NY unemployment certification asking about self-employment on last job - will I still get benefits?

This happened to me too! Turns out there was an issue with how my employer reported my earnings. I tried calling for THREE DAYS with no luck, then found Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me connected to an actual agent in about 30 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE. The agent explained that sometimes the system flags accounts when there's any discrepancy in the employer's reporting. They fixed it on the spot and my certification went through normally after that.

Answer truthfully - if you weren't self-employed, select "No" to that question. This happens when there's an issue with how your employer reported your wages to the Department of Labor. Answering incorrectly just to get past the screen will cause bigger problems later. Your benefits might be delayed while they review, but answering honestly is always the right approach.

the same thing happened to me last month. my employer had me listed as a 1099 contractor even tho I was a w2 employee. I answered NO and still got my benefits but it took like 2 extra weeks. so frustrating.

Is there anything in your work history that could be interpreted as self-employment? Did you ever do gig work, freelance on the side, or get paid in cash? The system is TERRIBLE at distinguishing between actual employment and side gigs. I got flagged for selling stuff on Etsy even though my actual claim was from my full-time job!!!

Based on your situation, here's what you should do: 1. Answer NO to the self-employment question since you were an employee at the restaurant. 2. In NY, any earnings discrepancy triggers an automatic review. This happens if your employer reported your wages differently than what you claimed. 3. Your benefits might be temporarily held while they review, but they'll be released retroactively once verified. 4. If you need immediate assistance, call the claims center at 1-888-209-8124. Their least busy times are typically early morning (7:30-8:30 AM) or late afternoon (4:00-5:30 PM). 5. If the question persists next week, you should request a determination interview to resolve the issue permanently.

yea just answer no and move on, u will get ur benefits eventually. took me 3 weeks to get paid when this happened but they paid all the back weeks too

this is why the unemployment system is so messed up, they ask confusing questions then make you wait forever to fix their mistakes. i had something similar happen but with a different question and ended up having to wait 5 weeks for benefits. the system is designed to be confusing on purpose i swear

To update my previous answer about the DoorDash work you mentioned - that could absolutely be the source of the confusion. Even though it was back in 2023, the system may have flagged your account because of prior gig work. In this case: 1. You should still answer NO to being self-employed at your last job (the restaurant). 2. But be prepared to explain your DoorDash history if you get a call from an examiner. 3. Having your 2023 tax documents ready would be helpful in case they need verification. 4. The system is designed to catch unreported prior self-employment, which is why it's flagging your account.

Update on my situation: After talking with the agent, they explained that even old gig work can trigger these questions. They reviewed my account while I was on the phone and removed the flag! Got my payment the next day. Don't give up - definitely worth getting through to an actual person who can fix it immediately.

anyone know if they backpay the weeks that were delayed? i'm in the same situation now and worried about rent

I went through this exact same thing a few months ago! The key is to stay consistent with your answers and don't panic. I was also asked about self-employment even though I worked for a regular company. What helped me was keeping detailed records of everything - my W-2s, pay stubs, and even screenshots of the questions I was being asked. When I finally got through to someone, they were able to see that my employer had some coding issue in their system. The whole thing got resolved in one phone call, but it took me about 6 tries to actually reach a human. Keep trying the phone number Kaiya mentioned - the early morning slot really does work better. And yes, they will backpay everything once it's sorted out, so don't stress too much about the delay.

I'm dealing with something similar right now! My certification keeps getting stuck on weird questions that don't seem to apply to my situation. It's so stressful when you're already worried about money and then the system makes everything more complicated. From reading everyone's responses here, it sounds like the best approach is to answer honestly and be patient with the process, even though that's easier said than done when you need the benefits. Maya, I hope you get this resolved quickly - it's encouraging to see that others have gotten through to actual people who could fix these issues on the spot.

