How often does walmart fight unemployment claims - NYS Department of Labor experience?
I got terminated from Walmart last month for attendance issues (called out 3 times in 6 weeks due to car problems) and filed for unemployment benefits with NYS Department of Labor. My claim has been in adjudication for 2 weeks now and I'm wondering if this is normal when former employers contest claims. Has anyone here dealt with Walmart specifically fighting their unemployment claim? Do big retailers like this usually challenge every claim or just certain types of terminations? I'm getting really anxious because I need these benefits to cover rent while job searching.
28 comments


Sasha Reese
Large retailers like Walmart typically contest unemployment claims when they involve attendance or policy violations. The NYS Department of Labor adjudication process can take 2-4 weeks when there's employer pushback. They'll review your employment records, termination documentation, and any evidence both sides provide. Since you mentioned attendance issues, they're likely arguing it was misconduct which could disqualify you from benefits.
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Christian Burns
•So does that mean I'm probably going to get denied? The attendance policy seemed really strict - like missing 3 days in 2 months was enough for termination.
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Muhammad Hobbs
Walmart fought my claim too when I got fired for tardiness last year. The adjudication took forever - almost 4 weeks. But I ended up winning because I could prove the tardiness was due to a medical condition. The key is having documentation for your car problems if you have any repair receipts or anything like that.
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Christian Burns
•I do have some receipts from the mechanic! Should I upload those to my NYS Department of Labor account somehow?
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Noland Curtis
From what I've seen, major employers like Walmart contest probably 60-70% of unemployment claims, especially for attendance-related terminations. They have HR departments that automatically challenge most claims to reduce their unemployment tax burden. The good news is that if you can demonstrate the absences were beyond your control (like legitimate car trouble), you may still qualify for benefits even with attendance issues.
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Diez Ellis
I've been trying to reach someone at NYS Department of Labor for weeks about my adjudication status but can never get through on the phone. If you're in the same boat and need to check on your claim or provide additional documentation, I recently discovered this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you actually connect with agents. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Might be worth checking out if you need to speak with someone about your Walmart situation.
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Christian Burns
•Thanks! I'll look into that. The phone system is absolutely impossible to navigate.
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Vanessa Figueroa
WALMART FIGHTS EVERYTHING!!! They contested my claim even though I quit for a hostile work environment. These big corporations have teams of lawyers just to deny people benefits. It's disgusting honestly. The whole system is rigged in favor of employers.
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Abby Marshall
My brother got fired from Walmart for the same thing - attendance. His claim was approved after like 3 weeks of adjudication. Just hang in there.
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Sadie Benitez
I worked at Target not Walmart but similar situation. They contested my claim but I won because I had medical documentation. The NYS Department of Labor adjudicator was actually pretty fair once they reviewed all the evidence. Make sure you submit any documentation you have through your online account.
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Christian Burns
•Good to know there's hope! I'll gather up all my repair receipts and submit them.
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Gemma Andrews
I used to work in HR at a large retail chain and can confirm that most big box stores like Walmart have automated systems that flag and contest unemployment claims, especially for attendance-related terminations. However, the NYS Department of Labor looks at whether the absences were due to circumstances beyond your control. Car trouble with documentation is often considered a valid reason. Make sure to provide any repair receipts, towing bills, or mechanic statements you have. The adjudication process typically takes 2-4 weeks, so you're still within the normal timeframe. Don't lose hope - I've seen plenty of cases where employees won even when the employer contested.
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Brian Downey
•This is really helpful to hear from someone who worked in HR! I'm feeling a bit more optimistic now. I do have receipts from two different repair visits during that time period, plus a towing bill from when my car completely broke down. Should I scan and upload all of these to my online account, or is there a specific way the NYS Department of Labor prefers to receive documentation during adjudication?
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Nia Jackson
•@Gemma Andrews That s'really reassuring to hear from someone with HR experience! I have repair receipts from two different shops and a towing bill from when my car completely died. Should I upload all of these documents to my NYS DOL online account? Is there a specific format they prefer or should I just scan everything as PDFs? I want to make sure I m'submitting the evidence properly to give myself the best chance.
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Ethan Wilson
I went through a similar situation with Walmart about 8 months ago - also fired for attendance issues. They definitely contested my claim, but I ended up winning after about 3 weeks of adjudication. The key was showing that my absences were due to circumstances beyond my control (I had a family emergency). From what I've seen, Walmart contests most claims automatically, but the NYS Department of Labor is pretty fair if you have legitimate documentation. Keep all your car repair receipts organized and submit them through your online portal. The waiting is stressful but don't give up - many people do win these cases even when big employers fight them.
