NYS Department of Labor eligibility requirements - which situation qualifies workers for unemployment benefits?
I'm trying to understand the basic eligibility rules for unemployment in New York. My friend got laid off from her retail job last month and filed for benefits right away. But my cousin quit his warehouse job because of unsafe conditions and was told he might not qualify. I'm confused about which situations actually make workers eligible for unemployment benefits through NYS Department of Labor. Can someone explain what the main requirements are? I want to make sure I understand this correctly in case I ever need to file a claim myself.
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Yara Campbell
The basic eligibility requirement is that you must be unemployed through no fault of your own. This typically means you were laid off, your position was eliminated, or you were terminated for reasons other than misconduct. You also need to have earned enough wages during your base period and be able and available to work while actively searching for employment.
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Ella rollingthunder87
•What about my cousin who quit due to unsafe conditions? Does that count as 'no fault of your own'?
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Isaac Wright
Your cousin might actually qualify if he can prove the working conditions were genuinely unsafe or if he had good cause to quit. NYS Department of Labor recognizes certain situations where quitting doesn't disqualify you - like documented safety violations, harassment, or significant changes to your job terms. He should definitely file and explain his situation during the adjudication process.
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Maya Diaz
•This is exactly what happened to me! I quit because my employer wasn't following COVID safety protocols and I got approved after providing documentation.
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Tami Morgan
ugh the whole system is so confusing... I got denied initially when I quit my job because my hours got cut to basically nothing but then I appealed and won. sometimes you just gotta fight for it
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Yara Campbell
•Reduction in hours can definitely qualify you for partial unemployment benefits, even if you're still technically employed. It sounds like your appeal was successful because you met the criteria.
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Rami Samuels
If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to discuss your specific situation, I found this service called Claimyr that helped me reach an actual agent. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Really saved me hours of trying to call myself when I needed to clarify my eligibility status.
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Haley Bennett
•never heard of that but might be worth it if you're stuck in phone hell with NYS Department of Labor
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Douglas Foster
The main situations that typically qualify you are: layoffs due to lack of work, company closures, position eliminations, being fired for reasons other than misconduct, or quitting with good cause. You also need to meet the monetary requirements based on your work history in the base period, which is usually the first four of the last five completed quarters before you filed.
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