What would make you ineligible for unemployment benefits in NY - need to understand the rules

The main things that make you ineligible are: 1) Quitting without good cause (which is hard to prove), 2) Getting fired for misconduct, 3) Not being able and available to work, 4) Refusing suitable work offers, 5) Not meeting the job search requirements, 6) Not having enough work history/wages in your base period. If you quit voluntarily, NYS Department of Labor will likely deny your claim unless you can prove it was for good cause like unsafe working conditions or harassment that you documented.

i quit my last job cause my boss was horrible and they denied my claim. took forever to get it overturned and i had to provide tons of evidence. verbal abuse is really hard to prove without witnesses or emails

Don't quit unless you absolutely have to. Try to get them to fire you instead, or look for another job first. The burden of proof is on you to show good cause for quitting, and NYS Department of Labor is pretty strict about it. You'd need documented evidence of the toxic behavior - emails, written complaints to HR, witness statements, etc. Also, you have to give your employer a chance to fix the problem before quitting.

I had trouble reaching NYS Department of Labor when I needed to appeal a disqualification for this exact reason. Couldn't get through on the phone for weeks. Eventually found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that helped me get connected to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Made the whole process way less stressful when I finally got to explain my situation to someone.

Other things that can disqualify you - not reporting work or income when you file your weekly claims, being out of state without permission, not being physically able to work, turning down job offers that match your skills and pay range. The system is designed to catch people who aren't genuinely looking for work.

ugh the whole system is so frustrating!! they make it impossible to get benefits even when you legitimately need them. i know people who got denied for the stupidest reasons

Before you quit, definitely document everything you can about the toxic behavior - save any inappropriate emails, texts, or messages from your manager. Write down dates, times, and details of incidents with witnesses present if possible. Also check if your company has an employee handbook that outlines policies about workplace conduct - violations of their own policies can strengthen your case for "good cause" if you do end up quitting. The key is showing you tried to resolve it through proper channels first and that the situation was genuinely intolerable.