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Sofia Hernandez
•@Ethan Wilson Thanks for sharing your experience! It s'really encouraging to hear from someone who actually won against Walmart after an attendance-related termination. The 3-week timeframe gives me hope since I m'at 2 weeks now. Did you have to do anything special during the adjudication process or did you just submit your documentation and wait? I m'trying not to stress too much but it s'hard when you need the benefits to pay bills.
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Cynthia Love
I'm currently going through something similar with a different employer, but from what I've researched about Walmart specifically, they do tend to contest unemployment claims pretty aggressively. However, the fact that your absences were due to car problems works in your favor - especially if you have documentation like repair receipts or towing records. The NYS Department of Labor will consider whether your absences were due to circumstances beyond your control. Two weeks of adjudication is still within the normal range, though I know the waiting is incredibly stressful when you're counting on those benefits. Keep gathering any documentation you have about your car troubles - receipts, photos, mechanic statements, anything that shows the problems were legitimate and unavoidable. Don't lose hope yet!
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Anastasia Kozlov
•@Cynthia Love This is exactly what I needed to hear! I ve'been feeling so overwhelmed by this whole process but knowing that car problems can actually work in my favor gives me some hope. I have receipts from a brake repair and a transmission issue, plus the towing bill from when it completely died on me. I m'going to scan everything and upload it to my NYS DOL account today. The waiting is definitely the worst part - especially when you re'watching your savings disappear while waiting for a decision. Thanks for the encouragement, it really helps to know I m'not alone in this situation.
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Ali Anderson
I went through almost the exact same situation with Walmart about 6 months ago - terminated for attendance issues and they definitely contested my unemployment claim. The adjudication process took about 3.5 weeks for me, which was nerve-wracking since I really needed those benefits. What helped my case was having solid documentation showing my absences were due to legitimate car problems that were beyond my control. I had repair receipts, photos of my broken-down car, and even a statement from my mechanic explaining the unexpected nature of the repairs. The NYS Department of Labor adjudicator was actually pretty reasonable once they reviewed all the evidence. My advice is to upload every piece of documentation you have through your online account - repair receipts, towing bills, anything that proves your car troubles were real and unavoidable. Walmart may contest claims automatically, but that doesn't mean they'll win if you have good documentation. Hang in there and keep gathering evidence!
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Emma Morales
•@Ali Anderson This is so helpful to hear from someone who went through almost the exact same situation! I m'at the 2-week mark now so knowing it took you 3.5 weeks helps set my expectations. I love the idea of getting a statement from the mechanic - I hadn t'thought of that but it would definitely add credibility to my case. I have the repair receipts but a professional statement explaining how the issues were unexpected would be great additional evidence. Did you just call your mechanic and ask them to write something up, or was there a specific format the NYS Department of Labor preferred? Thanks so much for sharing your experience - it s'giving me real hope that I might actually win this!
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Taylor To
I'm going through something similar right now with a different retailer but have been researching Walmart's patterns. From what I've learned, they absolutely do contest most unemployment claims - it's basically standard practice for large retailers to challenge claims automatically to keep their unemployment tax rates down. The good news is that the NYS Department of Labor actually sides with claimants pretty often when there's legitimate documentation of circumstances beyond your control. Car problems with repair receipts are exactly the kind of evidence that can work in your favor. I know the waiting is brutal when you're counting on those benefits, but two weeks is still totally normal for adjudication when there's an employer contest. Keep gathering any documentation you have - receipts, photos, even text messages to friends/family about your car troubles can help establish a timeline. Don't let Walmart's automatic pushback discourage you - many people win these cases even against big employers when they have solid evidence.
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Oliver Schmidt
•@Taylor To This is really reassuring! I didn t'realize that text messages could actually be helpful evidence - I definitely have some texts to my sister complaining about my car breaking down right around the times I had to call out. It makes sense that these big retailers would automatically contest claims just to protect their tax rates, but it s'encouraging to know the NYS Department of Labor actually looks at the evidence fairly. I m'going to dig through my phone and see what other documentation I can find to build a stronger case. Thanks for the hope - this waiting period has been so stressful but hearing from people who understand the process really helps!
