What would disqualify from unemployment - worried about my NYS Department of Labor claim
I'm stressed out about my unemployment claim and keep reading different things online about what can disqualify you. I got laid off from my retail job two weeks ago and filed right away, but now I'm paranoid I might have done something wrong or that there's something in my work history that could mess this up. Can someone explain what actually disqualifies you from getting unemployment benefits in NY? I don't want to be surprised if my claim gets denied.
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Amina Toure
The main disqualifications in NY are: getting fired for misconduct (stealing, violating company policy repeatedly, etc.), quitting without good cause, refusing suitable work, not being able and available for work, or not meeting the job search requirements. If you were laid off due to lack of work, you should be fine. Just make sure you're doing your weekly claims on time and logging your job searches.
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Paolo Esposito
•Thank you! I was definitely laid off due to slow business, not fired. How many job searches do I need to do each week?
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Oliver Weber
also if you made too much money while collecting or didn't report earnings correctly that can disqualify you too
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FireflyDreams
Don't stress too much if you were legitimately laid off. The NYS Department of Labor isn't trying to trick you. The biggest issues I see are people who quit their jobs voluntarily or got fired for attendance/performance problems. As long as you're honest on your weekly claims and actively looking for work, you should be okay. Make sure you keep records of your job search activities just in case they ask for verification.
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Natasha Kuznetsova
•What kind of records should I keep for job searches? I've been applying online but wasn't sure if I needed to print anything out.
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FireflyDreams
•Keep a log with the company name, position, date applied, and how you applied. Screenshots of online applications work fine. You need 3 work search activities per week minimum.
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Javier Morales
I had issues reaching someone at NYS Department of Labor when I needed clarification on my disqualification notice last year. Spent weeks trying to get through on the phone. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to an agent who explained exactly what I needed to do for my appeal. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me so much frustration compared to calling myself.
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Paolo Esposito
•How much does something like that cost? I'm already worried about money while waiting for my claim to process.
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Javier Morales
•I was in the same boat financially but it was worth it to get actual answers instead of guessing. Much better than spending days trying to get through on my own.
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Emma Anderson
MISCONDUCT is the big one they look for. If your employer claims you were fired for misconduct, you'll get disqualified and have to appeal. Even being late too many times can count as misconduct in their eyes. The system is designed to deny first and ask questions later.
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Amina Toure
•That's not entirely accurate. NYS Department of Labor does investigate misconduct claims, but simple attendance issues usually don't rise to the level of disqualifying misconduct unless it was willful and repeated after warnings.
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Malik Thompson
Same situation here! Got laid off last month and was worried about the same thing. Turns out if it's a genuine layoff you're usually fine.
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