NYS Department of Labor benefits if I quit my job - any exceptions?
I've been working at this retail place for about 8 months and the management situation has gotten really toxic. My manager has been cutting my hours whenever I can't work overtime and creating a hostile environment. I'm thinking about quitting but I need to know - can you get unemployment from NYS Department of Labor if you quit your job voluntarily? I've heard there might be some exceptions for certain situations but I'm not sure what qualifies. Has anyone dealt with this before?
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Liam Fitzgerald
Generally speaking, if you quit voluntarily you won't qualify for regular unemployment benefits through NYS Department of Labor. However, there are some exceptions for "good cause" situations like unsafe working conditions, harassment, or significant changes to your job terms. You'd need to prove the employer created conditions that would make any reasonable person quit. Document everything before you make any decisions.
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Mei Lin
•What kind of documentation would I need? I have some text messages from my manager but not sure if that's enough proof for NYS Department of Labor.
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Amara Nnamani
I quit my last job because of harassment and was denied unemployment initially. You have to file anyway and request a hearing to explain your situation. The burden of proof is on you to show you had "good cause" to quit. Keep records of everything - emails, schedules showing hour cuts, witness statements if possible. The adjudication process can take weeks though.
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Giovanni Mancini
•How did your hearing go? I'm in a similar situation and wondering if it's worth the hassle to even try.
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Amara Nnamani
•I actually won my appeal but it took 3 months total. Had to show a pattern of retaliation and hostile behavior. Was worth it in the end but definitely stressful.
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NebulaNinja
trying to reach someone at NYS Department of Labor to ask about this exact thing but their phone lines are impossible!! been trying for days and keep getting hung up on or told to call back later. so frustrating when you need answers
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
•I had the same problem trying to get through to NYS Department of Labor about my claim status. Found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually gets you connected to a real agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting nowhere.
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Dylan Mitchell
honestly the whole system is set up against workers anyway. they make it nearly impossible to qualify if you quit even when your boss is making your life miserable. meanwhile employers can fire you for basically anything and you get benefits no problem. makes no sense
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Sofia Morales
•yeah same thing happened to my cousin, toxic workplace but couldn't prove it enough for unemployment
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Liam Fitzgerald
Before you quit, consider filing complaints with HR if your company has an HR department, or with the Department of Labor for workplace violations. Having these on record can strengthen your case if you do end up quitting and filing for unemployment. Also look into whether your situation might qualify for constructive dismissal - that's when working conditions become so intolerable that quitting is essentially being forced out.
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