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Paolo Esposito
I'm currently dealing with a similar situation - got let go from a big box retailer for attendance issues and they're fighting my claim too. From everything I've read and experienced, Walmart and other major retailers pretty much contest unemployment claims as standard operating procedure, especially for attendance-related terminations. They have whole departments dedicated to this because it keeps their unemployment insurance costs down. But here's the thing - having legitimate car trouble with documentation actually puts you in a decent position. The NYS Department of Labor will look at whether your absences were truly beyond your control, and mechanical failures with repair receipts are exactly the kind of evidence that can work in your favor. I know the waiting is absolutely brutal when you're watching your bank account drain, but 2 weeks is still within the normal range for contested claims. Make sure you upload every single piece of documentation you have - receipts, photos, even text messages about your car troubles can help establish that timeline. Don't let their automatic pushback discourage you - plenty of people win these cases against big employers when they have solid proof their absences were unavoidable.
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Ava Harris
•@Paolo Esposito Thanks for sharing this - it s'really helpful to hear from someone going through the same thing right now! You re'absolutely right about these big retailers having whole departments just to fight unemployment claims. It s'frustrating but at least now I understand it s'not personal, it s'just their business model. I m'feeling more confident about my case after reading all these responses. I have repair receipts from two different shops plus a towing bill, and now I m'going to look for those text messages I sent complaining about my car. The waiting is definitely the hardest part, especially when rent is due soon, but knowing that 2 weeks is still normal for contested claims helps me manage my anxiety. Really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience - it helps so much to know I m'not alone in this fight against these corporate giants!
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DeShawn Washington
I had almost the exact same experience with Walmart about a year ago - fired for attendance due to car problems and they definitely contested my claim. The adjudication took about 3 weeks but I eventually won because I had good documentation of my car troubles. Here's what really helped my case: I gathered every single piece of evidence I could find - repair receipts, photos of my broken down car, text messages to friends about the problems, even my work schedule showing the correlation between car issues and missed days. Walmart contests claims automatically but the NYS Department of Labor adjudicators are actually pretty fair when you can prove the circumstances were beyond your control. The waiting is absolutely nerve-wracking when you need those benefits, but don't give up hope. Make sure to upload everything through your online portal and keep checking for any requests for additional information. Car problems with proper documentation are exactly the kind of legitimate reason that can win these cases, even against big employers like Walmart.
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Mia Rodriguez
•@DeShawn Washington This is incredibly encouraging! I m'so glad you were able to win your case against Walmart. The idea of showing correlation between car issues and missed days is brilliant - I hadn t'thought about organizing it that way but it makes perfect sense. I definitely have the receipts and some photos of my car when it broke down, and now I m'motivated to really dig through my texts and create a clear timeline showing how the car problems lined up with my absences. It s'reassuring to know the adjudicators can be fair when you provide solid evidence. The 3-week timeframe gives me hope since I m'only at 2 weeks now. Thanks for the detailed advice - knowing someone in almost my exact situation actually won makes me feel so much more optimistic about fighting this!
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Caden Nguyen
I went through this exact situation with Walmart about 18 months ago - terminated for attendance issues and they fought my unemployment claim hard. The whole process was incredibly stressful, but I want to give you some hope: I actually won my case after about 4 weeks of adjudication. What made the difference was having thorough documentation of my car problems. I had repair invoices, photos of my broken-down vehicle, and even got a written statement from my mechanic explaining that the transmission failure was sudden and unexpected. Walmart definitely contests claims automatically - they have entire teams dedicated to this just to keep their unemployment tax costs down. But the NYS Department of Labor adjudicators do look at the actual evidence and circumstances. Since your absences were due to legitimate car trouble that was beyond your control, you're in a much better position than someone who just had unexplained no-shows. Make sure to upload every piece of documentation you have through your online account - receipts, towing bills, even text messages about your car troubles can help establish the timeline. The 2-week wait is still totally normal for contested claims, so don't panic yet. Keep fighting this - Walmart may challenge every claim, but that doesn't mean they win them all!
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Jay Lincoln
•@Caden Nguyen This is exactly what I needed to hear right now! Your experience gives me so much hope - knowing someone in my exact situation actually beat Walmart after 4 weeks makes the waiting feel more manageable. I love that you got a written statement from your mechanic explaining the sudden transmission failure. I m'definitely going to contact my shop and see if they can provide something similar about my brake and transmission issues. It s'mind-blowing that Walmart has entire teams just to deny people benefits, but I guess it makes business sense for them even if it s'awful for workers. I m'going to spend today organizing all my documentation - I have receipts from two different repair shops, a towing bill, and photos of my car when it completely died on the highway. Plus I found some texts I sent to my mom complaining about the car troubles right around the time I had to call out. Thanks for taking the time to share your victory - it s'giving me the motivation to keep fighting this instead of just accepting defeat!
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