What type of unemployment is seasonal work - regular UI or something different?
I've been working construction for the past 8 years and every winter when projects shut down I file for unemployment. My buddy told me there's something called 'seasonal unemployment' that's different from regular UI benefits but I've always just filed the normal way through my.ny.gov. Am I missing out on something? Should I be filing differently? The NYS Department of Labor website is confusing and I can't tell if seasonal workers get treated differently or if it's all the same system.
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GalacticGuardian
Seasonal unemployment in New York is still processed through the regular UI system, but there are some specific rules that apply. You file the same way through my.ny.gov, but the NYS Department of Labor has different requirements for seasonal workers regarding job search and availability. You still need to meet the same monetary requirements and file weekly claims, but during your off-season you may have modified job search requirements if your employer has a definite recall date.
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Sofia Torres
•That makes sense! My foreman usually tells us in November that we'll be back in March, so there is a definite recall date. Do I still have to apply for 3 jobs a week during the winter?
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Dmitry Smirnov
i think seasonal is the same as regular unemployment just that you know when your coming back to work. been doing landscaping for 6 years and file every november, never had any issues. just make sure you report the callback date when they ask
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Ava Rodriguez
There's also something called 'standby' status if your employer puts you on temporary layoff with a specific return date. This is different from regular seasonal filing - with standby you don't have to do job searches because you're expected to return to the same employer. You might want to ask your construction company if they file you as standby instead of a regular layoff. The NYS Department of Labor treats these differently in terms of work search requirements.
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Sofia Torres
•Interesting! I'll ask my boss about this standby thing. Would that be better than filing regular UI?
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GalacticGuardian
•Standby can be easier because no job search required, but it depends on your employer filing the paperwork correctly with NYS Department of Labor. If they don't do it right, you could end up with delays.
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Miguel Diaz
Been trying to get through to NYS Department of Labor for weeks about my seasonal claim status. The phone system is impossible - either busy signal or they hang up on you after waiting forever. Anyone know a better way to reach someone there?
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Zainab Ahmed
•I had the same problem last month trying to get answers about my adjudication. Found this service called Claimyr that actually gets you through to NYS Department of Labor agents by phone - they handle all the calling and waiting for you. Check out claimyr.com, they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me hours of frustration and I finally got my issue resolved.
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Connor Gallagher
The whole system is ridiculous anyway. Why should seasonal workers have to jump through all these hoops when we KNOW we're going back to work? It's not like we're trying to game the system, construction literally shuts down in winter. NYS Department of Labor makes it so complicated for no reason.
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AstroAlpha
•totally agree, same thing happens with ski resort workers and pool maintenance crews. we all know when we're going back but still have to deal with all the bureaucracy
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