NY unemployment deducted 2 days for only 16 hours work - wrong calculation?

The system calculates partial days based on how many hours you work. Each day is considered 4 hours, not 10. So your 16 hours equals 4 days (16 ÷ 4 = 4). Since the maximum is 4 days per week, the system correctly calculated your benefits. Check the NYSDOL handbook for the exact breakdown.

The previous answer isn't correct. NY unemployment divides your total hours worked by 4 to calculate days. So 16 hours ÷ 4 = 4 days. That's why they deducted all 4 days. But double-check if you worked exactly 16 hours or maybe a little less (like 15 hours) because that would be 3.75 days which should round down to 3 days of benefits deducted.

The 4-hour rule is correct, unfortunately. Each day of unemployment benefits equals 4 working hours. If you work 16 hours, that's calculated as 4 days. If you work 4-7 hours, that's 1 day deducted. 8-11 hours is 2 days deducted. 12-15 hours is 3 days deducted. And 16+ hours is all 4 days. It's in the claimant handbook on page 23. You might want to adjust your work schedule to stay under these thresholds if possible.

The same thing happened to me last month! I worked 16.5 hours and lost ALL my benefits for the week. It's so frustrating. When I called NYSDOL, they just read the same rules others mentioned here. The 4-hour rule has been in place for years. Definitely try to keep your hours at 15 or under if you want to get at least some benefits for the week.

this is going 2 sound crazy but maybe try working 15.75 hours next week?? my coworker did that and the system counted it as 3 days not 4. idk if it always works but worth a shot

I've been dealing with this EXACT issue for months!!! It's RIDICULOUS how they calculate this. You'd think they'd want to encourage people to work part-time but NOPE! Work 16 hours, lose EVERYTHING. Work 15 hours, keep SOME benefits. MAKES NO SENSE. I've called about this multiple times and the agents just read from their script. The system is designed to punish people who are trying to get back to work gradually.

Btw if u need to reach someone at unemployment about this, don't waste hours on hold. I used a service called Claimyr that got me through to an agent in like 20 mins instead of spending all day trying. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE - totally worth it when you need to get specific questions answered about your benefits calculations.

Here's the official breakdown from the handbook for anyone who needs it: 0 hours worked = 0 days deducted 1-4 hours worked = 1 day deducted 5-8 hours worked = 2 days deducted 9-12 hours worked = 3 days deducted 13-16+ hours worked = 4 days deducted So @OP, working exactly 16 hours puts you right at the cutoff for losing all 4 days. If you can work even 15.9 hours, you'd only lose 3 days of benefits.

Update: I finally got through to someone at NYSDOL after using that Claimyr service someone mentioned. The agent confirmed what everyone's been saying - 16 hours counts as 4 days. But here's the important part: my employer had actually reported 16.25 hours because of a 15-minute meeting I forgot about! The agent said they always go with the higher number between what you report and what your employer reports. So even if I had reported 15.9 hours, they would have still counted it as 16.25. Lesson learned - I need to be super precise with my timesheet and make sure I know exactly what my employer is reporting!

Does anyone know if this 4-hour rule applies to self-employment income too? I do some freelancing on the side and I'm trying to figure out how to properly report my hours.

Just wanted to add that if you're planning to adjust your work hours to stay under the 16-hour threshold, make sure to communicate with your employer about why you need specific hour limits. I had to explain to my manager that working 15 hours vs 16 hours makes a $187 difference in my weekly benefits. Most employers are understanding once you explain the situation, especially if you're a reliable worker. Some even prefer part-time employees who are clear about their availability limits. Also, keep track of EVERY minute you work - including training time, meetings, and even time spent reading work emails at home, as all of this counts toward your total hours reported to NYSDOL.