How do I know if my employer pays unemployment insurance in New York?
I'm trying to figure out if I'm eligible for unemployment benefits but I'm not sure if my current employer actually pays into the unemployment insurance system. I work for a small construction company and my boss has been pretty vague about benefits. Is there a way to check if they're actually contributing to NYS Department of Labor? I don't want to file a claim and find out later that I'm not covered.
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Keisha Jackson
Most employers in NY are required to pay unemployment insurance for their employees. You can check your pay stub first - sometimes it shows state deductions. If your employer has been withholding state taxes, they're probably paying UI too. You can also call NYS Department of Labor directly to verify your employer's status.
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StarGazer101
•I looked at my pay stub but it just shows federal and state taxes, nothing specifically about unemployment. Should I ask my employer directly or is that awkward?
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Paolo Romano
In New York, employers must pay unemployment insurance if they have one or more employees for at least 20 weeks in a calendar year, or if they pay $300 or more in wages in any quarter. Construction companies definitely fall under this requirement. Your employer pays the full cost - nothing comes out of your paycheck for UI. If you've been working there regularly, you should be covered.
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Amina Diop
•wait so unemployment doesn't come out of my check at all?? I thought we had to pay into it like social security
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Paolo Romano
•Correct - unemployment insurance is 100% paid by employers in NY. Employees don't contribute anything to the UI fund.
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Oliver Schmidt
I had trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor by phone when I needed to verify my employer info last year. Kept getting busy signals and disconnected calls. Someone here recommended using Claimyr.com to get through to an actual agent - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Worked great for me, got connected within minutes and the agent confirmed my employer was paying UI.
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StarGazer101
•Thanks for the tip! I'll check that out if I can't get through the regular way.
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Natasha Volkov
If your employer isn't paying unemployment insurance when they're supposed to, that's a big problem and you should report them to NYS Department of Labor. They can get in serious trouble for not complying with UI requirements.
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Javier Torres
most construction companies are legit about this stuff, especially if they're doing commercial work. they have to be compliant or they can't get bonded for big jobs
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