If you quit your job are you eligible for unemployment - NYS Department of Labor rules?
I'm thinking about leaving my current position because my supervisor has been making my work environment really hostile. I've been dealing with constant criticism over minor things and unreasonable demands that other employees don't face. Before I make any decisions, I need to understand - if you quit your job are you eligible for unemployment benefits through NYS Department of Labor? I've been working at this company for almost 2 years and really don't want to lose my income, but the stress is affecting my health. Does anyone know what the rules are for voluntary separation?
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Emma Wilson
Generally, if you quit voluntarily, you're disqualified from receiving UI benefits. However, NYS Department of Labor does recognize 'good cause' reasons for leaving a job. Hostile work environment could potentially qualify if you can document it properly. You'd need to show that you tried to resolve the issues with your employer first and that the conditions were so bad that any reasonable person would have quit.
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Javier Torres
•What kind of documentation would I need? I haven't been keeping records of the incidents but I could start now.
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QuantumLeap
You need to be really careful here. I quit my last job thinking I had good cause and NYS Department of Labor denied my claim. Even though my boss was terrible, they said I didn't prove I exhausted all options to fix the situation. Make sure you file complaints with HR first and keep copies of everything. Also document specific incidents with dates and times.
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Malik Johnson
•This happened to my sister too. She had to appeal and it took months to get approved.
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Isabella Santos
I was in a similar situation last year and couldn't get through to anyone at NYS Department of Labor to ask questions before I quit. The phone lines are always busy and they never responded to my online messages. I ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me actually reach a real person at the unemployment office. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Might be worth checking out before you make your decision so you can get official guidance.
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Javier Torres
•Thanks for the suggestion! Did they help you understand the good cause requirements better?
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Ravi Sharma
honestly the whole system is set up to screw over workers. even if you have legitimate reasons for quitting they'll find ways to deny your claim. i've seen people with documented harassment still get rejected because they didn't jump through every single hoop perfectly
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Freya Larsen
Have you considered talking to a lawyer about workplace harassment first? Sometimes threatening legal action can improve the situation without you having to quit.
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Omar Hassan
•That's actually smart advice. Document everything first, try other solutions, then if you do have to quit you'll have a stronger case for good cause.
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Giovanni Colombo
I went through something similar about 6 months ago. The key thing NYS Department of Labor looks for is whether you made "reasonable efforts" to resolve the situation before quitting. In my case, I had to show that I complained to HR in writing, requested a transfer, and documented specific incidents with dates and witness names. I also had to prove that the working conditions were "so intolerable that a reasonable person would have been compelled to resign." It's a high bar, but not impossible if you build a solid paper trail. Start documenting everything now - emails, incidents, witnesses, and any attempts you make to address the issues through proper channels. Good luck!
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Ava Thompson
•This is really helpful, thank you! Can you clarify what you mean by "reasonable person would have been compelled to resign"? I'm wondering if constant criticism and unreasonable demands would meet that standard, or if it needs to be more severe like harassment or discrimination? Also, when you say witness names - did you need coworkers to actually testify or was it enough to just mention who was present during incidents?
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