What reason should I put for unemployment claim with NYS Department of Labor?
I'm filling out my initial unemployment claim on the NYS Department of Labor website and I'm stuck on the reason for separation section. I was laid off due to company downsizing but there are so many different options in the dropdown menu. Should I put 'lack of work' or 'reduction in force' or something else? I don't want to mess this up and delay my claim. Has anyone dealt with this before?
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Vanessa Chang
For a layoff due to company downsizing, you'll want to select 'lack of work' as your reason. This is the standard category for layoffs where the employer had to reduce their workforce for business reasons. Make sure you have your separation paperwork handy when you file - NYS Department of Labor may ask for documentation.
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Noah Irving
•Thank you! I do have my layoff notice from HR. Should I upload that right away or wait until they ask for it?
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Madison King
yeah i put lack of work when i got laid off last year and it went through fine. just be honest about what happened, the NYS Department of Labor will verify with your employer anyway
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Julian Paolo
Actually, 'reduction in force' and 'lack of work' are essentially the same thing for NYS Department of Labor purposes. I've seen people use both successfully. The key is being consistent with whatever your employer reported. If your separation notice says 'reduction in force' then use that exact terminology.
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Ella Knight
•This is confusing me now... should I call my old job to ask what they're going to report? I don't want there to be a mismatch that causes problems.
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William Schwarz
I had the same issue when I filed my claim! The NYS Department of Labor phone system is impossible to get through to ask questions like this. I ended up using this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual agent in like 10 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. The agent was able to look at my specific situation and tell me exactly what to put.
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Noah Irving
•Interesting, I've never heard of that service before. Did it actually work for you?
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William Schwarz
•Yeah it saved me weeks of trying to get through on my own. Worth checking out if you want to talk to someone directly about your claim.
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Lauren Johnson
Whatever you do, DON'T put anything about quitting or resignation even if you felt pressured to leave. Stick with the layoff terminology your company used. I made that mistake on my first claim years ago and it created a whole mess with adjudication.
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Jade Santiago
omg this whole system is so confusing! why can't they just make it simple and ask 'did you get fired or laid off' lol. but seriously good luck with your claim, hope it goes through quickly
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