NYS Department of Labor unemployment if I quit my job - am I eligible?
I'm thinking about quitting my job because my supervisor has been making my work environment really difficult. The schedule keeps changing last minute and I'm getting written up for things that aren't my fault. If I quit can I claim unemployment benefits through NYS Department of Labor? I heard you can't get UI if you quit but I'm not sure if there are exceptions. Does anyone know what the rules are?
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Amara Adeyemi
Generally you can't get unemployment if you quit voluntarily, but there are exceptions for 'good cause.' NYS Department of Labor considers things like unsafe working conditions, harassment, or significant changes to your job terms as potential good cause. You'd need to document everything - keep records of the schedule changes, any written warnings, emails, etc. The burden is on you to prove you had good cause for quitting.
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Liam O'Connor
•What kind of documentation would be strong enough? I have some text messages from my supervisor but not much else in writing.
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Giovanni Gallo
my friend quit last year and got denied unemployment. she tried to appeal but it didn't work. unless you have like really serious proof of harassment or unsafe conditions NYS Department of Labor usually sides with the employer
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Fatima Al-Mazrouei
Before you quit, try to get your employer to fire you instead. Document the issues you mentioned and maybe talk to HR about the problems. If they terminate you for performance issues that aren't your fault, you'll have a much better chance at getting UI benefits. Quitting puts you at a huge disadvantage with NYS Department of Labor adjudication.
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Dylan Wright
•This is actually smart advice. I had a similar situation and kept detailed notes of every incident. When they finally fired me I had everything documented for my unemployment claim.
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NebulaKnight
I was in a toxic work situation last year and couldn't get through to anyone at NYS Department of Labor to ask about my options before making a decision. The phone lines are always busy and their online chat never worked for me. I ended up using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me actually talk to someone at the unemployment office. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Might be worth checking out before you make any big decisions about quitting.
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Liam O'Connor
•Thanks for the suggestion. Did they help you figure out if you qualified before you quit?
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NebulaKnight
•Yeah they got me connected to an actual NYS Department of Labor rep who explained my options. Turned out I didn't have strong enough documentation for good cause so I ended up trying a different approach with my employer first.
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Sofia Ramirez
The system is so messed up!!! I know people who quit for way less serious reasons and somehow got unemployment while others who had legitimate harassment cases got denied. It's like playing the lottery with NYS Department of Labor adjudication. The whole process is designed to deny as many claims as possible.
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Dmitry Popov
You should definitely explore your options first. Document everything, maybe file complaints with HR or your state labor department about the working conditions. Even if you do end up quitting, having that paper trail will help your case if you apply for unemployment benefits.
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