I just went through this exact same issue last week! The system kept asking me about self-employment even though I was a regular W-2 employee at a retail store. What worked for me was calling the number Kaiya mentioned (1-888-209-8124) right at 7:30 AM - got through on my second try. The agent told me that sometimes when employers submit their quarterly reports, there can be coding errors that flag accounts for review. She cleared it up in about 10 minutes and explained that as long as I kept answering truthfully, my benefits would process normally going forward. The whole delay was only about a week for me, and I did get backpaid for that week. Maya, definitely keep trying to call early morning - it really does make a difference in wait times!

I went through this exact same situation about 2 months ago! The self-employment question kept popping up even though I was a regular employee at a grocery store. What I learned is that the NY DOL system is super sensitive to any past 1099 work or gig economy jobs, even if they're completely unrelated to your current claim. Since you mentioned doing DoorDash in 2023, that's almost certainly what's triggering the flag. Here's what worked for me: I answered "NO" to the self-employment question (because my last job wasn't self-employment), but I also prepared a simple explanation about my DoorDash history just in case. When I finally got through to an agent, they appreciated that I had all my documentation ready - my W-2 from the grocery store, and my 1099 from DoorDash from 2023. They cleared the flag immediately and explained that this happens all the time. The key is consistency - always answer about your LAST job (the restaurant), not any previous gig work. You'll get your benefits, including backpay for any delayed weeks. The wait is frustrating but totally worth it once you get it sorted out!

I'm going through something very similar right now! My certification has been stuck on this self-employment question for over a week, and like you, I definitely wasn't self-employed at my last job - I worked at a manufacturing plant that laid off a bunch of people in February. Reading through all these responses has been really helpful though. It sounds like this is a super common issue that happens when there are discrepancies in how employers report wages or if you've had any gig work in the past. I'm going to try calling tomorrow morning at 7:30 AM like everyone suggested. The fact that so many people have gotten this resolved quickly once they reached an actual agent gives me hope. Maya, I hope you were able to get through and get this sorted out! For anyone else dealing with this, it seems like the key is to answer honestly about your last job and be prepared to explain any previous freelance/gig work if they ask.

I had this exact same issue about 6 weeks ago! The system kept flagging me with the self-employment question even though I was a regular employee at a bookstore. What really helped was calling right when they opened at 7:30 AM - I got through on my first try that way. The agent explained that their computer system sometimes gets confused when employers submit wage reports, especially if there's any discrepancy in how they coded your employment type. She fixed it while I was on the phone and my benefits resumed the next week. Maya, since you mentioned doing DoorDash in 2023, that's probably what's triggering the flag - the system is really sensitive to any past 1099 work. Just keep answering "NO" to the self-employment question for your restaurant job and have your old tax documents ready in case they ask. You'll definitely get backpaid for any delayed weeks once it's resolved. The waiting is stressful but it's worth getting it sorted out properly!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm dealing with a similar issue right now where the system keeps asking about self-employment even though I worked at a hardware store that closed down. Reading everyone's experiences has been really reassuring - it sounds like this is a super common problem that gets resolved once you talk to an actual agent. I'm definitely going to try the 7:30 AM calling strategy that everyone mentioned. Maya, I hope you were able to get through and get this sorted out! For anyone else dealing with this, it seems like the main takeaway is to answer honestly about your last job and be patient with the process, even though it's stressful when you need the money.

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! The system has been asking me about self-employment for my last job at a coffee shop, and like you, I definitely wasn't self-employed there. Reading through everyone's responses has been incredibly helpful - it sounds like this happens all the time when there are reporting discrepancies or if you've had any gig work in your history. I did some Uber driving back in 2022, so that's probably what's flagging my account too. I'm planning to call at 7:30 AM tomorrow using the number Kaiya provided. It's so reassuring to see that people are getting this resolved quickly once they reach an actual agent. Maya, I hope you were able to get through and get everything sorted out! The advice about answering truthfully about your restaurant job and having your old DoorDash tax docs ready makes total sense. Thanks for starting this thread - it's been a lifesaver for those of us dealing with the same confusing system!