Marcus, I'm really sorry you're dealing with this situation - workplace stress can be absolutely devastating to mental health. I went through something similar about 6 months ago and want to share what I learned from the process. First, the good news: yes, you can potentially qualify for NYS unemployment if you quit due to mental health issues, but the documentation requirements are pretty strict. The key thing NYS Department of Labor looks for is whether you had "good cause" - meaning a reasonable person in your situation would have felt they had no choice but to quit. Here's what really helped my case: I started keeping a detailed daily journal of workplace incidents that triggered my anxiety (specific dates, what happened, who was involved). I also asked my therapist to write a detailed letter explaining how my work environment was specifically impacting my mental health recovery and why continuing in that role would be detrimental. The most important thing - and I can't stress this enough - is to try requesting accommodations through HR first, even if you think they'll say no. Document everything in writing (emails are best). When they denied my requests for a modified workload and schedule flexibility, it actually strengthened my unemployment case because it showed I'd exhausted all reasonable alternatives before quitting. The process took about 6 weeks for me, but I did get approved. The financial stress during that waiting period was brutal, so definitely have a backup plan if possible. Feel free to ask if you want more details about any part of the process!

Marcus, I'm so sorry you're going through this - the combination of mental health struggles and workplace toxicity is absolutely exhausting. I wanted to add a few practical tips that helped me when I was in a similar situation last year. One thing that really strengthened my case was getting my therapist to write specifically about how my work environment was interfering with my treatment progress. Instead of just saying the job was stressful, they documented how the workplace conditions were preventing me from implementing coping strategies we'd worked on and were causing setbacks in my recovery. NYS Department of Labor seemed to find that medical perspective really compelling. Also, if you do decide to request accommodations first (which I'd recommend), consider asking for things like: breaks to manage anxiety symptoms, ability to work from home on particularly difficult days, or modified communication methods with your supervisor. Frame these as medical accommodations, not just preferences. One more thing - start saving money now if you can, even small amounts. The waiting period for a decision can be nerve-wracking when you're already financially stressed. Some local churches and community organizations also have emergency assistance programs that might help bridge the gap if needed. Your mental health is absolutely worth prioritizing. Having been through this process, I can tell you it is possible to get approved, but having a solid paper trail makes all the difference. You've got this - take care of yourself first.

keep filing those weekly claims! even if ur not getting paid yet you need to maintain ur claim or you'll lose everything

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - filed my claim about 3 weeks ago and it's been stuck in adjudication. From what I've learned reading through other posts here, it seems like the NYS Department of Labor is really backlogged and the "adjudication in progress" status usually means they're verifying something with your former employer or checking your eligibility. The waiting is absolutely nerve-wracking, especially when bills are piling up. Have you tried reaching out to your local assembly member's office? I've heard some people had luck getting their cases expedited that way when the normal phone lines weren't working.

I'm literally in the EXACT same situation right now! Filed my claim in December and have been stuck with those dreaded $0.00 amounts for weeks while getting recertification emails every week. I was honestly starting to panic thinking my application got rejected or I somehow messed something up during the filing process. This entire thread has been such a lifesaver - I had absolutely no idea this was such a widespread issue! Reading through everyone's experiences about the $0.00 being just a placeholder while they work through claims processing has given me so much relief. I've been dutifully certifying every single week even though it felt completely pointless when everything shows zero. What really gives me hope is seeing so many people share that they eventually got approved with full backpay after weeks or even months of seeing nothing but zeros. The fact that the recertification emails are just automated and don't actually reflect your real claim status makes perfect sense now - no wonder this whole process is so confusing! I'm definitely going to keep certifying religiously no matter what and try that 7:30am calling strategy if nothing changes in the next few weeks. The regular phone system is absolutely impossible - I've probably called 40+ times during normal business hours and have never once gotten through to an actual human being. Thanks so much for posting this question @Sienna Gomez - you've helped literally dozens of us realize we're not alone in this unemployment waiting game! The system is clearly ancient and broken, but knowing this is completely "normal" makes the endless waiting so much more bearable. Fingers crossed we all see some positive movement on our claims very soon! 🤞

I'm going through this EXACT same situation right now! Filed in late December and have been stuck with $0.00 amounts for weeks while getting those weekly recertification emails. I was honestly starting to think I got denied or messed up my application somehow. This thread is honestly saving my sanity - I had no idea so many people were experiencing this identical issue! Reading everyone's stories about the $0.00 being just a placeholder while they process claims has made me feel so much better. I've been certifying every single week even though it felt totally pointless when everything shows zero. What really gives me hope is hearing from so many people who had weeks or months of $0.00 and then suddenly everything updated with their correct benefit amounts and full backpay. The automated recertification emails make so much more sense now knowing they're not tied to actual claim status. I'm definitely going to try that 7:30am calling strategy everyone keeps mentioning. The regular phone lines are completely useless - I've called probably 45+ times during normal hours and never gotten through to a real person. Might have to look into that claimyr service too if this drags on much longer. Thanks for posting this @Sienna Gomez - you've helped so many of us realize we're not alone in this unemployment limbo! The system is clearly broken but at least now I know this is totally normal. Keep certifying everyone and fingers crossed we all see some positive updates soon! 🤞

I went through this exact same situation last year! Your BYE date of 8/21 means you can certify for the week ending on that date, but after that you'll need to file a brand new claim. Since you've been working part-time, you should definitely qualify for a new claim, but your weekly benefit amount will be recalculated based on your earnings from the past 18 months. So it'll probably be lower than what you're getting now, but at least you'll still have some income coming in. The whole process took about 2-3 weeks for me, and they did backpay once it was approved. Just make sure you have all your employment history ready when you file the new claim!

Hey! I just went through this exact same process a few months ago. Your BYE date of 8/21 means that's the last day of your current benefit year - you can still certify for the week ending on that date, but after that you'll need to file a completely new claim. It's not an extension, it's literally starting from scratch. Since you've been working part-time, you should definitely qualify for a new claim, but heads up - your weekly benefit amount will probably be lower since they'll base it on your recent part-time earnings rather than your full-time restaurant wages. The whole process took about 3 weeks for me, but they did backpay once everything was approved. Just make sure you have all your employment info from the past 18 months ready when you apply. Don't stress too much - the system will walk you through it when the time comes!

I just went through this exact situation about 2 weeks ago! Everyone here has given you great advice - definitely file one final weekly claim for the week you started working, making sure to report all your work days and earnings accurately. After that, just stop filing weekly claims and your case will close automatically after you miss a few certification periods. I was also super worried about doing something wrong or getting penalized later, but it really is as straightforward as everyone is saying. The key is just being completely honest about your work schedule and pay on that final weekly certification. I kept detailed records of what I reported just in case, but honestly the process went smoothly and I never heard anything back from NYS DOL after I stopped certifying. Don't stress about calling them - filing that final claim with your work details is the proper way to handle the transition. Congrats on the new job! It feels so good to be back to regular work after those weeks of uncertainty.

I just wanted to add my experience from last month - I was in almost the exact same situation and was also really stressed about it! I ended up filing one final weekly claim for the partial week I worked (reported 3 work days and my earnings), then stopped filing after that. My claim automatically closed after a few weeks of not certifying, and I never had any issues. The whole thing was much simpler than I expected. The key really is just being completely honest about your work hours and pay on that final weekly certification. NYS DOL does track everything through employer wage reports, so transparency is definitely the way to go. Don't worry about calling them directly - the weekly claim reporting system handles everything you need to do. Congrats on getting back to work! It's such a relief to have that steady income again after weeks of uncertainty.