What disqualifies you from unemployment benefits - NYS Department of Labor rules?
I'm trying to understand all the different ways someone can get disqualified from unemployment benefits in New York. My coworker just got denied and I want to make sure I don't mess up my own claim. I know quitting without good cause is one reason, but what are all the other disqualification reasons? Does anyone have experience with this or know where to find the complete list from NYS Department of Labor?
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Zoe Papadopoulos
There are several main categories that can disqualify you from UI benefits. The most common ones are: being fired for misconduct, quitting without good cause, refusing suitable work, not being able and available for work, and not meeting the job search requirements. You can also be disqualified for things like fraud, not registering with the job center when required, or being unavailable due to school attendance.
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Andre Laurent
•What exactly counts as misconduct? My coworker was always late but never got written up formally.
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Jamal Washington
The job search requirement trips up a lot of people. You need to make at least 3 job contacts per week and keep detailed records. If you can't prove you're actively looking for work or if you turn down a job offer that NYS Department of Labor considers suitable for your skills and experience, you'll get disqualified.
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Mei Wong
•How do they even check if you're really looking for work though? I thought you just had to certify that you did it.
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Jamal Washington
•They can audit your job search activities at any time. You need to keep records of who you contacted, when, and how. If they ask for proof and you can't provide it, you're disqualified.
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Liam Fitzgerald
Does anyone know about the school attendance rule? I'm thinking about taking some classes while on unemployment but don't want to lose my benefits.
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Zoe Papadopoulos
•Generally you can take training that's approved by NYS Department of Labor, but regular college classes can make you ineligible because they assume you're not available for full-time work. You should check with them before enrolling.
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PixelWarrior
I had such a hard time getting through to NYS Department of Labor to ask about disqualification rules. Spent hours on hold and kept getting disconnected. Finally found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that helped me reach an actual agent who could explain my situation. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Made the whole process so much easier than trying to call myself.
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Andre Laurent
•That sounds helpful. I've been trying to get through for days with questions about my claim status.
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Amara Adebayo
Don't forget about the voluntary quit situations. Even if you quit for what seems like a good reason, NYS Department of Labor has very specific criteria for what counts as 'good cause.' Things like harassment, unsafe working conditions, or significant changes to your job duties might qualify, but you need documentation.
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Andre Laurent
•So if someone quits because their boss was being unreasonable, that wouldn't count as good cause?
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Amara Adebayo
•Probably not unless you can prove it was creating an unsafe or hostile work environment. Just personality conflicts or disagreements usually don't qualify as good cause for quitting.
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Giovanni Rossi
ugh the whole system is so confusing!! why cant they just make it simple instead of having all these random rules that nobody understands
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Mei Wong
•I know right? And then they act like it's your fault when you mess up because you didn't know some obscure rule.
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Jamal Harris
One thing that catches a lot of people off guard is the earnings disqualification. If you work part-time while collecting benefits, you need to report ALL earnings - even cash payments or gig work. If you earn more than your weekly benefit amount, you won't get any UI payment that week. And if you don't report earnings accurately, that's considered fraud which can disqualify you permanently. I learned this the hard way when I did some freelance work and didn't think a small payment mattered.
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