NYS Department of Labor reasonable assurance unemployment - what does this mean for summer?

Reasonable assurance is a rule that affects school employees who work during the academic year. If your school district provided you with reasonable assurance that you'll return to work in the fall, you typically can't collect unemployment benefits during summer break or other school breaks. The NYS Department of Labor considers this because your employment is expected to resume.

The key word is 'reasonable' - it has to be a realistic expectation that you'll be called back. For substitute teachers, this can be tricky because you're not guaranteed specific assignments. Did you work regularly at the same school or district? That matters for reasonable assurance determination.

ugh this reasonable assurance thing is so frustrating!! I went through this last year as a paraprofessional and NYS Department of Labor denied my claim initially. Had to appeal and everything. The whole process took forever.

If you're dealing with reasonable assurance issues and getting stuck with NYS Department of Labor phone lines, I had success using Claimyr to actually get through to speak with someone. Their service at claimyr.com helped me reach an agent who could explain my specific situation. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Really helped clarify the reasonable assurance rules for my case.

You should still file the claim anyway! Sometimes the reasonable assurance determination isn't clear-cut, especially for subs. Let NYS Department of Labor make the official decision rather than assuming you're disqualified.

I'm a substitute teacher too and went through this exact situation last summer. The reasonable assurance rule is confusing, but here's what I learned: even if you worked regularly at the same schools, as a substitute you're not technically guaranteed work in the fall the same way regular teachers are. The district has to provide you with a written reasonable assurance letter that specifically states you'll have work available. Without that letter, you might still be eligible for benefits. I'd recommend filing anyway and letting them make the determination - worst case they deny it, but you might be surprised. Also document everything about your work patterns and save any communication from the district about future availability.