NYS Department of Labor claim delayed after wage cuts - effects on unemployment benefits?
My employer cut my wages by 40% last month and I had to quit because I couldn't afford to keep working for that little. Now I'm trying to file for unemployment with NYS Department of Labor but they're saying I quit voluntarily. I explained the wage cut situation but my claim has been in adjudication for two weeks now. Has anyone dealt with this before? Do wage cuts count as good cause for quitting? I'm really struggling financially and need to know if my claim will be approved.
10 comments


Mateo Sanchez
Yes, substantial wage cuts can qualify as good cause for leaving employment under NYS Department of Labor rules. You'll need to document the wage reduction - keep pay stubs showing before and after amounts. A 40% cut is definitely substantial enough to qualify. The adjudication process is reviewing whether you had good cause to quit.
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Nia Wilson
•Thank you! I have all my pay stubs saved. Should I upload them to my ny.gov account or wait for them to ask?
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Aisha Mahmood
same thing happened to my friend last year, took forever to get approved but she did eventually get benefits
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Ethan Clark
You should definitely upload those pay stubs now through your online account. Also submit a written statement explaining the situation. NYS Department of Labor needs clear documentation that the wage cut was substantial and made continued employment unreasonable. I've seen cases like this approved but it takes time for them to review everything.
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AstroAce
•How long does adjudication usually take for quit cases? I'm in a similar situation and getting really anxious about paying my bills.
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Yuki Kobayashi
The unemployment system is so broken. They make you jump through hoops even when it's obvious you had no choice but to quit. I waited 6 weeks for my adjudication and they STILL asked for more documentation after that.
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Carmen Vega
If you're having trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor by phone to check on your claim status, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Really helped when I was stuck in adjudication hell.
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Nia Wilson
•Is that legit? I've been trying to call for days but keep getting disconnected.
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Andre Rousseau
•Yeah I've heard of that service, my cousin used it when her claim was stuck. Anything's better than sitting on hold for hours just to get hung up on.
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Zoe Stavros
I dont understand why they make this so complicated. If someone cuts your pay that much obviously you cant survive on it!!! The whole system needs to be fixed.
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