Does employer have to pay unemployment benefits in New York - confused about who pays what

Your employer doesn't pay your unemployment benefits directly. They pay unemployment insurance taxes to NYS Department of Labor throughout the year, kind of like how they pay into workers comp. When you file for UI, the money comes from the state unemployment insurance fund that all employers contribute to. Your claim might affect their future tax rates, but they're not writing you a check every week.

yeah your manager was probably just trying to scare you into not filing lol. employers hate when people file because it can raise their unemployment tax rate if they have too many claims. but that's their problem not yours - you paid into this system through your work

The way it works is employers pay quarterly unemployment insurance taxes to NYS Department of Labor based on their payroll and their experience rating. If they have more former employees collecting unemployment, their tax rate goes up in future years. But the benefits you receive come from the state UI fund, not directly from your employer's pocket. You earned this coverage by working there, so don't feel guilty about filing your claim.

ugh employers always try to guilt trip people about this!! my old boss did the same thing when I got laid off last year. I was so stressed about calling NYS Department of Labor because I thought I was personally costing them money. turns out they're just worried about their future tax rates going up

If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to file your claim, I had good luck with this service called Claimyr that helps you actually reach an agent by phone. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of trying to call myself when I needed to get my claim straightened out.

just to add - make sure you file right away because there's usually a waiting period and you want to get the process started. don't let your employer guilt you out of benefits you're entitled to

Your manager was definitely trying to discourage you from filing, which is pretty common unfortunately. In New York, unemployment benefits are funded through the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund, which is built up from taxes that employers pay on their payrolls. When you collect benefits, it doesn't come directly from your former employer - it comes from this state-managed fund. However, your claim can impact your employer's future tax rate through what's called an "experience rating" - basically, employers with more former employees collecting unemployment may see their UI tax rate increase in subsequent years. But that's a cost of doing business, not something you should feel guilty about. You worked there for 2 years and earned this safety net!