This entire thread has been absolutely incredible! I stumbled across this while frantically googling what to expect from my appointment next week and honestly you all have saved my sanity. I was spiraling thinking they were going to grill me about every detail and look for reasons to cut my benefits, but it's so clear from everyone's experiences that they genuinely want to help you succeed. I'm definitely going to follow all the great advice here - organizing my work search log in a spreadsheet with screenshots, printing everything out, bringing a notebook to take notes, and practicing how to explain my job search strategy out loud. The tip about asking for hidden job opportunities and training programs is gold! It's amazing how this community supports each other through these stressful situations. You've all turned what felt like a terrifying interrogation into something I'm actually looking forward to as a chance to get real career help. Thank you so much for sharing your real experiences! 🙏✨

Reading through all these experiences has been so helpful! I just got scheduled for mine next week and was completely panicking about what to expect. It's reassuring to see that everyone found their counselors supportive rather than intimidating. I'm definitely taking notes on all the prep advice - especially the spreadsheet idea with screenshots and having a backup plan for tech issues. One question for those who've been through it: do they provide any follow-up resources or check in with you after the appointment, or is it more of a one-time session? Thanks to everyone for sharing your real experiences - this thread has been a lifesaver for reducing anxiety about the whole process! 🙏

As someone who recently went through the NY unemployment filing process, I want to emphasize how important it is to understand that NY automatically calculates BOTH base periods for you - you don't have to choose or request a specific one. When I filed my claim, I was initially worried because I thought they only used the Standard Base Period (which skips your most recent quarter). But after my determination letter arrived, I could see they had actually used the Alternate Base Period because my recent earnings were higher. The key thing to remember is: - Standard Base Period = first 4 of your last 5 completed quarters (skips most recent) - Alternate Base Period = your 4 most recent completed quarters - NY uses whichever gives you the higher weekly benefit For your situation with varying pay over the past year and a half, this automatic calculation feature should work in your favor. Just make sure when you file that you list ALL your employers accurately, even short-term ones, because missing wages could hurt your benefit calculation. The online system will guide you through everything step by step. Good luck with your claim!

I just want to say thank you to everyone who contributed to this thread! As someone who's never filed for unemployment before, the base period calculation seemed really confusing at first, but all these explanations have made it so much clearer. The key takeaways I'm getting are: - NY looks at 5 quarters but only uses 4 for the calculation - They automatically calculate both Standard Base Period (skips most recent quarter) AND Alternate Base Period (includes most recent quarter) - They give you whichever calculation results in a higher weekly benefit - Make sure to list ALL employers from the past 18 months when filing - Check your wage history on NY.gov before filing to catch any errors I feel much more confident about filing my claim now. It's also good to know about that Claimyr service if I need help getting through to speak with someone. Really appreciate this community for breaking down such a complex topic in plain English!

I'm a junior who went through this process last semester after losing my campus job. The key thing that helped me was being super organized with my documentation before applying. I created a folder with: pay stubs from the past 18 months, my official class schedule, a written statement explaining my availability (including specific days/times I could work), and a list of my work history while enrolled. NYS Department of Labor did ask detailed questions about my student status, but having everything ready made the process much smoother. Also, don't be discouraged by the initial phone wait times - I used the early morning calling strategy someone mentioned and usually got through within 30-45 minutes. The whole approval process took about 4 weeks for me, but that included some back-and-forth for additional documentation. Once approved, the weekly certifications were pretty routine. Since you've been consistently working 25 hours while taking classes, you have a strong case. Just be thorough with your prep work and honest about your situation throughout the process.

I just went through this exact process as a college senior last month! You're absolutely eligible as a student in NY - I was working part-time at a coffee shop (about 20 hours/week) while taking 15 credits and successfully got approved for unemployment when they had to let me go due to slow business. The key is demonstrating that you've been successfully balancing work and school, which your 2-year employment history at 25 hours/week clearly shows. When I applied, I made sure to emphasize my consistent availability outside of class hours and provided my work schedule history as proof. The process took about 3 weeks total, and I had to do a phone interview where they asked detailed questions about my class schedule and work availability. Just be completely honest about being a student and have your class schedule ready to show when you can work. Since you're graduating in May anyway, that actually works in your favor because it shows you're transitioning to full-time employment. Don't let anyone tell you students can't get benefits - that's completely false! You've earned these benefits through your work history.

Also worth noting - if you worked any part-time or temporary jobs while collecting unemployment, make sure those are all properly reported before you stop filing. I forgot to report a one-day gig I did and it came back to bite me during an audit six months later. NYS DOL cross-references with employers so they'll eventually find unreported work. Clean slate is always better when transitioning off benefits.

One thing I learned the hard way - even though your account goes dormant when you stop filing, make sure you update your contact info if you move or change phone numbers while your benefit year is still active. I moved a few months after going back to work and when NYS DOL tried to send me some routine correspondence about my closed claim, it went to my old address. Took forever to sort out because they couldn't reach me at the old contact info. Just log into your account periodically to keep everything current even if you're not actively filing.

I've been following this thread as someone who went through a similar situation about 8 months ago. My hours got slashed from 38 to around 16 per week at my retail job, and the partial unemployment benefits were honestly a lifesaver. A few practical tips based on my experience: 1. **Apply immediately** - I made the mistake of waiting 2 weeks thinking my hours might get restored, and that cost me benefits I could have received. 2. **Document everything** - Take photos of your schedules, save any texts about hour cuts, keep all pay stubs. I had to prove the involuntary reduction when my employer initially contested. 3. **The "day vs hours" thing is real** - I learned this the hard way. Working 12 hours spread across 4 days = $0 benefits. Working 12 hours in 2 days = 50% of your weekly benefit. It's backwards but that's the system. 4. **Don't feel guilty about applying** - You paid into unemployment insurance through your paychecks. This is exactly what it's designed for. The partial benefits covered about 60% of what I was losing from the hour cuts, which was enough to keep me from falling behind on rent while job searching. The whole process took about 3 weeks from application to first payment, so start ASAP. You're dealing with an involuntary reduction in hours due to business needs - that's textbook partial unemployment territory. Hang in there! The system is confusing but it does work once you figure it out.

I'm dealing with this exact situation right now too! My hours got cut from 35 to about 22 per week at my restaurant job in January. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been so eye-opening - I had no idea about NY's day-counting system or that I could even apply for partial benefits while still working. The advice about clustering shifts into fewer days is genius and something I never would have thought of on my own. I'm definitely going to apply this week after seeing how much it helped so many people here. One thing I'm curious about - for those who successfully negotiated schedule changes with their managers, did you find that having fewer but longer shifts actually worked better for you work-wise too, or was it mainly just beneficial for the unemployment calculations? I'm hoping I can frame it as a win-win situation when I talk to my supervisor. Also want to echo what others have said about not feeling guilty - we've all been paying into this system and situations like involuntary hour cuts are exactly what it's designed to help with. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed and honest experiences!