NY unemployment eligibility for restaurant workers with reduced hours - desperately need help

You CAN apply for partial unemployment in NY if your hours have been significantly reduced. The system is designed to help in exactly your situation. Here's what you need to know: 1. In NY, you can receive partial benefits if you work less than 4 days per week AND earn less than $594 in weekly gross wages (as of 2025 guidelines). 2. Each day you work, regardless of hours, reduces your weekly benefit amount. But you can still receive something to help cover the gap. 3. Your employer will be notified when you file - this is standard procedure as they need to verify your employment details. However, it's illegal for them to retaliate against you for filing for unemployment. Apply online through the NY.gov website. You'll need your employment history for the last 18 months, your Social Security number, and a way to receive payments (direct deposit or debit card).

Just went through this myself! I'm a bartender and my place cut my shifts from 5 days to just 2 days a week. I applied for partial unemployment and got approved in about 10 days. They calculate your benefit based on your highest earning quarter in the "base period" (basically the last year or so). Yes, your employer gets notified automatically, but most restaurant managers understand this is happening everywhere right now. Mine was actually supportive and told me to apply. Make sure when you certify each week, you accurately report ANY days you work, even if it's just a 3-hour shift. If you work at all during a day, that counts as a "day worked" in NY's system. Messing this up can cause big problems later.

apply now dont wait! my sister waits tables and her hours got cut to almost nothing too. she was scared to apply but our landlord was going to evict us so she did it. took like 3 weeks to get first payment but it helped a lot. they asked for her to upload pay stubs and stuff about her tips

I'm an employment attorney in NY, and I want to clarify something important: New York's partial unemployment system changed significantly in 2025. It now uses an "hours-based" approach rather than the old "day-based" system. For restaurant workers with variable income including tips, they'll look at your total reported income (including declared tips) from your base period to determine your benefit amount. Then, each week you claim, you'll report your actual hours worked and earnings for that week. The current formula reduces your benefit by 25% for each full day you work, but you can still receive partial benefits if you work less than 4 days AND earn below the threshold ($594/week). And yes, document EVERYTHING. Keep records of all scheduled shifts, hours worked, and pay received. Your employer's payroll records should include your declared tips, but if there's a discrepancy, having your own records will help.

i tried to apply for NY unemployment last month when my hours got cut and it was IMPOSSIBLE to get thru to an actual human when i had questions!!!! the online system kept giving me errors saying my wages didnt match what my employer reported. i spent FOUR DAYS trying to call them and never got through. waste of time.

THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED AGAINST SERVICE WORKERS!!! I've been dealing with NY unemployment for 2 months now. They keep asking for more documentation about my tips, but half my managers didn't even report my cash tips properly! Now they're saying I might have to pay back money if I can't prove all my income. They make it DELIBERATELY COMPLICATED for tipped workers. One agent told me one thing, then another contradicted them completely. Meanwhile I'm about to be HOMELESS waiting for them to figure it out!!! The whole system is designed to make us give up.

Thank you everyone for the helpful responses! I just applied online and documented all my work hours and income for the last 18 months as best I could. The application asked specifically about tips and I reported everything honestly. One more question - my manager just texted that they might have more hours for me next week, but it's not guaranteed. If I get scheduled for more hours after applying, do I need to withdraw my application or can I just report the additional hours when I certify?

my friend works at a restaurant too and she said her boss tried to make her work off the clock so it wouldn't affect her unemployment but thats illegal!!!! dont let them do that to u if they try it

Quick update on my situation since it might help others - I've been on partial unemployment for about 6 weeks now. The weekly certification process is pretty straightforward once you get used to it. I just answer the questions honestly each Sunday night about how many hours I worked and what I earned. One thing that tripped me up: you have to report your gross wages (before taxes and deductions) for the week, not what you actually take home. Also, you report wages for the week you EARNED them, not when you get paid. My benefits have ranged from $0 (on weeks I worked more) to about $320 (on weeks I barely worked). It's not enough to fully replace my income, but it's definitely helping me stay afloat until business picks up or I find something more stable.

Just wanted to let everyone know that the restaurant industry is starting to pick up again in some parts of NY. I was in your exact situation back in January - had my hours cut from 25-30 down to just 8-10 per week. I got partial unemployment which helped a ton during the slow period. Now my restaurant is back to full staffing and I'm working normal hours again. Hang in there! And definitely apply for the benefits - that's exactly what they're designed for.