NYS Department of Labor unemployment eligibility if I left my job voluntarily - am I disqualified?

Generally speaking, if you voluntarily quit your job you won't be eligible for unemployment benefits unless you can prove you had 'good cause' for leaving. NYS Department of Labor has specific criteria for what constitutes good cause - things like unsafe working conditions, harassment, significant changes to your job duties or pay. You'll need to file a claim and explain your reasons during the adjudication process. They'll investigate and make a determination.

i quit my last job too and got denied initially but then appealed and won. you have to really explain why you HAD to leave, not just wanted to. mental health can count if you can show it was directly caused by work conditions

The key is proving constructive discharge - that staying would have been unreasonable for any person in your situation. NYS Department of Labor looks at whether you tried to resolve the issues first, whether the employer was aware of the problems, and if the conditions were truly intolerable. Document everything you can remember with dates and witnesses. File your claim anyway - worst case they deny it but you might be surprised.

If you're having trouble getting through to NYS Department of Labor to discuss your specific situation, I used a service called Claimyr that helped me reach an actual agent. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. It was really helpful when I needed to explain my complicated work situation and get guidance on whether my circumstances would qualify.

The unemployment system is so frustrating!! They make it seem like once you quit you're automatically screwed but there are definitely exceptions. I know someone who quit because their boss was making racist comments and they got approved after the investigation. Just be really detailed about WHY you had to leave when you file.

I went through something similar about 6 months ago. The key thing I learned is that NYS DOL really does look at each case individually when it comes to voluntary quits. Mental health issues caused by a toxic work environment can definitely qualify as good cause, but you need to be prepared to explain how you tried to address the problems first. Did you talk to HR, your supervisor, or document any incidents? Even if you don't have tons of written evidence, they'll still review your case. I'd recommend filing the claim and being very thorough in explaining the timeline of events that led to your decision to leave. The worst they can do is deny it, but you might be surprised - and you can always appeal if needed.