< Back to New York Unemployment

How to report a rude ny unemployment agent who made me cry

I need to file a complaint about a terrible experience with an unemployment representative who called me yesterday about my claim. This agent was extremely condescending throughout our entire conversation. He kept cutting me off mid-sentence when I tried explaining my situation. His tone was incredibly hostile and dismissive. When I politely mentioned that I felt uncomfortable with how he was speaking to me, he just doubled down and insisted he wasn't doing anything inappropriate. By the end of the call I was literally in tears from how badly I was treated. I've worked in customer service for 8 years and have NEVER spoken to anyone that way. Does anyone know if there's a specific phone number or department where I can report this behavior? This happened on Monday and I'm still upset about it.

Sean Flanagan

•

I am so sorry that happened to you! It's totally unacceptable. Try calling the main unemployment number (888-209-8124) and ask to speak to a supervisor. Explain what happened and they should take a report. You might have to be persistent though!

0 coins

Thanks for the advice. I tried that number earlier but I was on hold for 2 hours and then got disconnected 😭 I'll keep trying tomorrow I guess.

0 coins

Zara Mirza

•

good luck with that number lol... you'll spend your whole life on hold. I literally aged 10 years waiting for someone to pick up last month 👵

0 coins

Sean Flanagan

•

Yeah its pretty much impossible to get through on that main line. Someone told me about a service called claimyr.com that gets you through to a live agent much faster. Might be worth checking out.

0 coins

NebulaNinja

•

After getting nowhere with the regular phone lines, I found a service that actually helped me get through to a real person at ny unemployment. Used claimyr.com and they got me connected to an agent within 30 minutes when I'd been trying for days. The agent I finally spoke with actually took my complaint about a rude rep seriously and filed a formal report. Best money I ever spent to finally get this resolved! They have a video explaining how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

0 coins

Luca Russo

•

sounds too good to be true... did this actually work? i've been scammed before with these "get you to the front of the line" services

0 coins

NebulaNinja

•

Yeah it worked for me! I was skeptical too but I was desperate after trying for over a week to reach someone. It's a callback service so you're not sitting on hold forever.

0 coins

Nia Wilson

•

how does it work? do you still have to wait forever?

0 coins

NebulaNinja

•

They basically call repeatedly for you using some tech that detects when a human answers, then connects you. So you're not wasting your day hitting redial and listening to that annoying hold music.

0 coins

Mateo Sanchez

•

just checked out that youtube link... actually seems like it might be worth trying. I've wasted SO MANY HOURS trying to talk to someone 😩

0 coins

Aisha Mahmood

•

I had something similar happen. The guy was so rude to me when I called about my back pay. These people at unemployment think they can treat us like garbage because they know we need them. There's an email address you can use: nysdolcomplaint@labor.ny.gov. I sent them a detailed message last week but haven't heard back yet.

0 coins

Ethan Clark

•

The way some of these unemployment workers treat people is completely unprofessional. When your already dealing with the stress of being unemployed, the last thing you need is someone making you feel worse. I think theres a NYS labor department ombudsman office you can contact. Let me see if I can find that info for you.

0 coins

Ethan Clark

•

Found it! The NYS DOL has a feedback form on their website: https://dol.ny.gov/contact-department-labor-feedback. Make sure you include the date/time of the call and the agent's name if you have it.

0 coins

Thank you so much for finding this! I'll fill out the form right away. I wrote down his name and the time of the call because I knew I wanted to report him.

0 coins

Ethan Clark

•

No problem! Let us know if you get any response. They can be hit or miss with follow-up.

0 coins

AstroAce

•

FREAKING DOCUMENT EVERYTHING!!! Write down exactly what was said as best you can remember, the time and date, and the person's name. If you don't have their name, note any identifying info they gave. Then call the main number, request a supervisor, and file a formal complaint. These workers need to be held accountable!

0 coins

THIS!!! 💯 And also record the calls if NY is a one-party consent state (which I think it is

0 coins

Carmen Vega

•

NY is a one-party consent state so OP could legally record calls without telling the other person. Smart move for future calls.

0 coins

Dealing with the exact same BS right now. These unemployment workers have zero supervision and can say whatever they want to us. I've been using claimyr.com to get through to actual humans when I need to call - at least that way you can keep trying until you get someone decent on the line. The service connects you directly to an agent without the hours of hold time.

0 coins

Zoe Stavros

•

how exactly does this claimyr thing work? worth trying?

0 coins

Andre Rousseau

•

It basically calls repeatedly for you and uses tech to detect when a human answers, then calls your phone to connect you. Totally worth it if you're sick of wasting your life on hold. Talking to an agent got my issues sorted in one call.

0 coins

Jamal Harris

•

Ok heres what you need to do. First contact your state assemblyperson or senator. They can often help with unemployment issues and will take complaints about treatment seriously. Google "NY state assembly person lookup" to find yours. Second, file a complaint through the official DOL channels. And third, if you're really motivated, contact local news consumer advocates - they sometimes do stories on govt agency mistreatment and it can lead to fast responses.

