Much faster than calling myself. They handle all the redialing and waiting so you don't have to sit there for hours getting busy signals.
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Libby Hassan
honestly your employer is gonna find out anyway so might as well file if you qualify... bills dont pay themselves and thats what unemployment is for
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Annabel Kimball
ugh I was worried about this too but honestly your employer probably won't even remember getting the notice unless they're trying to fight your claim. Most companies just fill out the form and send it back, especially if you were legitimately let go or laid off.
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Hunter Hampton
The whole system is designed to make it hard for workers to get help. Of course they contact your employer - they want to give businesses every chance to fight your claim. Just another way the system is rigged against regular people trying to survive.
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Grant Vikers
•While I understand the frustration, employer verification is actually required by federal law to prevent fraud. It's not unique to New York.
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Talia Klein
If you're having trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor to ask more specific questions about your situation, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Was way easier than trying to call the regular number and getting disconnected.
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Hailey O'Leary
•Thanks, I might check that out. I tried calling yesterday and couldn't get through at all.
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Chris Elmeda
The whole system is designed to verify claims so yeah they're gonna contact your employer no matter what. But unless you lied about something major or your employer wants to contest it most of the time its just paperwork
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PixelWarrior
I was in a similar situation last year when my hours got reduced. Yes, NYS DOL does contact your employer, but in my experience it was pretty low-key. They just sent a standard form asking my boss to verify my employment dates and wages. My manager mentioned getting it but said it was routine paperwork they deal with regularly. The key thing is to be completely accurate about your reason for reduced hours when you file - if you say it was due to lack of work and your employer confirms that, there shouldn't be any drama. Just make sure you report your part-time earnings correctly each week when you certify for benefits.
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