When do you qualify for unemployment benefits in New York State?
I'm trying to figure out if I qualify for unemployment benefits through NYS Department of Labor. I left my job about two weeks ago because my hours got cut to basically nothing (like 8 hours a week) and I couldn't afford to stay. Before that I was working full time for about 18 months at a retail store. I'm hearing different things from people about whether you can get benefits if you quit vs being laid off. Does anyone know the actual requirements? I'm really confused about the whole process.
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Yuki Sato
You typically qualify for NYS Department of Labor unemployment benefits if you lost your job through no fault of your own AND you meet the work/earnings requirements. For work requirements, you need to have worked in at least 2 quarters during your base period and earned a minimum amount. The tricky part in your case is that you quit - usually that disqualifies you UNLESS you had 'good cause' like a substantial reduction in hours or unsafe working conditions.
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StarStrider
•What counts as a substantial reduction in hours? Going from 40 to 8 hours seems pretty substantial to me but I don't know if NYS Department of Labor sees it that way.
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Carmen Ruiz
I think you might actually qualify! When your hours get cut that dramatically it's basically constructive dismissal. You should definitely file a claim with NYS Department of Labor and explain the situation. The worst they can do is deny it, but you might be surprised. Make sure you have documentation of your hour reduction if possible.
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Andre Lefebvre
•This is exactly right. My cousin went through the same thing last year - hours got cut from full time to almost nothing and she qualified after explaining it in her application.
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Zoe Alexopoulos
I had a nightmare trying to reach someone at NYS Department of Labor to ask about my eligibility situation. Kept getting disconnected after waiting on hold forever. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually gets you through to a real person at the unemployment office. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI that shows how it works. Saved me so much frustration trying to get answers about my claim.
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Jamal Anderson
•Wait how does that even work? Seems too good to be true that they can just magically get you through to NYS Department of Labor agents.
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Zoe Alexopoulos
•I was skeptical too but it actually worked. They basically handle the calling and waiting part for you and then connect you when they get an agent on the line. Worth checking out if you're having trouble getting through.
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Mei Wong
honestly the whole unemployment system is rigged anyway, they make it as hard as possible to qualify and then even if you do qualify they drag out the process forever with "adjudication" and other BS. But yeah definitely try filing anyway since your situation sounds legit
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QuantumQuasar
Just file the claim online through the my.ny.gov portal and answer all the questions honestly about why you left your job. NYS Department of Labor will make the determination based on your specific circumstances. The application process will walk you through everything you need to know.
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StarStrider
•Thanks! I'll start the application process today and see what happens. Fingers crossed they accept the hour reduction as good cause.
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Mei Chen
For what it's worth, a reduction from 40 hours to 8 hours per week (an 80% cut) would almost certainly qualify as "good cause" under NYS Department of Labor guidelines. That's essentially forcing you to quit by making the job financially unsustainable. When you file your claim, make sure to emphasize that the hour reduction made it impossible to meet your basic living expenses and that you had no choice but to seek other employment. Document everything - old schedules, pay stubs showing the difference, any communication about the hour cuts. The key is showing that a reasonable person in your situation would have had to quit.
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