What happens when employee files for unemployment - need to understand NYS Department of Labor process

The NYS Department of Labor process is pretty straightforward once you know the steps. First, she'll need to file her initial claim online at ny.gov within the first week of being unemployed. She'll need her Social Security number, employment history for the past 18 months, and reason for separation. After filing, she'll get a determination letter within 2-3 weeks telling her if she's eligible and how much she'll receive weekly.

Once NYS Department of Labor processes the initial claim, she'll need to file weekly claims every week to actually get paid. This is super important - you have to certify that you're still unemployed and looking for work each week. The weekly claims ask about any work you did and any money you earned. Miss a week and you won't get paid for that week.

Make sure she keeps track of her job search activities! NYS Department of Labor requires you to search for work and keep a log. I think it's 3 job search activities per week but check the current requirements. They can audit you and ask for proof at any time. I got randomly selected for a work search review last year and had to submit everything.

If there are any issues with her claim like questions about why she was laid off, it might go into adjudication. That's where NYS Department of Labor investigates further and it can take weeks or even months to resolve. Sometimes they contact the employer to verify information. Just be patient if this happens - calling constantly won't speed it up but I found a service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual agent when I needed answers about my adjudication. Check out claimyr.com and they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works.

also tell her to set up direct deposit right away, paper checks take forever and sometimes get lost in the mail