How long do I need to keep my unemployment records for NYS Department of Labor?
I've been collecting unemployment for about 6 months now and my desk is getting cluttered with all these papers from NYS Department of Labor. I have weekly claim confirmations, job search logs, correspondence letters, and copies of all my certifications. My girlfriend says I'm being paranoid keeping everything but I'm worried about getting audited or something. Does anyone know the official requirement for how long we need to keep unemployment records? I don't want to throw anything away and then get in trouble later.
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Demi Lagos
You should keep all your unemployment records for at least 3 years after your claim ends. NYS Department of Labor can audit claims and request documentation for overpayment investigations during this period. This includes your weekly claim confirmations, job search logs, any correspondence, and proof of job contacts. Better safe than sorry - these records protect you if there are any questions about your eligibility or if they claim you were overpaid.
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Saanvi Krishnaswami
•3 years seems like a long time but I guess it makes sense. Do I need to keep the actual paper copies or can I scan them?
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Mason Lopez
I keep everything digital now. Scan all your NYS Department of Labor paperwork and save it in folders on your computer or cloud storage. Much easier to organize and you don't lose anything. Just make sure you back it up somewhere safe. I learned this the hard way when I had to dig through boxes of papers for an overpayment issue last year.
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Vera Visnjic
•Smart approach! I use Google Drive to organize mine by month. Makes it so much easier when you need to find something specific.
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Jake Sinclair
honestly i just keep mine in a shoebox lol probably not the best system but at least theyre all in one place. never had to use them for anything yet but my mom always said keep everything from the government just in case
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Brielle Johnson
•Haha at least you have them! I threw away a bunch of stuff thinking I didn't need it and then NYS Department of Labor asked for documentation from 2 years ago. Had to call and explain the situation - they were understanding but it was stressful.
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Mason Lopez
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask about record retention requirements directly, there's a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that can help you reach an actual agent. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI. Might be worth checking out if you want to get official confirmation about what records to keep.
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Saanvi Krishnaswami
•Thanks for the suggestion! I might try that if I have other questions too. The phone lines are always busy when I try to call.
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Honorah King
Keep EVERYTHING until your claim is completely closed and then add 3 years on top of that. Trust me on this one - I got hit with an overpayment notice 2.5 years after my claim ended and having all my documentation saved my butt. They wanted proof of my job search activities from specific weeks and if I hadn't kept my logs they would have assumed I wasn't looking for work.
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Saanvi Krishnaswami
•Wow, 2.5 years later? That's exactly why I was worried about throwing anything away. Definitely keeping everything now.
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Amara Okafor
I work as a filing clerk at a law office and we deal with government document retention all the time. The 3-year rule mentioned here is correct - NYS Department of Labor follows standard administrative law timelines. I'd also suggest keeping a simple spreadsheet or log noting what documents you have and the dates. That way if you ever need to locate something specific, you don't have to dig through everything. Also, if you do go digital, make sure your scans are clear and legible - blurry photos won't help you if there's ever a dispute.
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