0 coins

Wow I hadn't thought of contacting my state rep. That's a great idea! Thanks for the suggestions.

0 coins

GalaxyGlider

•

I second this! My state senator's office got my claim fixed in 2 days after I spent 3 months trying on my own. They have special contacts at the unemployment office.

0 coins

Mei Wong

•

Look I know this is kinda petty but I keep a notebook where I write down the name of EVERY unemployment worker I talk to and rate them 1-10 on helpfulness and attitude. When I get a good one, I ask to speak to their supervisor to give positive feedback. When I get a terrible one, I do the same but for a complaint. The good agents really appreciate it, and the bad ones need to be reported. No one should be treating people who are already struggling like trash!

0 coins

Liam Sullivan

•

not petty at all! accountability goes both ways. i love that you give positive feedback for the good ones too.

0 coins

Amara Okafor

•

Ha I do the same thing! I've got a running spreadsheet with names, dates, what they told me... cause they all tell you something different 🤡

0 coins

I work for a different state agency (not unemployment) and I can tell you that customer complaints ARE taken seriously, especially if you have specific details. Ask to speak with a manager or supervisor and be ready to provide the agent's name, date/time of call, and specific examples of inappropriate behavior. Also follow up with an email so there's a written record. Don't let this slide - that behavior is NOT acceptable.

0 coins

After hours and hours of trying to get thru on the phone to file a complaint, I finally found a solution that worked. I used claimyr.com to get connected directly to an unemployment agent. They handled everything for me - I just signed up on their site and waited for them to call me when they got a live person. Finally got my complaint filed and my actual issue resolved too! Talking to a live agent made all the difference.

0 coins

StarStrider

•

Sounds like an ad 🤣

0 coins

Nah man, just sharing what worked for me after weeks of frustration. Before finding that service I was literally calling 50+ times a day trying to get through. Do whatever works for you tho!

0 coins

Dylan Campbell

•

i just looked it up and it's an actual service. pretty genius idea tbh, with how impossible it is to reach unemployment

0 coins

Sofia Torres

•

I'm actually an attorney who has helped clients with unemployment issues, and I can tell you that documenting inappropriate behavior by DOL staff is important. Here's what to do: 1) Write down everything you remember about the call - date, time, the agent's name, and what was said as precisely as possible 2) File an official complaint through multiple channels: the DOL feedback form, via phone with a supervisor, and in writing to the Commissioner's office 3) Contact your state representatives - they often have liaison relationships with unemployment offices 4) If you continue to have trouble reaching someone by phone, I've had clients use claimyr.com with good results - it's a service that helps you connect with an actual agent 5) Request that your complaint be documented in your claim file 6) If this treatment affected how you responded to questions about your claim, make sure to note that as well Many people don't realize that there are procedures for addressing unprofessional conduct, but the squeaky wheel gets the grease in these situations.

0 coins

Thank you so much for this detailed advice! I'll follow these steps right away. Really appreciate the help from an expert.

0 coins

Dmitry Sokolov

•

Do you think its worth hiring an attorney if unemployment problems persist? How much does that typically cost?

0 coins

Sofia Torres

•

It depends on your specific situation. For simple claims issues, usually the methods I mentioned above work without needing legal representation. If you're dealing with a hearing or appeal, then it might be worth consulting with an attorney who specializes in employment law.

0 coins

Ava Martinez

•

The ny unemployment system is broken af. I've dealt with some of the rudest ppl ever when calling them. And they act like they're doing you a favor by just doing their job 🙄 But I've also talked to a few who were amazing and really helped me. It's hit or miss. Definitely report the bad ones though!

0 coins

Miguel Ramos

•

What everyone else said plus CONTACT YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES!! Seriously, this was the only thing that worked for me. My assemblyman's office has a dedicated person who deals with unemployment issues and they got things fixed in days after I spent months getting nowhere.

0 coins

QuantumQuasar

•

100% this. My state senator's office was the only reason my claim finally got processed after 11 weeks of waiting!

0 coins

Zainab Omar

•

I had an agent literally LAUGH at me when I told them I couldn't pay my rent because my benefits were delayed. The system is designed to make you give up. Don't. Document everything, be persistent, and use every avenue available. The claimyr.com service others mentioned helped me finally reach someone who fixed my issue.

0 coins

That's horrible! I'm so sorry that happened to you. It's crazy how some of these people act.

0 coins

so the nysdol actually has a formal complaint process, but of course they dont make it easy to find 🙄 you need to call the main number, ask for a supervisor immediately (don't explain to the first person or they'll give you runaround), then tell supervisor you want to file a formal complaint against an employee. they are required to take these complaints and have a process for investigating them. dont let them brush you off!

0 coins

TaxRefund AI

Expert Assistant
Secure

Powered by Claimyr AI

T
I
+
6,504 users helped today