How can you be denied unemployment benefits by NYS Department of Labor?

There are several common reasons for NYS Department of Labor denials. The biggest ones are: quitting without good cause, getting fired for misconduct, not earning enough in your base period, not being able and available for work, or failing to meet job search requirements. They also deny if you refuse suitable work or don't register with the job center when required.

yeah i got denied once because i didnt make enough money in my base period, had to wait like 6 months to reapply with different quarters

Misconduct is more serious than just being late. NYS Department of Labor looks for things like theft, insubordination, repeated policy violations after warnings, or willful disregard of company rules. Simple attendance issues usually aren't misconduct unless there were multiple warnings and a clear pattern of defiance. Your cousin might want to appeal if it was just tardiness.

I had issues reaching NYS Department of Labor to understand my denial details. After weeks of busy signals, I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. The agent explained exactly why I was denied and helped me figure out my appeal options. Way better than sitting on hold for hours.

Appeals are definitely worth filing if you think the denial was wrong! You have 30 days from the determination date. I won my appeal last year after they initially said I quit voluntarily, but I had documentation showing I was laid off due to lack of work.

Don't forget about the job search requirements too. Even if you qualify initially, they can stop your benefits if you don't do the required job contacts each week or skip appointments at the career center. I know someone who lost benefits because they missed one appointment.