If you quit do you get unemployment benefits from NYS Department of Labor?
I'm thinking about leaving my job because my manager has been making my life miserable for months. But I'm worried about money and need to know - if you quit do you get unemployment benefits? I heard different things from people and I'm confused about what NYS Department of Labor actually allows. My friend said you can never get benefits if you quit but someone else told me there are exceptions. Can anyone explain how this works? I really can't stay at this job much longer but I need some income while I look for something else.
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Connor O'Brien
Generally speaking, if you voluntarily quit your job, you won't qualify for unemployment benefits in New York. However, there are specific exceptions where NYS Department of Labor will approve benefits even if you quit. These include situations like workplace harassment, unsafe working conditions, significant changes to your job duties or pay, or domestic violence situations. You'd need to prove you had 'good cause' for leaving. The key is documenting everything - keep emails, write down incidents with dates, get witness statements if possible.
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StarSailor
•What counts as documentation for harassment? My manager never puts anything in writing, it's all verbal abuse and impossible schedules.
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Yara Sabbagh
I quit my last job because they cut my hours from 40 to 15 per week with no warning. NYS Department of Labor approved my claim because it was considered 'constructive dismissal' - basically forcing you to quit. Took about 3 weeks to get through adjudication but I did get benefits. You have to be really specific about why you left when you file.
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StarSailor
•How did you prove the hour reduction? Did you need pay stubs or something?
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Yara Sabbagh
•Yeah I had to send in my last few pay stubs and a letter explaining the situation. They also called my old employer to verify.
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Keisha Johnson
honestly the system is set up against workers. even when you have good cause they make you jump through hoops for months while you're struggling to pay bills. my cousin quit because her boss was sexually harassing her and NYS Department of Labor STILL made her appeal twice before approving benefits. meanwhile she's living off credit cards waiting for them to make a decision
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Paolo Rizzo
•That's terrible but unfortunately common. If you're dealing with NYS Department of Labor appeals or complex cases, there's actually a service called Claimyr that helps people get through to agents by phone when you can't reach them yourself. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Might be worth it if you're stuck in the system.
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QuantumQuest
Wait so if I quit because my job is making me physically sick from stress I could still get benefits?? I've been having panic attacks and my doctor said it's work related but I thought quitting automatically disqualified you.
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Connor O'Brien
•Medical reasons can sometimes qualify as good cause, especially if you have documentation from your doctor. You'd need medical records showing the work environment is affecting your health. But don't quit without consulting with someone first - maybe call NYS Department of Labor or talk to an employment lawyer.
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Amina Sy
same boat here... my workplace is toxic but I'm scared to quit without knowing for sure about benefits
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Oliver Fischer
I tried this route when I quit my job at a restaurant because they weren't following safety protocols and I kept getting burned. NYS Department of Labor denied my claim initially but I appealed with photos of my injuries and a statement from the health department about violations at the restaurant. Eventually got approved but it took 4 months total. The appeal process is brutal but sometimes it's worth fighting if you really had good cause to leave.
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