What are the qualifications to file for unemployment with NYS Department of Labor?
I'm thinking about filing for unemployment benefits but I'm not really sure if I qualify. I was working part-time at a retail store for about 8 months before they let me go last week due to budget cuts. Before that I had a full-time job for 2 years that I left because my supervisor was making the workplace really hostile. I'm wondering what the basic qualifications are to file with NYS Department of Labor? Do I need to have worked a certain number of hours or made a minimum amount? Also does it matter why I left my previous jobs?
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Lorenzo McCormick
The main qualifications for NYS Department of Labor unemployment are: 1) You must have worked and earned wages in at least two quarters of your base period (usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed quarters), 2) You must have earned at least $2,600 in your highest quarter during the base period, 3) Your total base period wages must be at least 1.5 times your highest quarter earnings, and 4) You must be unemployed through no fault of your own. Since you were laid off due to budget cuts, that should qualify as no fault of your own. The hostile work environment situation is trickier - you'd need to prove you had good cause to quit.
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Ayla Kumar
•Thanks for the detailed info! I think I meet the wage requirements since I was making decent money at both jobs. Should I mention the hostile supervisor situation when I file or just focus on the recent layoff?
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Carmella Popescu
wait so you have to work in 2 different quarters? I thought it was just about how much you made total. this is confusing
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Lorenzo McCormick
•No, you don't need 2 different jobs - you need to have earned wages in at least 2 quarters (3-month periods) during your base period. So if you worked the same job for 6+ months, that would cover 2 quarters.
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Kai Santiago
If you're having trouble figuring out if you qualify, you can actually get help reaching a NYS Department of Labor agent to ask specific questions about your situation. I used claimyr.com when I was confused about my eligibility - they have this video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Basically they call the NYS Department of Labor for you and get you connected to an actual person instead of dealing with busy signals and getting hung up on.
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Lim Wong
•How much does that cost though? Seems like you should be able to call yourself
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Kai Santiago
•I mean yeah you can try calling yourself but I was getting nowhere after like 20 attempts. It's worth checking out if you're stuck like I was.
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Dananyl Lear
I was in a similar situation last year - got laid off from part time work. The thing that surprised me is they look at ALL your wages during the base period, not just your most recent job. So even though my recent job was only part time, my earlier full time work helped me qualify for a higher benefit amount. Definitely file even if you're not 100% sure you qualify - the worst they can say is no.
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Ayla Kumar
•That's really good to know! I was worried the part-time hours might hurt my chances but sounds like my previous full-time job will actually help.
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Noah huntAce420
The NYS Department of Labor website has a benefit calculator where you can estimate if you qualify and how much you might get. Just search for 'unemployment benefit calculator' on their site. It's not 100% accurate but gives you a good idea before you file your claim.
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