Why did I get denied for unemployment benefits from NYS Department of Labor?
Just received my determination letter and my unemployment claim was denied. The letter says something about 'voluntary separation without good cause' but I don't understand what that means. I left my job at a retail store because my manager was constantly changing my schedule with less than 24 hours notice and I couldn't find childcare. Shouldn't that count as good cause? The letter mentions I can appeal but I'm not sure if it's worth it or what I need to prove. Has anyone dealt with this type of denial before?
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Eleanor Foster
Schedule changes can potentially qualify as good cause for leaving, but you'll need to document everything. For your appeal, gather evidence like: text messages or emails about schedule changes, any communication where you asked for consistent scheduling, childcare receipts showing the financial impact, and witness statements if coworkers experienced similar issues. The NYS Department of Labor looks for whether you made reasonable efforts to resolve the situation before quitting.
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Nathan Kim
•I do have some text screenshots from my manager. Should I also include my childcare provider's contact info as proof of the scheduling conflicts?
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Lucas Turner
ugh the same thing happened to me!! they denied me first too even though my boss was making the workplace impossible. definitely appeal it - worst case scenario you're still denied but at least you tried
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Nathan Kim
•Did you win your appeal? I'm worried about going through all this paperwork for nothing.
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Kai Rivera
You absolutely should appeal this decision. The key is proving 'constructive discharge' - essentially that your employer created working conditions so unreasonable that any reasonable person would have quit. Inconsistent scheduling that prevents you from arranging childcare could qualify. You have 30 days from the determination date to file your appeal. Make sure to request your employer's response documents too - sometimes they contradict themselves which helps your case.
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Anna Stewart
•How do you request the employer's documents? I never knew you could see what they told NYS Department of Labor.
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Layla Sanders
I had a nightmare trying to reach anyone at NYS Department of Labor about my denial. Spent hours on hold just to get disconnected. Found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me through to a real person who explained exactly why I was denied and what I needed for my appeal. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Ended up being way easier than the endless phone tree.
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Nathan Kim
•That sounds too good to be true. How much does something like that cost?
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Layla Sanders
•They focus on just getting you connected to the right person rather than giving advice. Was worth it for me since I was getting nowhere on my own.
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Morgan Washington
The whole system is rigged against workers anyway. They'll deny you for breathing wrong then make you jump through hoops to prove you deserve benefits you already paid into. Document everything but don't get your hopes up - they rarely overturn these decisions even when you're obviously right.
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Eleanor Foster
•Actually appeal success rates are higher than most people think, especially for voluntary separation cases where there's clear documentation of workplace issues. The key is presenting evidence properly.
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