Does filing unemployment affect your employer - will NYS Department of Labor contact my boss?
I just got laid off from my job at a small marketing firm and I'm thinking about filing for unemployment benefits. My manager seemed really stressed about budget cuts when they let me go and mentioned something about their unemployment insurance rates. I'm worried that if I file a claim with NYS Department of Labor, it might somehow hurt the company or make things awkward if they want to hire me back later. Does anyone know if filing unemployment affects your employer in any way? Will NYS Department of Labor contact my boss directly or is this all confidential? I don't want to make my situation worse but I really need the benefits to pay rent.
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Fernanda Marquez
Yes, employers do get notified when you file for unemployment. NYS Department of Labor sends them a notice giving them a chance to respond if they want to contest your claim. Your employer's unemployment insurance premiums can go up if they have a lot of claims, which is probably what your manager was referring to. But here's the thing - if you were legitimately laid off due to budget cuts, they shouldn't contest it because you qualify for benefits. The notification is just standard procedure.
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Aidan Percy
•Oh no, so they will definitely find out? I was hoping this could be private. What exactly does the notice tell them?
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Norman Fraser
Don't let fear of employer retaliation stop you from filing for benefits you've earned! Yes, NYS Department of Labor will notify your employer, but it's a formal process and if you were laid off legitimately, they really have no grounds to contest. The notice asks them to verify your employment dates, wages, and reason for separation. Most employers who laid people off due to budget cuts won't contest because fighting legitimate claims just wastes their time and money on legal fees.
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Kendrick Webb
•This is exactly right. I was laid off from my retail job last year and was worried about the same thing. My manager actually told me to file for unemployment when they let me go because they knew it was a legitimate layoff.
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Hattie Carson
The employer impact depends on their experience rating with NYS Department of Labor. Companies that have more unemployment claims filed against them pay higher premiums over time. BUT this shouldn't influence your decision to file if you legitimately qualify. If you were laid off due to budget cuts and not fired for misconduct, you absolutely should file. Your former employer made the decision to lay you off - dealing with the unemployment consequences is part of their business responsibility.
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Destiny Bryant
ugh this whole system is so messed up... like why should we have to worry about how our filing affects the company that just FIRED us?? they laid you off, they deal with the consequences. file your claim and don't look back. if they wanted to avoid unemployment costs they shouldn't have laid people off!
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Dyllan Nantx
•I understand the frustration but the system exists for good reasons. It prevents employers from firing people just to avoid paying into unemployment insurance while still protecting workers who lose jobs through no fault of their own.
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TillyCombatwarrior
Just want to add that I had trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor to ask about this exact question when I was laid off. Spent hours on hold. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that connected me to an actual agent in like 10 minutes. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. Really helpful when you need to talk to someone about your specific situation rather than guessing.
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Aidan Percy
•Thanks for the tip! I might need that if I have issues with my claim. Did they charge you a lot for the service?
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TillyCombatwarrior
•It was worth it for me to get answers quickly instead of stressing about whether I was doing everything right. Much better than sitting on hold for hours.
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Kendrick Webb
One more thing to consider - if you're hoping they might hire you back, filing for unemployment actually shows you're being responsible about your finances during the layoff period. Most reasonable employers understand that people need benefits when they're laid off. It's not personal, it's just how the system works.
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